PASO ROBLES, CA, January 12, 2021 – The City of Paso Robles has announced it will begin using a new translation service to help callers more quickly. The service allows City staff to easily connect to a third-party translation service via a conference call. The service has been in use by the Police Department for some time and will now be available to all departments when callers access the City’s information line.
“We have found during the pandemic, with staff working remotely, that the level of service we were providing to our non-native English-speaking residents needed to be improved,” explained Shonna Vear Howenstine, the City’s Civic Engagement Coordinator. “The Police Department has used this translation service with positive results for some time, so we are hopeful that this will improve service for all callers with any questions for any department or about the community in general.”
According US Census data for 2015-2019, nearly 30% of Paso Robles residents speak a language other than English at home.
Prior to using the service, the City relied on a handful of bilingual employees to field calls in Spanish only, while the new service offers translation services in hundreds of languages.
The service is in place now, and the City’s information line remains the same, 805.227.PASO (7276).
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Media contact:
Shonna Vear Howenstine
showenstine@prcity.com
805.237.3888