A 2-1-1 demonstration call went smoothly in Clallam County on Monday but ran into a hitch for Jefferson County commissioners.
The 2-1-1 non-emergency help line went online recently for residents of Clallam, Jefferson and Kitsap counties.
It links them with health and social services providers on the North Olympic and Kitsap peninsulas and across Washington.
“It covers all sorts of assistance,” said Jody Moss, executive director of United Way of Clallam County at the county commissioners meeting Monday.
It was Moss who made the first official Clallam County call to the non-emergency help line as commissioners looked on.
Moss reached a human voice after having to listen to only two brief recordings: One told callers with emergencies to dial 9-1-1; the other asked her to choose English or Spanish.
“Good morning and congratulations!” answered Cindy Foyé at Kitsap Mental Health Services, headquarters for Peninsula 2-1-1, the call center that serves the region.
In Jefferson County, commissioners on Monday dialed 9 to get an outside line before punching 2-1-1.
Then they heard silence.
“The commissioners dialed 2-1-1 and it wouldn’t work,” said Bob Peden, executive director of United Good Neighbors of Jefferson County.
“They discovered 2-1-1 had to be programmed into the internal system so the call could be made.
“The city of Port Townsend had no problem,” said Peden.
Residential phones would not be affected, he added.
