Featured Analysis
When we do not know who else to call, we often default to 911—even for issues that should be handled by 988, 211, 311, or local non-emergency services. That avoidable volume adds pressure to emergency call centers already facing understaffing and burnout.
The right call reduces unnecessary strain, helps emergency personnel focus on true emergencies, and keeps 911 ready for the moments when every second can save a life.
Help us make the right choice easier.
“A Public issue,
requires a Public solution.”
Non-emergency phone numbers are different from one jurisdiction to the next. That leaves us searching for the right number at the moment we need it most. When we cannot quickly figure out who to call, confusion and frustration can lead us to simply call 911 instead—even when the situation is not an emergency.
The solution is simple: one nationwide number—3-1-1.
No matter where you are, dialing 3-1-1 should route you to the correct local government non-emergency service for your area.
“As Easy As 3-1-1”
“Paid for by the Public,
for the Public.”
We help make 911, 988, 211, 311, and local non-emergency services easier to understand through advertising, social media, and public education campaigns.
We also provide posters, educational materials, and ready-to-use outreach kits to government agencies, businesses, healthcare providers, community organizations, and other public and private institutions.
By giving these organizations simple tools they can share with the people they serve, we can expand public awareness and help make the right number easier to recognize before an emergency happens.
Mobile Emergency Interface
We believe every phone and communication platform should include practical safety features that help us reach and communicate with the right help faster. Our public Android demonstration app and open-source code show developers how these ideas can be built into the technology we already use.
When we are stressed, we often call the first number we remember. While traveling, that becomes even harder because emergency and support numbers change from country to country.
Our phones should recognize the country we are in and show us the correct local numbers for police, fire, ambulance, crisis support, community assistance, and non-emergency services instead of continuing to show U.S.-specific numbers.
There are times when speaking out loud may be impossible or unsafe—such as when we are hiding from a threat, experiencing a medical emergency, or otherwise unable to speak.
Where Text-to-911 is available, our phones should clearly show us that option alongside calling 911, so we can send our location, explain what is happening, and continue communicating without having to speak.
During an emergency, we are often stressed, scared, or focused on what is happening. That is not the time to remember and explain every medication, allergy, medical condition, or other important detail a dispatcher may need.
Our phones should let us add this information once, when we set up our emergency profile, and then automatically send the relevant details to 911 when we initiate an emergency call or text.
That way, critical medical information can reach dispatchers and first responders without us having to remember, find, or explain it during the emergency itself.
During an emergency, our phone may know our general location, but that does not always mean responders have the exact place they need—such as the correct entrance, apartment, floor, or location within a large property.
Our phones should show us the location being sent to 911 and let us confirm it, correct it, or drop a more precise pin before responders are dispatched, helping them get to the right place faster.
When we are stressed, we often default to 911 because it is the number we know best—even when 988, 211, 311, or a local non-emergency service may be more appropriate.
As we dial 911 under stress, our phones should show us 988, 211, 311, and local non-emergency services as clearly labeled alternatives before the call begins, helping us recognize when another service may be the better choice.
During an emergency, first responders may not know who made the call or exactly who they are looking for—especially in crowded places, crashes, or when we become unable to communicate.
Our phones should be able to automatically share our current profile photo with 911 the moment we initiate an emergency call or text, helping dispatchers and first responders identify us more quickly.
When we call or text 911, our phones should be able to automatically notify the emergency contacts we choose and, with our permission, share our current location.
That way, the people we trust can know that something is wrong and where we are, helping them respond, coordinate with family, or meet us at the hospital when needed.
Getting responders to the correct building is only part of the job. Locked gates, apartment numbers, floor information, entrance locations, elevator instructions, and complex properties can still slow them down.
Our phones should let us save these details with our trusted addresses and automatically send the relevant access information to 911 when we call or text from that location, helping responders get all the way to us without unnecessary delays.
Sometimes it is faster and easier to show what is happening than to explain it—especially during a fire, crash, medical emergency, or rapidly changing situation.
Our phones should let us securely share live video with 911 when we choose to, allowing dispatchers to see what we see, better understand the emergency, and provide first responders with clearer information before they arrive.
If we normally use our phones throughout the day and that activity suddenly stops for an unusual amount of time, our phones should be able to notice.
We should be able to choose how long our phone can remain inactive before it checks on us. If there is still no activity after a warning period, it could notify the emergency contacts we choose and share our last known location.
During an emergency, explaining what is happening can be difficult enough without a language barrier.
Our phones should let us type to 911 in the language we understand best, automatically translate our message for the dispatcher, and translate their response back to us—creating a continuous two-way conversation without switching between apps or trying to translate messages ourselves.
Share an enhancement that could make emergency apps faster, safer, clearer, or more accessible.
Until these larger changes are in place, we can save alternative services in our contacts using clear names such as:
That way, when we instinctively start dialing 911, these saved contacts can appear as alternatives—giving us a visible reminder that another service may be more appropriate.
