Sudbury residents encouraged to call 211 for information

Sudbury officials want residents to know there's a three-digit number you can 24 hours a day when assistance is needed in the city.

It's called 211 and has been in Ontariosince 2011, but the good news is, it's now Sudbury specific.

Greater Sudbury police Chief Paul Pedersen says people often call police for information that doesn't constitute a police emergency, and that'sputting a strain on emergency services.

• Next Generation 911 comes to Sudbury police

"Some of them had to do with the hours that the beer store was open. Some of them were wanting to know how to get in touch with other agencies. When our emergency dispatchers are dealing with those calls, they're not able to deal with the real emergent calls," the police chiefsaid.

More than 60,000 calls were made locally to emergency dispatchers last year.

"How do I get my driver's licence back? All of those types of questions for other services that aren't police services, 211 will be able to give them that answer and our dispatchers will be able to stay free for the emergency services such as fire, EMS and police," Pedersenexplained.

The United Way has taken ownership of the 211 number locally to provide more accurate information for Sudburians with questions.

NikkiSage works as a consultant withHome Instead Senior Care in Sudbury and said the service should be especially useful for those who aren't always tech-savvy.

"With seniors, it's really important that we talk to them one on one the phone. They're not comfortable with technology or communication," she said.

"So if I can help them know that there's an alternative resource they can use to gain information, I think that's completely beneficial."