GUILFORD COUNTY, N.C. — 9-1-1 is for emergencies - not for questions about the stay-at-home orders, or complaints about social distancing, although operators have been getting calls about both.
Guilford County set up a helpline trying to avoid this problem. They wanted to designate a place for people to call with questions, plus a place online for people to write in with complaints about stay-at-home order violations.
"There is no such thing as a dumb question," said Guilford County communications manager Worley Smith, "Everyone's question is important to them, so because it's important to them, it's also important to us."
People have had a lot of questions - and are taking advantage of the county's call line. However, some callers are dialing Guilford Metro 911 instead.
"I don't have an emergency, I was just calling because about the virus," one caller told the dispatcher.
"So what do they mean by like social distance?" asked another.
Additional callers asked the 911 operators about whether they needed any documents in their vehicles to travel, and if the city was "locked down."
Questions like those above need to be routed to the helpline. You can find a place to submit questions or complaints online - plus the hotline number - by clicking here.
Smith says the helpline peaked last Friday with more than 11-hundred calls. Questions they're hearing now are related to church services, funerals, and car sales.
He said the number of calls Wednesday - only 111.
"We're starting to see, as reflected by the lower number of calls, the message is definitely getting out there," he said.
Smith says the helpline - (336) 641-7527 - will be open Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. for as long as the public has questions.
RELATED: 'Us elders are praying you through this time' | Family visits parents from outside nursing home
