Baltimore will turn 911 into more than just an emergency number

Baltimore is rethinking what it means to call 911, and who responds. Callers who don't need police will get help finding social services and healthcare before they actually fall into crisis.

<img src='https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/5150x2893+0+0/resize/5150x2893!/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F15%2F61%2Fb6e055104ba4b8f9ba33f13c875b%2Fgettyimages-2275044465.jpg' alt='Aerial view of historic row houses in the Riverside neighborhood of Baltimore, Maryland.'/><p>Baltimore is rethinking what it means to call 911, and who responds. Callers who don't need police will get help finding social services and healthcare before they actually fall into crisis. </p><p>(Image credit: Matt Gush)</p><img src='https://media.npr.org/include/images/tracking/npr-rss-pixel.png?story=nx-s1-5874720' />