Practice, More Practice, Best Practice: Improving Our Service to Limited-English Callers

Even as new communication technologies emerge, most people still reach for their phones–especially in an emergency. For local health jurisdictions, hotlines or call centers can serve as critical connections for providing lifesaving information to their communities in a disaster. As Washington state communities become more culturally diverse, the needs of limited-English-speaking populations must be considered. In partnership with the University of Washington, Public Health - Seattle & King County (Public Health) examined the capacity of its Public Information Call Center (PICC) to effectively serve limited-English speakers during an emergency.