The Implementation of 3-1-1

Public Awareness Campaign

Presented by Mary Sharp

June 11, 2001

VisionVision

In an effort to improve service to visitors, businesses and In an effort to improve service to visitors, businesses and the citizens of Austin, it was decided to consolidate the citizens of Austin, it was decided to consolidate several areas of the Austin Police Emergency several areas of the Austin Police Emergency Communications Division into a unified center. This Communications Division into a unified center. This center is capable of handling both emergency and non-center is capable of handling both emergency and non-emergency calls to enhance 9-1-1 and to provide a new emergency calls to enhance 9-1-1 and to provide a new non-emergency service called 3-1-1.non-emergency service called 3-1-1.

GoalsGoals• Expand 9-1-1 service level through consolidation Expand 9-1-1 service level through consolidation

without additional costwithout additional cost

• Enhance non-emergency services without a Enhance non-emergency services without a complicated telephone menu system or complicated telephone menu system or transferring customerstransferring customers

• Reduce the call wait time for customersReduce the call wait time for customers

• Reduce numerous customer service telephone Reduce numerous customer service telephone numbers to just onenumbers to just one

Criteria for 3-1-1 Calls

• A non-emergency call is described as any incident that does not: Involve a crime in progress Pose an imminent threat to life or bodily injury Involve any major property damage or loss Require the immediate dispatch of a police unit

3-1-1 and Community Policing

• By reducing 9-1-1 calls for service, 3-1-1 will help APD attain its community policing goals by providing officers more time to work with residents and businesses to prevent crime and address community problems.

• 3-1-1 operators will have the capability to connect citizens directly to individual employees, district reps or assigned case investigators.

Improving Efficiency

• Currently 9-1-1, Teleserve and PBX receive and process approximately 1 million calls per year

• Estimates between 40% - 60% of calls received through the 9-1-1 system are not true emergencies

• Most of these still need to be addressed in some manner by public safety

Call Takers

• All call takers are trained All call takers are trained to handle both 9-1-1 and to handle both 9-1-1 and 3-1-1 calls from the same 3-1-1 calls from the same

workstationworkstation.

• TDD and Bilingual TDD and Bilingual Translation/Services will Translation/Services will still be accessible.still be accessible.

Partnerships• Police and Fire DispatchPolice and Fire Dispatch• Water UtilitiesWater Utilities• Street ServicesStreet Services• Sanitations ServicesSanitations Services• Code Compliance and Animal ControlCode Compliance and Animal Control• Transportation and Parking EnforcementTransportation and Parking Enforcement• Other City DepartmentsOther City Departments

Public Awareness

• Perhaps the most important aspect of the Perhaps the most important aspect of the implementation of 3-1-1 is public education.implementation of 3-1-1 is public education.

• Success of this program will depend on the public Success of this program will depend on the public embracing and using 3-1-1 for non emergencies embracing and using 3-1-1 for non emergencies and 9-1-1 for legitimate emergencies.and 9-1-1 for legitimate emergencies.

Public Education Goals• Publicize the original intent of 9-1-1, emphasizing the difference Publicize the original intent of 9-1-1, emphasizing the difference

between legitimate emergencies and non-emergencies.between legitimate emergencies and non-emergencies.

• Inform the public about the availability and accessibility of 3-1-1Inform the public about the availability and accessibility of 3-1-1

• Maintain an aggressive campaign after the initial kick off phase Maintain an aggressive campaign after the initial kick off phase of the system.of the system.

Educating our Children

• Launch a contest for kids to create/name a mascot for 3-1-1 such as the “Red E. Fox” character for 9-1-1.

• Conduct presentations/games/role playing on 9-1-1 and 3-1-1 for elementary school students.

• Distribute 3-1-1/9-1-1 coloring and comic books.

People with Special Needs• Regularly publish information in community

magazines and newsletters for deaf or non-English speaking citizens.

• Produce audio messages and embossed stickers for visually impaired.

• Provide interpreters at presentations

Speakers Bureau

• Develop a pool of trained speakers that includes 3-1-1 personnel and members of the community that have been recruited to help.

• This pool should be diversified to match the speaker to the audience.

Public Awareness Campaign

• Distribute fliers and brochures at community Distribute fliers and brochures at community meetings and public eventsmeetings and public events

• Advertise on television, radio, internet, buses and Advertise on television, radio, internet, buses and billboards billboards

• Add 3-1-1 insignias to police vehicles such as the 9-1-1 designs

Employee Buy In

• Have Communications employees submit ideas for 3-1-1 logo and slogan creation.

• Train 3-1-1 personnel to give presentations at high visibility public and local speaking events.

• Publicize 3-1-1 success stories and the operators that handled them.

Internal Education

• Conduct briefings at staff meetings and show ups.

• Publish informative articles about 3-1-1 in various police publications.

• Utilize our most valuable resource - APD Employees to spread the word.

Official 3-1-1 Day• Designate March 11th annually as official “

3-1-1 Day”

• Host open house and tours of the communications center

• Promote success stories to relay positive messages about 3-1-1.

Continuing Education

• Advertise and promote 3-1-1’s availability and its legitimate uses even after the initial public awareness campaign has ended.

• This will enhance retention and will continue to build customer confidence in the 3-1-1 system.

APD and the Community

Working together as a unified Working together as a unified team, the community and the team, the community and the Austin Police Department will Austin Police Department will improve service to all citizens improve service to all citizens and make our 3-1-1 program a and make our 3-1-1 program a

success .success .