JACKSON, MS — With Tropical Depression Ana and Hurricane Bill churning in the Atlantic Ocean, and Tropical Storm Claudette moving further inland, Mississippi residents are urged to finalize their emergency communication plans as the 2009 Tropical Hurricane Season heats up.
Verizon Wireless, which operates the nation’s largest and most reliable wireless network, offers residents these tips to be safer during strong weather and other emergencies:
•Keep wireless phone batteries fully charged – in case local power is lost – well before warnings are issued.
•Have additional charged batteries and car-charger adapters available for back-up power.
•Keep phones, batteries, chargers and other equipment in a dry, accessible location.
•Keep a list of emergency phone numbers – police, fire, and rescue agencies; insurance providers; and family, friends and co-workers – programmed into your phone.
•Distribute wireless phone numbers to family members and friends.
•Forward your home phone calls to your wireless number if you will be away from your home or have to evacuate.
If a storm already is striking or threatening, Verizon Wireless suggests these tips:
•Limit non-emergency calls to conserve battery power and free up wireless networks for emergency agencies and operations.
•Send brief text messages rather than voice calls for the same reasons as above.
•Check weather/news reports available on wireless phone applications when power is out.
“Thorough preparation is the key to staying safe and in touch during emergencies,” said Kay Henze, president, Houston/Gulf Coast region, Verizon Wireless. “Residents should take prudent steps now, just as our teams have been in preparing the network to provide strong coverage and services to residents and emergency responders, no matter the situation.”
Verizon Wireless has continued the intensive investments and preparations that proved critical during and after past years’ storm seasons. In the aftermath of even the most devastating hurricanes, such as Hurricane Katrina, the Verizon Wireless network remained strong while many other wireless communication networks struggled to serve emergency response officials and residents.
To ensure Mississippi residents have comprehensive, reliable wireless coverage in case of severe weather, and every day, the company has invested nearly $33 million since the start of last year’s Hurricane Season to strengthen and enhance its wireless network throughout Mississippi, including over $11 million invested in Jackson and southern Mississippi. These new technologies, facilities and network-strengthening efforts are part of an investment exceeding $42 million in Jackson and southern Mississippi since 2006.
Additional highlights of the Verizon Wireless 2009 Tropical Hurricane Season preparation and network enhancement include:
•A comprehensive emergency response plan, including preparing emergency command centers across Mississippi in the case of a storm or other crisis.
•The company operates a fleet of Cells on Wheels (COWs), Cells on Light Trucks (COLTs), and Generators on Trailers (GOaTs) that can be rolled into hard-hit locations or areas that need extra network capacity.
•Pre-arranging fuel delivery to mobile units and generators to keep the network operating at full strength even if power is lost for an extended period of time.
•Erecting new digital cell sites. Each has its own on-site generators and new expanded fuel tanks to extend their power-generating capacity.
•The completion of the Verizon Wireless 3G high-speed wireless network throughout the state, allowing customers to access advanced wireless services more reliably and at even faster broadband speeds.
•Updating and optimizing technology at regional network switching facilities throughout the state. All of the company’s “super switches,” which are designed to withstand hurricane force winds, are equipped with large-scale back-up power generation.
Verizon Wireless network technicians, who serve as the inspiration for the famous TV Test Man commercials, traveled more than 4,000 miles across Jackson and southern Mississippi this past year to measure the quality of voice and data calls on Verizon Wireless and other carriers.
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