The 2-1-1 information and referral service for Pueblo and Fremont counties was officially launched Tuesday, providing answers about health and human services over the phone. A local steering committee has been working toward the opening day for about 18 months. 2-1-1 for Southeast Colorado eventually hopes to serve 11 counties in this corner of the state with 24-hour phone assistance, but for now a staff of three trained information specialists will be available from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays.
Pat Gash is the director of the small staff. Paul Brown, who headed the steering committee, said that the group decided early on to nestle 2-1-1 in an existing agency at first, rather than try to start out as a stand-alone agency. It was appropriate to work under the umbrella of SRDA, Pueblo's senior services agency, because Gash has been directing a similar service called Senior Link at SRDA for several years. She already was a certified information and referral specialist, and all the employees who answer 2-1-1 phones will be similarly trained and eventually all will have to be certified, Gash said. But behind those voices on the phone is an information database, and volunteers can help with keeping the information up to date, she hastened to add. Steve Nawrocki, SRDA's executive director, said the Pueblo Library District has been an integral part of developing the database.
The difference between 9-1-1 and 2-1-1 is that 9-1-1 deals with emergency services and 2-1-1 deals with human services. So if your house is on fire or you've been in a car wreck or you think a burglar is in the house, call 9-1-1. But if you need help repairing a hole in the roof and you don't have the money to hire a carpenter, you could call 2-1-1 and get a referral to the city or county housing rehabilitation program. "We don't do emergencies, but we expect to alleviate the burden of calls to 9-1-1, because they get a lot of calls that really are not emergencies," Gash said. Nawrocki said if a widespread emergency like a flu pandemic comes to pass, 2-1-1 might play a "formidable role" in providing information to people. In such an event, Gash added, 2-1-1 would be plugged into the county's emergency operation center to help with communications.She hopes that the service will grow to an around-the-clock operation within three years. The first year's budget is about $180,000, including about $33,000 in startup costs, Brown said.
The agency has received grants from El Pomar and Caring for Colorado foundations as well as the Canon City Rotary club and help from a broad range of people, notably the city and county information technology offices in Pueblo. Brown asked supporters at the reception on Tuesday to try to call 2-1-1 on their home phones, business phones and cell phones. Not all cell phone companies provide 2-1-1 service, and Brown said he hopes customers will ask their companies to join the cause. 2-1-1 for Southeast Colorado also has a Web site, www.211help.net, where people can help themselves to a community calendar and referrals to service agencies. WHO DO YOU CALL? People should know the differences between 9-1-1 and 2-1-1 services. - If your house is on fire or you've been in a car wreck or you think a burglar is in the house, call 9-1-1, which is for emergencies. - If you need help repairing a hole in the roof and you don't have the money to hire a carpenter, you could call 2-1-1, which is for health and human services.