Buffalo’s 48 hours to navigate a mission-critical transition to remote work
In Buffalo, N.Y., 311 is a vital lifeline for the city, providing an always-on call resource for the city’s 250,000 residents to reach city government. When the COVID-19 pandemic prompted a stay-at-home order, city officials knew a surge of calls was coming, and they needed to act fast to keep their front-line communications channel open. The Division of Citizen Services – a critical link between City Hall and Buffalo residents – had 48 hours to reconfigure the 311 Call & Resolution Center for remote work.
311 call and resolution center
While an online portal and app to log requests for city residents exists, the 311 Call & Resolution Center remains the primary route of communication for Buffalo residents to voice their concerns to City Hall – a necessary channel, especially amidst a pandemic. The center averaged 600 calls a day in normal times, about routine city services such as waste collection and streetlight and pothole repairs. When the pandemic hit calls increased to approximately 5,000 to 6,000 a day, as residents sought information about COVID-19 testing and unemployment benefits, among other issues created by the pandemic.
To read the complete article, visit American City & County.