Maryland Pioneers Public Service: Introducing the First Statewide 311 Number!

This new legislation, championed by Maryland State Senator Cheryl Kagan, aims to alleviate some of the pressure on the 911 emergency hotline.

Kagan emphasized the importance of this initiative, stating, “If someone literally has their house on fire, or grandma isn’t breathing or they were just assaulted, they call 911 and they may be put on hold for a while.”

Along with State Senator Paul Corderman, another co-sponsor of the bill, Kagan developed this legislation after recognizing that emergency call centers often receive a variety of non-emergency inquiries, such as noise complaints and requests for pothole repairs. Kagan noted that increasing awareness about the 311 service is key.

“From a young age, people are taught to dial 911 when they need assistance, so it often becomes their go-to option,” Kagan explained.

The newly signed bill, approved by Governor Wes Moore, will see the implementation of the 311 system occur in phases.

Kagan also mentioned that the system would incorporate artificial intelligence. “We will be using both a chatbot and a voicebot,” she revealed. “People are growing more accustomed to using these types of response systems.”

To ensure accessibility, Kagan highlighted that there will be multiple ways to access the 311 system. “Some people will prefer to call 311, while others might choose to use an app on their mobile devices, and some may opt for a website,” she explained.

She further noted that continual quality assessments will be conducted throughout the rollout phase.

As the service launches, a public outreach campaign will commence to educate residents. “Many individuals have never heard of 311 and may not fully understand how to utilize it,” Kagan said.

Furthermore, Kagan assured that there will be a system in place for the smooth transfer of calls that should be directed to either 911 or 988, the national Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.