The differences between the "1-1" numbers

Recently, I attended a Somali Citizen Preparedness Community Meeting and presented information about 2-1-1 and disaster preparedness to members of the Somali community. More specifically, I presented the differences between 2-1-1, 3-1-1, and 9-1-1. Many members of the Somali community do not know the difference between these service numbers which can result in missed opportunities to get connected to critical services or incurring fines for calling 9-1-1 for non emergencies. My presentation got me thinking- Do all citizens actually know the difference between these three community service numbers? Let me give a breakdown of each service number.

2-1-1 is the phone number for the human services call center located at HandsOn Central Ohio. 2-1-1 gives information and referrals for basic human needs including food, clothing, and shelter, physical and mental health, employment supports, support for older Americans and persons with disabilities, support for children, youth and families, and volunteer opportunities and donations. Call 2-1-1 and get connected to a specialist who can link you to more than 5,000 programs and services in the community.

3-1-1 is the number to the city services center and is the link between citizens and the Columbus city government. 3-1-1 takes calls for reporting potholes, graffiti, broken trash cans, requesting phone numbers for government offices, and scheduling bulk pick ups.

9-1-1 is the number to the emergency service line. 9-1-1 takes emergency calls for immediate assistance from police, fire, and/or medical service. For non-emergency police assistance, call 645-4545.

I hope this helps everyone who may have been confused about these numbers. Bottom line- whatever your need, there is a way to get connected to services in the community. You just have to call the correct number.