Hahn Applauds FCC’s Move Toward Georouting for 9-8-8 Lifeline Calls

Los Angeles, CA September 26, 2024— This week, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) took a significant step toward enhancing the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline (9-8-8) with the announcement of an October 17 vote to require U.S. wireless carriers to implement georouting for 9-8-8 calls. This technology ensures that crisis calls are routed to the call center nearest to the caller’s actual location, rather than based on their phone’s area code. Currently, calls can be misrouted to distant centers, causing delays in critical crisis response.

Verizon and T-Mobile have already begun implementing georouting voluntarily, with AT&T planning to follow in the coming months. The FCC’s vote next month could make georouting mandatory for all carriers, ensuring that no matter where a person is or who their carrier is, they receive timely, localized crisis support.

Supervisor Janice Hahn’s Response

Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn has expressed her strong support for the FCC’s decision. In a statement released today, she emphasized the importance of connecting individuals in crisis to immediate and local assistance.

“When someone is facing a mental health crisis, every minute counts,” said Hahn. “We have the teams and tools to help, we’ve just lacked the ability to get the call to the right place because of how 9-8-8 identified a caller’s location. With georouting, we will finally be able to get this call to someone in the caller’s area and dispatch the help they so desperately need. Verizon and T-Mobile have done the right thing already, and now thanks to the FCC’s leadership, everyone will have access to this life-saving service no matter where they are or who their carrier is. This is an absolute game-changer for those who need us most.”

Background on the Issue

Since the launch of the 9-8-8 National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline in 2022, more than 10 million calls, texts, and chats have been received. However, the system initially routed calls based on the area code associated with the caller’s phone, potentially sending calls to centers far from the caller’s actual location. This has been particularly problematic in Los Angeles County, one of the few areas where mobile crisis response teams are available for in-person support. Residents with out-of-county area codes have faced challenges in receiving this vital service.

Hahn has long been an advocate for fixing this issue. Last year, she raised concerns with her former colleagues in Congress and urged action to address the problem. Congressman Tony Cardenas and Senator Alex Padilla both introduced legislation to mandate georouting for 9-8-8 calls. In March, FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel announced that the FCC would address this issue through new rulemaking, bypassing the need for congressional action. Los Angeles County submitted its support for the proposed rules in May, and the final vote on October 17 will determine if georouting becomes a nationwide requirement.

This new rule has the potential to drastically improve the efficiency of crisis responses and could save countless lives by reducing delays in connecting callers to the nearest and most appropriate help.