Overcoming the 911 Language Barrier with Speech Automation

MicroAutomation, a provider of 911 and contact center solutions, and Sanas, provider of a real-time speech AI platform have partnered on an integration that embeds Sanas's real-time Language Translation directly into MicroAutomation's flagship Omni911 platform.

Called Language Assist, the combined Omni911 and Sanas platform delivers automatic language detection, simultaneous translation, real-time transcription for first responder handoffs, and natural-sounding audio that preserves the caller's emotional state within existing 911 workflows.

Through the integration, the moment a non-English speaker dials 911, the system automatically detects the language, begins simultaneous bidirectional translation, and delivers a live, natural-sounding conversation to the dispatcher, with no interpreter queue nor delay at connection. Sanas preserves the speaker's own voice, tone, and emotional register, enabling the dispatcher to hear the caller's actual urgency.

"Language should never be the reason an emergency dispatcher can't help someone. Integrating Sanas into Omni911 means dispatchers can interact with callers immediately—no interpreter queue, no delays when every second counts," said Suresh Gursahaney, CEO of MicroAutomation, in a statement.

"Sanas was built on a simple conviction: every human voice deserves to be heard and understood. Speech AI can deliver efficiency in crisis, and by bringing it into 911 means the same infrastructure handling millions of enterprise conversations every day is now in the room when stakes are at their highest," said Sharath Keshava Narayana, CEO and co-founder of Sanas, in a statement.

Published 9-1-1 research indicates that when a caller speaks another language, it can take approximately 2.5 minutes from call onset before the caller is connected to a live interpreter and able to conduct a functional three-way conversation. The same study found that even after reaching the interpretation-service operator, an additional average of 49 seconds was required to connect to the actual interpreter, creating a critical delay in protecting or rescuing lives or property.