Published in The Oregonian, In My Opinion section, Monday July 19, 2010
By 211info Board Members J. Michael Schultz and Martin Taylor
Indelible images of gushing oil thousands of feet beneath the surface of the Gulf of Mexico, along with crude-soaked birds and the anguish of shrimpers with dashed dreams have undoubtedly been in the thoughts of every American. But with our sadness for those in the Gulf comes a realization that all of our communities are vulnerable to disaster. To coordinate disaster and public health response efforts in Oregon, we would be well-served to create a statewide 2-1-1 system as a companion to crucial government services. With 2-1-1 legislation before Congress and a groundswell of nonprofit, foundation and government organizations working to bring 2-1-1 to counties throughout the state, now is the time to act.
Just as 9-1-1 connects callers with emergency services, 2-1-1 connects people to important human services, from private nonprofits to government and faith-based agencies. This easy-to-remember phone number saves time and frustration by eliminating the need for callers to navigate a maze of agencies and help lines.
While 9-1-1 and emergency management agencies are focused on life-threatening crises, 2-1-1 provides vital information and resource referrals. Nationwide, during Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the San Diego wildfires and recently during the Gulf oil spill, 2-1-1 has filled this role.
Locally, a group called 211info — the Oregon and southwest Washington nonprofit in charge of 2-1-1 — played a role in responding to the extreme winter weather of 2008. Last year, 211info helped more than 260,000 people through its phone lines and online database. The nonprofit currently serves seven counties in Oregon, totaling more than half of the state’s population.
211info also plays a role in securing public health. During the recent H1N1 epidemic, it partnered with the Oregon Department of Human Services to quickly ramp up efforts to act as the state’s H1N1 and influenza hotline call center. At the peak of the crisis, we handled 1,200 calls in a single day. And from Oct. 12 to May 31, we received almost 21,000 calls — 85 percent of which came in during the first 45 days.
Congress has a bill, the Calling for 2-1-1 Act, that would build upon an extensive 2-1-1 infrastructure that currently reaches more than 80 percent of Americans. The bill would close the gaps in the nationwide 2-1-1 service. A broadly bipartisan group of 243 representatives and 61 senators agrees that all Americans should have access to 2-1-1 service. But we need the help of the entire Oregon delegation — particularly Sen. Jeff Merkley, who sits on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee — to urge leadership to bring the act to a vote.
In addition to federal legislation, 211info is also working to bring 2-1-1 to every Oregonian by 2013, and leaders in the 22 Oregon counties without 2-1-1 need to step up and demand service for their communities.
Today in the Gulf, when victims of disaster need help finding relief after unemployment they have a place to turn. When the San Diego fires blazed in 2007, that city’s Office of Emergency Services had a number it could tell people to call for non-emergency, disaster-related information such as evacuation updates — serving 122,000 people. And when Hurricanes Katrina and Rita devastated New Orleans, 2-1-1s from around the country — including 211info — pitched in to coordinate volunteer efforts and provide assistance referrals.
Oregon deserves a comprehensive relief effort if disaster strikes. A statewide emergency response system coupled with a 2-1-1 system is the way to make that a reality.
Original post: http://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2010/07/2-1-1_service_emergency_respon.html#modk_smoref_twitt
Note: there is an error regarding the organizational affiliations of Mr. Schultz and Mr. Taylor in The Oregonian. Both authors are staff at Legacy Health Foundations and CareOregon respectively.
