Voxtec - First Responders

When quick, accurate decision-making is everything.

First responders are trained to instantly evaluate a situation and choose the best course of action, often with scant information to rely on. To save lives and ensure others are protected in critical situations, law enforcement, fire and rescue professionals must have full confidence in their training, their expertise—and their tools.

Voxtec translation technology enables first responders to communicate without delay. Our systems are designed to provide instant, accurate translation of potentially life-saving and order-restoring phrases to those with little or no understanding of English in crisis situations:

Law enforcement officers rely on Voxtec translation systems to interview witnesses at crime and accident scenes, control unruly and potentially dangerous crowds, and perform standardized procedures such as field sobriety checkpoints and serving arrest or search warrants.
Fire response and emergency medical teams use Voxtec systems to determine the severity of injuries or gather situational information that may save the lives of victims or workers themselves.

The Benefits of Record Mode Capability

Voxtec’s one-way speech-to-speech translation systems have several powerful features that make them a must-have tool for first responders. One of the most crucial is a record feature, which allows the Phraselator® P2 to hold several hours of audio recordings.

Phrases such as “Tell me what happened,” can be programmed to instantly transition the P2 into record mode. The recorded witness statement can be replayed and translated back to English by a trusted interpreter. This is a valuable function for law enforcement and corrections officers or fire and rescue personnel performing critical tasks such as inmate entrance interviews, crime, arson and accident scene witness interrogations, or overall booking procedures.

Voxtec’s Phraselator® P2 Helps Law Enforcement Officers Serve Multilingual Communities

A May 2007 immigration rally in Los Angeles' MacArthur Park turned violent, resulting in dozens of injuries to police officers and civilians and more than 250 legal claims against the city. The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) acknowledged an inability to effectively communicate commands and warnings to the protestors, many of whom spoke little English.

To help avoid future public demonstrations from turning violent, the LAPD sought a way to improve its crowd control capabilities by providing its officers the ability to communicate with all members of the city's diverse community. Because multi-lingual officers and human translators cannot be present in every situation requiring communication with someone with limited English proficiency, the LAPD turned to technology for a solution.

The LAPD purchased Voxtec's Phraselator P2 translation devices to improve its ability to communicate with all members of the Los Angeles community. The Phraselator P2's have been attached to the Department's all-terrain vehicles to assist with crowd control efforts. The vehicles are equipped with HPV Tech's MAD full-range speakers to broadcast translated phrases from its Phraselator P2's in many languages prominently spoken throughout the community.

"Restoring order in chaotic situations requires carefully worded communication that can be understood by everyone within earshot," said Sergeant Eric Lee. "When attached to MAD technology, we can program the Phraselator's to project phrases such as 'We are here to facilitate your First Amendment rights,' repeated in several languages, up to half a mile away without loss of clarity."

The LAPD also purchased Voxtec's Module Builder PRO content authoring software, which allows the Department to create and install its own set of customized crowd control phrases translated by its own trusted human translators. While only 32 percent (circa 2008) of the LAPD's 9,600 member force speaks a second language, Module Builder PRO enables these officers to replicate their fluent speaking ability for the benefit of the Department and the community.

"The power to customize the devices ourselves is a very important feature," said Captain Dennis Kato, who was instrumental in obtaining Phraselator P2's for the LAPD.

While this exciting new technology has not been put to a test as sizable as the MacArthur Park incident, they have already demonstrated their value in many critical situations. "While the Phraselators do not replace a human translator, these devices can be a lifesaver. The more we use the Phraselators, the more we identify additional situations where they can improve our communication and overall level of service," said Sergeant Lee.

LAPD Deputy Chief Mike Hillmann believes the Phraselator P2's will help meet the Department's crowd control and critical communication objectives. "The ability for public safety agencies to communicate with various cultures in critical. The Phraselator has been useful in assisting with crowd management operations," said Hillmann.

Voxtec Technology Addresses the Specific Challenges of Correctional Facilities

Corrections officers face daunting challenges from all sides. Across the country, non-English-speaking individuals increasingly comprise inmate populations, making it difficult to determine medical needs or other factors necessary to properly introduce new arrivals into the general population.

To learn more about how Voxtec is helping to meet these challenges CLICK HERE

“With more than 260 languages spoken in the Los Angeles area, a human translator can’t be present in every situation requiring communication with someone with limited English proficiency. While the Phraselators do not replace a human translator, these devices can be a lifesaver. The more we use the Phraselators, the more we identify additional situations where they can improve our communication and overall level of service. ”

Sergeant Eric Lee

Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD)

VIEW ALL

Discover for yourself the Voxtec products that can provide law enforcement and emergency service personnel the language translation support they need.

LEARN MORE

Voxtec serves the needs of first responders today—and tomorrow—by advancing voice technology and developing the translation tools of the future.

LEARN MORE

Voxtec provides a complete range of extended services, to help maximize the effectiveness of our products for the distinct language translation needs of law enforcement, fire and rescue and other first responders.

LEARN MORE