8d. Presentation - Airport Language Interpretation Services
Item No. 8d supp Meeting Date: December 14, 2021 Airport Language Interpretation Services Presenter: Elicia Snowden Manager, Customer Engagement Aviation Customer Service Commission Request: Authorization for funding to acquire a language interpretation contract for use at SEA Amount: $1,000,000 for a 5-year contract *maximum monthly invoice amount has been $16k, thus nearly $200k/year 2 Background: SEA relies on the airport's multilingual airport staff to assist our international travelers, however, there are times when an employee with the specific language skills is not available. SEA has utilized a phone-based language service for several years; recent growth in usage during the COVID-19 pandemic. Service used by: Port of Seattle Pathfinders, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and U.S. Transportation Security Administration 3 Overview: All international arriving passengers must be screened and potentially interviewed (can be up to 3-hour interviews) Provides customers a seamless experience who have limited to no English-speaking skills On-demand over-the-phone (or video for ASL as well as all other language) language interpreter primarily utilized by Customs and Border Protection and Pathfinders 4 Commission Request: Authorization for funding to acquire a language interpretation contract for use at SEA Amount: $1,000,000 for a 5-year contract *maximum monthly invoice amount has been $16k, thus nearly $200k/year 5
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