New York City has a hotline to dial for public services and its only 3 digits long...311.

when a user dials 311, nothing happens. the call does not connect. i know that 911 gets out for emergencies. where in db studio can i tell the system to dial out 311 when it is dialed?

Thanks so much!

A few questions about your system:

Are you using ARS? Is this a PRI or loop start trunks? Can you dial 311 using the trunk access codes.

I've run into this before with 211 service used in Connecticut.

Thanks for replying! i'm a newbie to this forum and i dont know the abbreviations. what does ARS stand for, and how would i know if i'm using it? our lines are on a 24 channel voice T1 line.

we are able to dial 311 when we dial off our trunk access code directly.

It's in the "Automatic Route Selection" settings. 911 is in there and you can add 311, 411 etc. It should allow you to tell the system which route to use (ie route 001) for this type of call.

Also, if you are not an experienced tech, I would suggest calling one, because programming ARS can be tricky.

There might be a simple fix. If you have a T1, it will probably use ARS. To confirm, check Associated Extensions under System / Devices and Feature Codes / Stations (or Endpoints) / Extension. If it says 9200 or 92000 for Outgoing Extension, you're using ARS.

If so, adding 311 as a dial pattern to your local route group might do the trick. Go to System / Numbering Plan / Route Groups / Local / Dial Patterns.

The default setting is N+. This means that any dialed number beging with 2 to 9 will follow this routing; numbers begining with 0 or 1 will not. While 311 meets the criteria for N+, the system might be timing out while waiting for more digits. So, we'll add an entry specifically for 311.

When you see the the dial rule(s) for local calls, right click and select Add to Dial Patterns List. For the Base Pattern, enter 311. Now drag this new entry higher on the list, so it's above N+. This will cause the call to be placed as soon as 311 is dialed, without waiting for more digits.

Place a test call to 311. If it works, great. If not, it's time to call in a pro. Right click on the 311 entry and remove it. Don't play around with anything else in the numbering plan. You could mess things up so nothing works.

DND - Thanks so much for the help! In the end, it did not work, and as per your sound and sage advice, we're calling in the pros!

thanks again!