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News Release - City of Toronto and the Toronto Police Service launch campaign to help residents make the right call to get the right help

City of Toronto Media Relations has issued the following:
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News Release

October 28, 2024

City of Toronto and the Toronto Police Service launch campaign to help residents make the right call to get the right help

Today, the City of Toronto, in partnership with the Toronto Police Service, Toronto Fire Services, Toronto Paramedic Services and Findhelp | 211, is asking residents to make the right call, in order to keep everyone safer. A public education campaign has launched to show Torontonians how to make the right call to connect with the emergency and non-emergency services that best meet their needs.

Mayor Olivia Chow, Toronto Police Board member Councillor Lily Cheng (Willowdale) and Councillor Chris Moise (Toronto Centre) were joined by Deputy Police Chief Lauren Pogue, Interim Fire Chief Larry Cocco and Toronto Paramedic Services Deputy Chief Jamie Burnett to kick off the campaign, highlighting the importance of knowing how to best get the appropriate help in emergency and non-emergency situations.

In an emergency, every second matters. Building public awareness on when to call 911 versus other services is critical, especially when 911 calls increased by nearly 3,000 last month compared to the monthly average – from more than 100,000 to more than 103,000. Informing Toronto residents and visitors on how they can make the right call to get the right help strengthens 911 operations by ensuring calls to 911 are for emergency situations and those in need are responded to as soon as possible.

Making the Right Call
Every type of issue requires a unique response to accommodate the needs of residents and knowing the differences between 911, 311, 211 and the Toronto Police non-emergency line is crucial when seconds matter.

Residents can follow these guidelines to understand how each service is different:
- 911 should only be used for police, fire or medical emergencies when immediate action is required including but not limited to when someone’s health, safety or property is in jeopardy, or a crime is in progress.  
- The Toronto Police non-emergency line at 416-808-2222 is for connecting with non-emergency police services, personnel and programs. For example, someone involved in a car accident with no injuries should dial the non-emergency line.
- 311 provides Toronto residents, businesses and visitors with easy access to non-emergency City services, programs and information. Non-emergency services include noise complaints, garbage pickup, tree maintenance and more.
- 211 provides referrals to community and social services, including Toronto's new city-wide Toronto Community Crisis Service, as well as connections to free mental health wellness checks and mental health supports.

The City and Toronto Police Service have launched public education on this topic in the past and are thrilled to renew the campaign with a focus on common issues and scenarios that take up critical moments for 911 call emergency operators and delay service dispatch, including non-emergency complaints, callers that hang up and call back repetitively in hopes of getting further in the queue and accidental dials which cause delays for emergency response that potentially result in life-threatening or life-altering situations. 

The campaign will feature transit shelter, grassroots, radio, social media and digital components and is available ten languages including English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Tamil, Hindi, Farsi, Chinese-simplified, Chinese-traditional and Tagalog.

More information on how to use emergency and non-emergency services can be found on the City’s website at www.toronto.ca/make-the-right-call and the Toronto Police website at www.tps.ca/contact/make-the-right-call/.

Information on the Auditor General’s report and recommendations highlighting the need for more public education to help avoid unnecessary calls to 911 can be found on the City’s website: https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2022/au/bgrd/backgroundfile-228260.pdf.

Additional information can be found in the Make the Right Call backgrounder: www.toronto.ca/news/make-the-right-call-campaign.

Quotes:

“From 211 which provides vital mental health supports to people facing a crisis, to 911 when you need the help of our first responders, and 311 when you need help with City services, Torontonians can rely on our emergency and non-emergency services to help them when they need it most. Make the right call, get the right help. We’re here for you.”
– Mayor Olivia Chow

“At the Toronto Police Service, we’re always committed to finding ways to better serve our communities. The Make the Right Call campaign is an important step toward reducing wait times and improving response times at our 911 Call Centre. I’d like to thank the Mayor and City of Toronto staff for their partnership in making this campaign possible. This initiative will help ensure that everyone gets the right help when they need it most, and I encourage all residents to make the right call.”
– Deputy Chief of Police Lauren Pogue, Toronto Police Service

Toronto is home to more than three million people whose diversity and experiences make this great city Canada’s leading economic engine and one of the world’s most diverse and livable cities. As the fourth largest city in North America, Toronto is a global leader in technology, finance, film, music, culture, innovation and climate action and consistently places at the top of international rankings due to investments championed by its government, residents and businesses. For more information visit www.toronto.ca or follow us on X at x.com/cityoftoronto, on Instagram at www.instagram.com/cityofto or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/cityofto. 

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Media contact: Media Relations, media@toronto.ca

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