N11 Refresher

N11 Refresher

Here’s a brief refresher on N11 quick-access phone numbers (where N is a number between 2 and 9) .

911 of course connects to a dispatcher for emergency services. Did you know, though, that if you call 911 on a cell phone, the call often ends up in a regional center, and then needs to be forwarded to more local help? If the call needs to be re-routed, this adds time to the process. This is not ideal in an emergency, so it’s a good idea to have your local, direct-access emergency number stored in your cell phone, so you can access a local dispatcher without that extra step. In Berkeley, that phone number is  510-981-5911. (Save this in your cell phone!)

The other N11 numbers are used for the following:

211: Referrals to services for housing, seniors, transportation, etc.

311: General city customer service

411: Local directory assistance

511: Traffic and transportation information

611: Phone company customer service

711: Relay service for the speech and hearing impaired

811:  “Call before you dig,” providing information on the location of buried utilities.

Also, it’s not an “N11,” but there is one more important quick-dial number: 988 will take you to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.