Cell Phone Tips Help Customers Prepare for Wild Fire Season
WALNUT CREEK, Calif.--(Business Wire)--
None of Verizon Wireless' cell sites has been affected by the
Summit Fire. The network is operating at normal performance levels.
The company used generators to power sites lacking commercial power
during a brief power outage yesterday.
Wild fire season has begun in Northern California and Verizon
Wireless is prepared to respond rapidly to maintain service in the
event that fires damage cell sites or other key communications
equipment.
Verizon Wireless' reputation as the nation's most reliable
wireless network is supported by industry-leading redundancy and
maintenance measures, including brush clearance. This has proven
particularly valuable during natural disasters and other emergencies
across the country. In 2007, Verizon Wireless deployed mobile cell
sites and other equipment to more than a dozen wild fire incidents in
the Western United States.
Standard Verizon Wireless network-reliability features include
battery back-up power at all facilities as well as generators
installed at all switching facilities and many cell site locations.
"The devastation caused by the Summit Fire in Santa Cruz County
affects our customers, communities and employees," said Rich Garwood,
Verizon Wireless Northern California and Nevada regional president.
"We are committed to keeping customers connected."
To help wireless customers prepare a communications plan and stay
connected in the event of an emergency Verizon Wireless offers the
following tips:
-- Save emergency phone numbers in your cell phone with one-touch
dialing
-- Forward your home phone calls to your wireless number if you
have to evacuate
-- Distribute wireless phone numbers to family members and
friends
-- Limit non-emergency calls to conserve battery power and
free-up wireless networks for emergency agencies and
operations
-- Send brief text messages rather than making voice calls for
the same reasons
-- Have additional charged batteries and car-charger adapters
available for back-up power
-- Keep phones, laptops, PDAs, batteries, chargers and other
equipment in a dry, accessible location
-- There's no need to find a WiFi hotspot with BroadbandAccess --
Verizon Wireless' high-speed wireless broadband service gives
users mobile access to email and the Internet at broadband
speeds
Other general preparedness tips:
-- Trim trees and clear brush well away from your home, keep
foundation plants well-watered
-- Take photos or videos of all personal possessions for
insurance purposes
-- Have at least $200 in cash in the house for emergencies
-- Develop a systematic evacuation and communications plan with
family and friends that includes what to do, who calls who,
where to go and what supplies and items you will take with you
-- Have an emergency plan for pets
-- Place emergency items in car trunk
About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless operates the nation's most reliable wireless
voice and data network, serving 67.2 million customers. Headquartered
in Basking Ridge, N.J., with 69,000 employees nationwide, Verizon
Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ) and
Vodafone (NYSE and LSE: VOD). For more information, go to:
www.verizonwireless.com. To preview and request broadcast-quality
video footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless
operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at
www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.
Verizon Wireless
Heidi Flato
925-324-8692
heidi.flato@verizonwireless.com
Copyright Business Wire 2008
