311

The non-emergency telephone number 3-1-1 is a special N-1-1 telephone numbers in many communities in Canada and the United States that provides quick, easy-to-remember access to non-emergency municipal services or a Citizen Service Center. Dialing this number allows city residents (only in certain cities) to obtain important non-emergency services through a central, all-purpose phone number quickly and effectively.

3-1-1 is intended in part to divert routine inquiries and non-urgent community concerns from the emergency 9-1-1 number.

The mission of 3-1-1 phone service is to provide access to City services and City information with the highest possible levels of customer service. The "3-1-1" initiative strives to help City agencies provide efficient service delivery by allowing them to focus on their core missions, manage workloads efficiently, provide insight into the needs of residents, and measure how well services are delivered.

3-1-1 service is generally implemented at the local level, and in some cities it is also used for various municipal calls.

Examples of calls intended for 3-1-1:

• Illegal burning

• Suspicious persons

• Debris in roadway

• Minor injuries

• Non-working streetlamps & parking meters, etc.

• Noise complaints

• Local government inquiries

Since 311 is a relatively new service not all localities offer 311 service at this time, especially lesser populated areas. However, its use is rapidly gaining momentum as more and more local agencies are offering it. 3-1-1 is available in these major American cities: Akron, Albuquerque, Austin, Baltimore, Charlotte, Chattanooga, Chicago, Columbus, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Hartford, Houston, Kansas City, Missouri, Knoxville, Las Vegas, Laredo, Little Rock, Louisville, Los Angeles, Miami, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Mobile, Nashville, New York City, Rochester, Orlando, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Sacramento, San Antonio, San Francisco, San Jose, Somerville, Tampa, and Washington, D.C.

Though it may have some public services available, such as reporting a barking or stray dog, parking ticket information, city street maintenance service, etc., it may not have info on the local County Fair, Parade and Festivities, Garbage Pickup problems, and other local services.