Miami-Dade County 3-1-1

As a Pinecrest real estate agent, I am always curious about the resources afforded to everyone that lives in the Miami area. I was recently (and pleasantly) reminded about how 3-1-1 operates…

Since 2004, Miami-Dade County has operated a 3-1-1 phone service to provide concierge access to non-emergency municipal services. Nowadays, few people would instinctively think to pick up the phone for this service, so it is also available at <miamidade.gov/311Direct>, by using the Android/Apple 311 Direct app, through social media channels and even three in-person physical locations.

The idea, in part, is to divert routine inquiries and non-urgent community concerns from the 9-1-1 number which is reserved for emergencies. The real reason is to connect residents with the government resources they are paying for. Pierre Imar, Manager of Miami-Dade County’s 311 Contact Center appeared on my The MiamiHal Real Estate Show and walked me through the myriad of ways 3-1-1 can help the residents of Miami-Dade County.

“We are the front door customer service to all things government. Right now, we are assisting a lot of people pay their annual property taxes,” explained Imar. “But our Top 5 call volume stuff is recycling, garbage, potholes, animal issues and maintenance things like downed signs or broken traffic lights.” Imar went on to explain that the well-trained staff will work a ticket into the system and resolve it whether it takes one hour or several days. “For us, our favorite part is helping people every day. It is about successfully resolving issues and answering questions.” 

I recently had two interactions with 3-1-1, both were handled extremely well. First, I often do long walks on the pedestrian path adjacent to the South Dade Transitway. One day, I noticed a tree had fallen across the entire path and had been there for about a week. I also noted that the general upkeep of the grass and shrubs was not being addressed. After a call to 3-1-1, I saw next-day service that completely restored the pedestrian path to proper working order.

The second call to 3-1-1 was when my wife and I were walking in Pinecrest last in the evening. At one point, we noticed a cat had been following us for about a block. Well-groomed, uninjured and not starving, we did notice that the cat seemed to have been out for several days and dirty. He was definitely looking for human interaction, frequently rubbing up against us for pets and scratches. This time I used the 311 Direct app on my phone to snap a few photos. We just wanted to report a lost cat or see if anyone could help. The next morning, I got a phone call from a man who explained in detail about what Miami-Dade County law was as it came to handling cat issues. In case you’re wondering, unless the cat appears to be injured, they cannot touch a cat. I was told about several resources I could try to help the cat and got a follow-up email as well.