Top 10 Reasons When Texans Should Call 311 Instead of 911

They are who you call in an emergency. From Houston, TX to Dallas, TX and across The Lone Star State, 911 operators determine the course of action needed when you're having an emergency.

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It's the number we drill into our kids heads and these operators field all types of calls. This includes emergency, and non-emergency calls for police, fire, and emergency medical services.

Basically, 311 is a type of citizens’ hotline. It’s a simple way for you to report problems or ask questions about your community without tying up emergency lines or going through frustrating municipal channels. They can forward complaints to local government, local utilities, and other public services to get the problem fixed or answer your question.

But did you know that in most major U.S. metros, there is another number you can call for non-emergency needs. The reason for this is to free up 911 operators for life-threatening emergencies. The number to call for non-emergencies in many Texas cities is 311 was designed to take all those calls to 911 that aren’t true emergencies.

It's important to understand that 911 lines can be flooded with real emergency calls, and learning about and using the 311 line will free up 911 operators to help people in life-or-death situations.

So, before you call the police, consider whether or not your concern is an emergency. But of course if you do have an emergency including serious injury, fire in your home, anything life or death never hesitate to call 911.

Here’s a list of common reasons to call 311 from Safewise: