The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has proposed a significant new rule requiring wireless carriers to implement georouting solutions for calls to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. This rule ensures that calls are routed based on the caller's geographic location rather than the area code and exchange associated with their wireless phone. The Commission is also seeking input on various issues related to georouting solutions for wireless and non-wireless calls, as well as text messages to the 988 Lifeline.
This proposal is a significant step toward enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of the 988 Lifeline, ensuring that callers receive timely and appropriate assistance regardless of their phone number's origin.
The public is encouraged to provide comments on this proposed rule. Your input is vital in shaping policies that impact our community and those in crisis. The deadline for public comments is June 28, and we urge you to take this opportunity to make your voice heard.
To assist you in this process, Vibrant Emotional Health (Vibrant) is providing a customizable template that you can personalize to help with your comment submissions. Please copy, paste, and customize your message. The directions for submitting your comments are below. Your participation is crucial, and we appreciate your support in this vital matter.
Customizable Comment Template
June XX, 2024
Ms. Jessica Rosenworcel
Chair
Federal Communications Commission
45 L Street, NE
Washington, DC 20554
RE: Proposal to Mandate Georouting for 988 Calls
Dear Chair Rosenworcel,
[Name or Organization] is pleased to offer comments in support of the Federal Communications Commission’s proposed rule on georouting solutions for the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline [Provide a sentence or two on your interest in the matter or the mission of your organization].
Implementing a mandated georouting solution for calls to the 988 Lifeline will help ensure that individuals will be routed to the local crisis contact center nearest to their physical location, connecting people with local care resources. Currently, the 988 Lifeline routes calls based on the caller's area code. However, eighty percent of calls to the 988 Lifeline are placed using cell phones, and the phone number's area code may no longer be an accurate representation of the caller's actual location. Local crisis contact centers that are familiar with their community’s unique stressors may be able to build a trusting connection with individuals in crisis more quickly. Additionally, local crisis contact centers are able to provide connections to local resources and services, as well as follow-up services, reducing the risk of suicidality for individuals in crisis. All of these services are much more meaningful when a caller is connected to local crisis support through the proposed georouting mechanism.
Studies have shown that when an individual makes a call to the 988 Lifeline, callers who are connected with crisis counselors feel reductions in distress. Moreover, nearly eighty percent of callers interviewed nine days on average after the call reported that the 988 Lifeline prevented them from taking their own lives. As the demand for the 988 Lifeline keeps growing, it is increasingly important to have strong connections to local crisis support services. Within the first year of the 988 three-digit transition, the 988 Lifeline saw a 46% increase in calls, a 141% increase in chats, and a 1135% increase in texts in the first year. It is estimated that crisis contact centers will receive an estimated 7.5 million contacts for fiscal year 2025, a fifty percent increase in contacts since the launch of 988. Localized crisis support could be the difference between life and death for hundreds of thousands of individuals annually.
[Feel free to share your connection to the topic or the organization’s work as it connects to the 988 Lifeline and suicide prevention.]
[I or Organization] appreciates the need to protect the privacy of individuals who may utilize the 988 Lifeline. [I or Organization] believe that this proposed mandate will ensure that callers' trust remains paramount while ensuring that people in crisis are able to access localized support. Employing georouting to connect callers to the 988 Lifeline can reduce routing mismatches and provide more effective and potentially life-saving pathways to care for individuals in crisis. For these reasons, [I or Organization] believe that mandating georouting for all wireless carriers outweighs potential costs.
[I or Organization] welcome(s) the opportunity to work with the FCC through Vibrant Emotional Health to ensure individuals in crisis are connected with life-saving resources.
Sincerely,
[Name, title, and/or organization]
Directions for submitting comments:
The FCC collects comments through its Electronic Comment Filing System at https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs/filings/standard. We have included the steps below to file a comment for WC Docket No. 18-336: Proposal to Mandate Georouting for 988 Calls.
- Go to the submission page by clicking "TAKE ACTION" above or going to https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs/filings/express
- For "Proceeding(s)" input: 18-336
- For "Name of Filer," input your name
- Continue to input all required information
- Enter your comments in the “Brief Comments” box. We encourage you to use the included document "FCC Public Comment Template" as a template or for reference.
- Please personalize your comments to make the most robust case that improving access to the 988 Lifeline can save lives.
- Review your form and submit it.