Title
Authorizing the City Council Committees on Public Safety and Technology and Information Services to hold hearings to investigate the desirability and feasibility of implementing a 3-1-1 system to handle all non-emergency calls to City agencies; and further authorizing the Committees in furtherance of such investigation to issue subpoenas as may be necessary to compel the attendance of witnesses and the production of documents to the full extent authorized under Section 2-401 of the Home Rule Charter.
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WHEREAS, In February 1997, the Federal Communications Commission reserved the telephone number 3-1-1 nationally for reporting non-emergency incidents to municipal communications centers in order to free up 9-1-1 call centers to properly handle true emergency calls that are a matter of life and death; and
WHEREAS, In the wake of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the Mayors Emergency Safety and Security Summit, convened by the United States Conference of Mayors, has issued a call for all cities to implement 3-1-1 systems as part of its "National Plan for Safety and Security in America's Cities"; and
WHEREAS, 3-1-1 allows citizens to call one easy-to-remember number to call for information or request a service from any government agency. Instead of leafing through the "Blue Pages" or navigating complex automated menus, citizens need only dial 3-1-1 to be promptly served or referred to the agency that can best serve their needs; and
WHEREAS, All calls to 3-1-1 are answered by a live operator, 24 hours a day, seven days a week and service requests made via 3-1-1 are electronically transferred to relevant agencies for direct service; and
WHEREAS, More than 25 jurisdictions across the country have or are in the process of implementing 3-1-1 systems, including New York City, Los Angeles, Dallas, Houston, Chicago, Detroit, Miami, Washington, D.C., and Baltimore; and
WHEREAS, Si...
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