2-1-1: One Single Call, A World of Help

Not many of us know that the free three-digit number 2-1-1 can be called anytime, day or night, 24 hours a day, in any language, and that an actual person on the other end of the line is willing to answer any kind of question.

From not knowing where to go for help with an embarrassing confidential problem, to needing child care or adult day services, help with housing and utility payments or food, the 2-1-1 service is free and can help with each of these dilemmas, said Kim Ferm, director of the 2-1-1 Santa Clara County non-emergency service.

It's also confidential. Nobody asks your name or  your telephone number when you call, Ferm explained during a presentation about the service this week before the Los Gatos Town Council. "You'll get a variety of different information, so you know where you can go help yourself."

In the 2-1-1 database, there are 930 agencies that provide thousands of services. Of those, 26 are headquartered in Los Gatos, Ferm said.

In 2010, there were 181 calls from Los Gatos residents made to the number and 25,126 calls made from Santa Clara County.

Believe it or not, the main reason for the calls was housing and utilities assistance, followed by legal, consumer and public safety inquiries, then meals, health care, family and community support, income support and assistance, volunteers/donations, mental health services and employment.

The number is also a place to go when disaster strikes, Ferm said.

The service has a seat at the Santa Clara County Office of Emergency Services in San Jose.

For example, during the 2008 Summit fire that burned more than 4,000 acres, 2-1-1 provided information on where to take large animals, what roads and schools were closed and where to go during the recovery process, she said.

"It's for during times of need as well as during disaster," Ferm said.

Los Gatos Mayor Joe Pirzynski was pleased with Ferm's presentation. The mayor, a big emergency-preparedness advocate, said the town is focusing this year on disaster readiness, so it's crucial that residents become educated about the service.

He said last week, during the Santa Clara County Cities Association board meeting, Ferm had made a presentation about the service and the opportunities it offers.

"We know from our experience with the Loma Prieta earthquake, how the 911 system could be overwhelmed with emergency calls," Pirzynski said. "And yet when we're out there in the community, pretty much on our own, it's really essential that we continue to give the information necessary to make us and our families safe, and that's where 2-1-1 comes in."

The mayor encouraged the community to make sure it becomes familiar with the number. "This is the backup to the 911 system," he stressed. "This would be where you go to find out ... where the evacuation centers are, how to get the necessary supplies you might need in a particular emergency."

Pirzynski indicated professional 911 responders will be completely tied up when disaster strikes, so 2-1-1 will become extremely valuable.

The service is run by the nonprofit United Way Silicon Valley and its advisory committee at a cost of $1.3 million annually for the 1.7 million people living in Santa Clara County.