Interpreters helping fire crews

Firefighters are being helped to talk to people with a limited knowledge of English at the scenes of incidents.

Crews can show people a language identification card and then access an interpreter by telephone in 60 seconds under a new scheme launched in Kent.

Spokesman Steve Griffiths said teams arriving at a fire or crash needed to be able to establish facts quickly and let people know what was happening.

The scheme could help with more than 170 languages, he added.

Mr Griffiths, Kent fire service's assistant director of community safety, said the service had been made available to all fire service staff who had phone or face-to-face contact with members of the community.

The service could be accessed via a homeowner's phone line at no cost, and could be used if there are no English-speaking relatives or neighbours to assist, he added.

Mr Griffiths said a language identification card has been placed in each of the service's fire engines.