3-1-1

:Alternate uses: 311 (band)

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In the United States, 3-1-1 is a non-emergency telephone number, meant to provide a quick, easy to remember, and universal alternative to 9-1-1. Its first use for this purpose was in Baltimore, Maryland, where the service commenced on October 2, 1996. 311 is intended to connect callers to a call center that can be the same as the 911 call center, but with 311 calls assigned a secondary priority, answered only when no emergency 911 calls are waiting. This system is intended to extend the system such that true emergency callers are answered quickly, without ringing or busy signals.

Related Topics:
United States - Telephone number - 9-1-1 - Baltimore, Maryland - October 2 - 1996 - Call center - Emergency

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

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Examples of calls intended for 311:

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• illegal burning
• suspicious persons
• debris in roadway
• minor injuries
• non-working streetlamps
• noise complaints
 
3-1-1: Usage ►