NEW YORK (AP) – The coronavirus case surge that swamped New York City’s 911 emergency line last month also deluged its 311 helpline, as calls soared from an average of 55,000 a day to about 200,000 daily. Wait times grew long in some cases.
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To tackle the problem, the city has trained 285 new call-takers and added four new call centers, Mayor Bill de Blasio said Tuesday. He said the city also is creating 311 “express lanes” for COVID-19 matters and needs for food, so those calls would be taken with minimal wait times most of the day.
The 311 helpline was designed to handle non-emergency calls ranging from noise complaints to questions about jail visits.
De Blasio said typical wait times have dropped by 75 percent at peak-volume times.
In the 911 system, the virus spurred the busiest days ever for the city’s EMS operation. Requests for ambulance service hit a record 6,527 calls on March 30, over 50% more than average. They have since dropped to around normal levels of about 4,000 per day.