Organizational News

Today, Deputy Chief of Police Lauren Pogue and Mayor of Toronto Olivia Chow announced the launch of the Make the Right Call campaign, a public education campaign intended to show residents that making the right call can connect them with the appropriate emergency and non-emergency services.

The Deputy Chief and Mayor Chow were joined by Toronto Police Service Board member Councillor Lily Cheng (Willowdale), as well as Councillor Chris Moise (Toronto Centre), Interim Fire Chief Larry Cocco, and Chief of Paramedic Services Bikram Chawla.

In an emergency, every second matters. Building public awareness on when to call 911 and when another service would be more appropriate is critical to reduce wait times. Ensuring Toronto residents and visitors know that they can make the right call to get the right help strengthens 911 operations and helps emergency services respond as soon as possible.

“At the Toronto Police Service, we’re always committed to finding ways to better serve our communities,” said Deputy Chief Pogue. “The Make the Right Call campaign is an important step toward reducing wait times and improving response times at our 911 Call Center. I’d like to thank the Mayor and City of Toronto staff for their partnership in making this campaign possible. This initiative will help ensure that everyone gets the right help when they need it most, and I encourage all residents to make the right call.”

Making the Right Call

Every type of issue requires a unique response to accommodate the needs of residents. Knowing the difference between 911, 311, 211 and the Toronto Police non-emergency line is crucial when seconds matter.

Residents can follow these guidelines to understand how each service is different: 

• 911 should only be used for police, fire or medical emergencies when immediate action is required, including but not limited to when someone’s health, safety or property is in jeopardy, or a crime is in progress.  
• The Toronto Police non-emergency line at 416-808-2222 is for connecting with non-emergency police services, personnel and programs -- for instance, if your home has been broken into but no one is currently on your property.
• 311 provides residents, businesses and visitors with easy access to non-emergency City services, programs and information. Non-emergency services include noise complaints, garbage pickup, tree maintenance and more.
• 211 provides referrals to community and social services, including Toronto's new citywide Toronto Community Crisis Service, as well as connections to free mental health wellness checks and mental health supports.

This Campaign is in response to the Auditor General’s report highlighting the need for more public education to help avoid unnecessary calls to 911. Information on the Auditor General’s report and recommendations can be found here: https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2022/au/bgrd/backgroundfile-228260.pdf.

Quotes:

“From 211 which provides vital mental health supports to people facing a crisis, to 911 when you need the help of our first responders, and 311 when you need help with city services, Torontonians can rely on our emergency and non-emergency services to help them when they need it most. Make the right call, get the right help. We’re here for you.”

– Mayor of Toronto Olivia Chow