Translating the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch® (IAED™) protocols involves much more than swapping each word or phrase for its external counterpart. Although emergency communication systems have many similarities, internal operations in every country depend on their unique geographic, political, cultural, linguistic, historical, and medical settings.
Veronika Fagerer, Translation & Localization Manager, Priority Dispatch Corp.™ (PDC™), oversees and coordinates the team of 17 employees—translators, team leads, and supervisors in the PDC Protocol, Translation, Curriculum, & Instructional Design Department—and multiple translation vendors and contractors. She said the job entails much more than language skills (speaking fluent English and the language into which it is translated). “It’s a unique skill set and requires a lot of training because of the distinct content.”
Establishing the protocol’s accessibility is a significant achievement, considering its presence in 59 countries—2,025 centers—and translation and/or cultural adaptation into 29 languages and dialects. The numbers, however, are not a culmination. Five languages were added in 2022–2023 and translated from the North American English (NAE) version.
Translators must consider the local systems and cultural norms through a process called localization to bridge cultural differences while conveying the original and standardized intent and meaning.
“Our challenge is to keep protocol as close as possible [to the standard] and within the context of the country,” said Giuditta Ricciardi Easthope, Team Lead & Italian Language and Localization Specialist at PDC. “We recognize situations and resources familiar to that country that are not necessarily American.”
Each translator is a native speaker of the language they translate and well-acquainted with their respective culture. Fagerer is native to Salzburg, Austria. She was hired as a German translator and promoted to her current position three years ago. She finds the work’s purpose meaningful. “We are translating content used to help people when they need it most.”
Easthope is a native of Caserta, Italy. She was among the first PDC translators. Cristina Lenzo became the department's second Italian Language and Localization Specialist nearly two years ago.
The translators and localization specialists are a close-knit group. Despite the language differences inherent in their work, their ability to work as a cohesive team is a primary reason Easthope has stayed for 28 years and counting. The other is the country and people she collectively represents. “It becomes personal. You want the translation to be right, to work effectively for our clients.”
Clarity, precision, accuracy, and readability are, of course, central to translation. Language evolves rapidly—think of the words associated with technology and medicine. “It all boils down to how it works with the caller,” Fagerer said. “We work on language daily. We stay abreast of the news. We review what’s happening in that country and work with local experts any chance we get.”
Easthope said simplification is critical to promoting understanding between the Emergency Dispatcher and the caller. They avoid jargon. They are sensitive to the people who rely on the protocol during an emergency. The translation reflects, as closely as possible, how they relate to one another in that culture and to their emergency services environment.
Replicating the intended meaning of the protocol ultimately isn’t always easy. Words or phrases can hold multiple meanings or be very specific and exact. The correct word choice often depends on context and how a language functions. Three words in German, for example, describe a situation where someone or something is trapped. While the one English word trapped covers all protocol scenarios, three German words were needed to correctly express how, what, and under what someone is trapped. “German translators must incorporate all three words so the dispatchers can choose the right one depending on the situation,” Fagerer said.
What’s more, syntax varies from language to language. In English, the subject is generally first, then the verb and object: The dog bit his leg. Other languages order the sentences differently. A direct translation of “The dog bit his leg” would sound as confusing in some countries as “His leg bit the dog” would sound in English.
There are also sections in the protocol considered hands-off. For example, commonality in Determinant Code selection is essential to protocol comparative science; Determinant Descriptors are not adjusted based on differences in response assignment.
Localization
Localization is a shared responsibility. Each translator also works closely with cultural experts organized into cultural committees. Each cultural committee is created based on a need for protocol review to fit a specified geographical region and language/dialect. The genesis of these committees dates to 1991, when Dr. Jeff Clawson enlisted the help of Registered Nurse Marie Leroux of Montreal, Canada, to translate the protocols into French. Leroux was part of the first cultural committee, composed of EMDs, doctors, paramedics, and EMTs.1
Their creation was a watershed event. Fourteen international cultural committees provide their expertise and points of view.
The Academy approves all cultural committee members. Committee members are recommended, and those selected are considered experts in dispatch centers using the protocols. The position is voluntary, and members commit to a two-year term. The term can be extended if both parties agree. The number of committee members varies and can grow if needed.
The committees verify that the translation will be functional. “On the fly” translations must be avoided. Agencies need to use the current language/dialect protocols that are developed and culturally verified. Only approved cultural adaptations are used to discourage variations in meaning. The translation must flow seamlessly from the Emergency Dispatcher for the highest quality of instructions and questions relayed to the public.
In addition, members are essentially the eyes and ears of the culture; they are attuned to cultural changes and how that must be reflected in the protocol. Culturally adapting the protocols, however, is a complex process. Often, the North American English core version cannot be translated word for word because the expressions won’t make sense in other locations.
In a nutshell, the parameters for cultural persuasiveness include:2
- Wording or phrasing commonly different in related dialects (caller use/understanding affected)
- Presence or absence of distinct, associated care and referral programs
- Presence of a distinctive entity (e.g., animal, plant, or hazard)
- An element that conflicts with another approved variation or local law
Depending on the nature, size, and scope of the updates, cultural committees convene face-to-face, through Microsoft Teams, or via email. Sometimes, other cultures won’t like how something is written. So, the committee and the Academy must discuss back and forth until they have the correct information. The way something is written might not always sound elegant, but it’s written that way for a reason. “Unwanted” questions can’t simply be removed. If a non-patient care-related cultural request would take away the consistency between the police, fire, and medical protocols and the Emergency Communication Nurse System™ (ECNS™), the protocol remains the way it is.
No matter the form of communication, the Councils of Standards and the PDC translators are always involved. On average, it takes six months to release a language version after the NAE version is released and the cultural committee conducts its review.
While protocol is the priority and comes first before other materials are finalized, the PDC Protocol, Translation, Curriculum, & Instructional Design Department translates legal documents, course materials, manuals, and anything else needed in any language. “We are involved in many amazing projects,” Fagerer said. “Clients come first, and we base our work on what is most crucial to them.”
And the best part for Fagerer? “Hearing our work in an actual call is very rewarding,” she said.
Easthope knows that what they do helps Emergency Dispatchers perform their jobs around the world. She saved a copy of a letter sent to a communication center in Italy written by a woman whose young husband had passed away following a heart attack. “She thanked the dispatchers because even though the outcome was not what she had hoped for, she knew that she had done everything possible to save him following the instructions she was given,” Easthope said. “That gave her some peace in a tragic situation.”
Sources
- McFadden J. “Cultural Shift.” Journal of Emergency Dispatch. 2015; July 29. https://www.iaedjournal.org/cultural-shift (accessed Nov. 10, 2023).
- Hoagland K. “Linguistic and Cultural Adaptations in Emergency Dispatch: A Localized Approach in a Global Village.” 2023. (accessed Nov. 9, 2023).
Currently, cultural committees exist for the following regions/languages or dialects:
• Australia/New Zealand (English)
• United Kingdom/Ireland (English)
• Germany/Austria/Switzerland (German)
• Italy/Switzerland (Italian)
• Canada/Switzerland/France (French)
• Spain/North, South and Central America/U.S. (Spanish)
• Brazil (Portuguese)
• Netherlands (Dutch)
• China (Simplified Chinese)
• Malaysia (Malay)
• Middle East (Arabic)
• Lithuania (Lithuanian)
• Vietnam (Vietnamese)
• Hong Kong (Traditional Mandarin Chinese, Traditional Cantonese Chinese, Hong Kong English)
