Residents in many corners of Southern California will soon have to add three more digits when making phone calls to those who share their area code.
Those with the area codes 562, 626, 949 and 951 must dial all 10 digits when making calls beginning Sunday, Oct. 24, as part of a federal transition that will give the National Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Crisis Lifeline a shorter phone number.
The Federal Communications Commission has designated 988 as the National Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Crisis Lifeline, a recent FCC statement read. Beginning July 16, those in crisis will only have to dial that three-digit number rather than the current, harder-to-remember 800-273-8255 (TALK).
The only problem is that 82 area codes across 35 states and Guam have working seven-digit phone numbers in which the first three digits are 988, the FCC said in its statement.
So if the FCC didn’t require people with those area codes to use all 10 digits, someone could accidentally call the mental health line by making a local phone call.
“To prepare for implementation of a quick way to dial the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline – using only ‘988’ to connect callers to the Lifeline,” the FCC’s statement said, “these area codes must transition to ten-digit dialing for all calls, including local calls.”
In California, nine area codes have working seven-digit phone numbers in which the first three digits — called a central office code — are 988.
The 562 area code serves many of the cities on the border of Los Angeles and Orange counties, from Long Beach to Whittier and from Seal Beach to La Habra.
The 626 area code serves most of the San Gabriel Valley while 949 is the area code for most of south Orange County.
The 951 area code is for western Riverside County, including Corona, Idyllwild, Norco and Riverside.
After Sunday, users with those area codes who try to dial someone with the same area code by using only that person’s seven-digit number will receive a recording that their call could not be completed.
Landline users will also need to add a 1 before the area code and phone number.
