911, 211, 311: Which number to call and when

Elise Haas
·4 min read

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — For the past 16 years, Erika Madrigal has been a dispatcher at Portland’s Bureau of Emergency Communications. She has one piece of advice for people who call in distress.

“We can try and send you help as much as possible. But if we don’t have the right location, we can’t get you the help that you need,” Madrigal said.

She said since the advent of cell phones, there’s been a misconception about 911’s location technology. They can only determine exact addresses if you call from a landline.

“People think we know exactly where they are,” she said. “And so when we ask you: ‘What’s the location of your emergency?’, if you know your address, if you know your apartment number, if you know a landmark that gets things going so much faster.”

The number ingrained in everyone’s brains to call in an emergency is 911. But there are several different numbers to call that may address your needs more specifically.

QUICK REFERENCE

911 — Emergencies immediately needing police, fire, ambulance, Portland Street Response 503.823.3333 — Call non-emergency for past crimes when suspect is not at the scene

211 — Information center to connect you with social services
311 — Report a problem or request city/county services

911

911 is the number to call for life-threatening medical emergencies, crimes in progress, fires or the Portland Street Response.

For situations that aren’t immediately life-threatening, call the non-emergency number or make an online report.

Below are some examples of non-emergency situations where responders will be dispatched:

  • Your vehicle was stolen

  • An assault happened and the suspect is no longer at the scene

  • You are involved or witnessed a hit-and-run

  • Report a missing person

  • A community member is harassing you

  • To report a crime that happened, and the suspect is known

211

Many residents calling 911 and the non-emergency line for other reasons are better handled by 211 navigators.

The 211 team has 150 dedicated staff working around the clock to connect residents to resources for social services. Online support is also available. Whether you call or connect on their site, they can help you in more than 240 languages.

“We are available 24 hours a day and folks that are seeking community resources in their area throughout the state of Oregon and southwest Washington can call 211 and have a free, confidential and live person answer their phone call and any questions they have,” said Cara Kangas, the director of partnerships with 211 info.

211 can point you in the right direction to find help with housing, healthcare, childcare, food, utility assistance and more.

But understand this: The role of 211 is to connect people to resources, not to provide resources.

“Our social service is providing the information about the service and then a referral to the service,” Kangas said. “So if someone does have a question about where they might need to make a complaint or be redirected to, we are those information-providers and we will get folks connected to the right place at the right time.”

About half of 211’s call volume is for housing requests. People are asking for shelter, help paying rent or mortgage, or legal assistance for eviction prevention. At the moment, the needs outweigh the services available.

“But we take that information back to elected officials and stakeholders and funders to let them know these are the top requests in your county,” Kangas said.

311

If you see a problem at a public park, a pothole or a downed tree blocking a road, the number to call is 311.

311 is your single point of access to help with any questions about local government service needs within Multnomah County.

“So basically we take calls on a wide range of issues,” said Rolando Velasquez with 311. “Some examples include homeless, camping on public property, abandoned vehicles and noise complaints, graffiti complaints.”

Call 311 to report issues or request services. Call takers can help answer questions, help with requests and take reports.

Below are some examples of non-emergency situations to call 311:

  • You want to report a campsite

  • Your bike was stolen

  • Trash is overflowing in a public place, which can also be reported online.

  • You have a complaint about noise

  • You want to report a pothole or debris in the road

  • You are having a difficult time filling out a police report

“You’re more than welcome to call us and we’ll probably be able to help you, or at least direct you to the right place,” Velasquez said.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com.