Deaf and hard of hearing community members have a new resource in Page: Video Relay Service (VRS).

According to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), “VRS is a form of Telecommunications Relay Service that enables persons with hearing disabilities who use American Sign Language to communicate with voice telephone users through video equipment, rather than through typed text. Video equipment links the VRS user with a communications assistant, or CA, so that the VRS user and the CA can see and communicate with each other in signed conversation. Because the conversation between the VRS user and the CA flows much more quickly than with a text-based TRS call, VRS has become an enormously popular form of TRS.”

There’s no cost to the users and VRS providers are compensated for their costs from the Interstate TRS Fund, which the FCC oversees.

Alexandra Malnack, executive administrative assistant at the Page Police Department, said, “This project originated after previous Evidence Technician Koglin and I attended a live webinar on Deaf Sensitivity which was hosted by Mr. Greenspan  (Fred Greenspan, CEO of Deaf Sensitivity Training Seminars). During this training, Mr. Greenspan proposed the idea of implementing a critical video phone system to better serve the deaf community.

“It is not for anyone that just needs to report a crime or speak with an officer,” said Malnack. “This is for anyone that uses sign language that's deaf and needs to communicate in a way that most people typically couldn't. So it's basically like you're sitting at a computer because I'm sitting at it right now in the front office. It's a computer screen and there's a camera at the top and you dial whatever number that you need. And I tested it with Mister Greenspan when we got it installed. If someone that is deaf calls me, they can sign to the computer and there's a translator that will sign back and forth to them while they speak with me on the phone.”

“To our knowledge,” Greenspan told the Chronicle, “there is only one police department in the USA that offers free phone service to those who use sign language. It is the Page PD in your service area.”

“Our department is one of the few agencies in the state of Arizona that offers this service to the public 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with the capability to dial anywhere in the United States, free of charge,” said Malnack. “This ensures individuals have access to necessary services at all times. The installation of this system did not incur any cost to our department, making it an invaluable resource for our community. The deaf community does not get much representation, and we believe it is vital to be a resource for those in need. This is why we worked so diligently with Mr. Greenspan to see this project through to the end.

“Mr. Greenspan has been instrumental in this initiative. His dedication ensuring the system functions correctly, with the help of the team at Purple Communications, has been remarkable. Mr. Greenspan has diligently tested the system, assisting me in making test calls to verify its effectiveness. His professionalism and thoroughness have made the entire process smooth and efficient.”