Alberta 211
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association urge the Province of Alberta to consider a provincial funding source that would provide for 211 services to all Albertans, including, but not limited to advocacy with the Canadian Radio-television Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to permit telephone service fees for 211 in a manner similar to 911.
WHEREAS 211 is an easy to remember three-digit telephone number that connects callers to a full range of social, health, community and government services;
WHEREAS 211 is an information service available to many Albertans and a provincial strategy exists to extend the service to all Albertans;
WHEREAS the strategy to extend services to all Albertans has been built on the engagement of communities and local volunteer centres; and
WHEREAS a provincial 211 service is expected to cost approximately $3M to start-up and ongoing costs of approximately $3.8M annually.
Jun 29, 2011 - Alberta Municipal Affairs
211 Alberta currently covers approximately 70 per cent of the citizens of Alberta and supports recommendation 17 of Alberta’s Crime Reduction and Safe Communities Task Force report: Establish a Family Source within the provincial government to provide a central source for information, resources and community connections.
While there are merits to expanding 211 Alberta to the rest of the province, there are significant costs as well. As a result, the Government of Alberta is looking further into this issue with a review to identifying opportunities to:
- Increase efficiencies and reduce duplication of effort;
- Eliminate unnecessary wait times;
- Manage the escalation of issues to crisis by providing the right supports at the right time;
- Increase collaboration and cost-sharing; and
- Slow cost increases and reduce costs.
AUMA accepts this response.