City launches Fresno 3-1-1 service to help residents with non-emergency issues

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- With non-emergency calls plaguing Fresno's 9-1-1 dispatchers, the city is offering a solution.

"People who don't know what to do who find a pothole, water leak or grafiti call 9-1-1 because they don't know any other number," said Mayor Lee Brand.

After Fresno's residents embraced the city apps like FresGO and Eye on Water, the city launched 3-1-1.

The app is designed to simplify the process of reporting an issue for anyone who doesn't want to navigate multiple phone numbers, web addresses, and e-mail accounts.

"It's accessible, transparent and user-friendly," Brand said.

The idea is to connect the community with city services with just a call click or chat instead of dialing 6-2-1 CITY for any non-emergency issues; you can call 3-1-1.

"The volume of non-emergency that our police dispatchers have had to handle is frankly unreasonable and predictable," Mayor Brand said.

When the city of Baltimore launched 3-1-1, calls to emergency dispatchers dropped 34%.

The city's website will also have a chat feature to help you navigate various services like online bill pay or reporting issues like potholes, flooding, broken traffic signals, and street lights.

Dispatchers on both chat and phone are trained in whether a user needs emergency services.