Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Verizon Wireless Supplies California Firefighters with Cell Service

From: [email-masked]
Date: Mon, 27 Oct 2003 13:24:05 -0500

Verizon Wireless Supplies California Firefighters with Cell Service

Verizon Wireless Supplies California Firefighters with Cell Service With deadly
wildfires roaring in Southern California, Verizon Wireless dispatched numerous
crews to set up temporary cell sites to boost signals and give fire fighters on
the frontline means to communicate. The base stations, known as "cells on wheels
(COWS)," were on standby as of Monday morning, to perform a number of functions to
support firefighters. Through highly-sensitive GPS positioning equipment,
engineers can set up a temporary cell near a base camp, boost signals miles beyond
normal capacity, and allow firefighters provided with Verizon Wireless handsets to
speak with and hear orders from their commanders.

=========================================================================================

Source: Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless, Largest Wireless Carrier in Southern California and Nation, has
Fire Strike
Crews on Standby Program designed to meet fire fighters at their base camps and
set up temporary cell sites, boost signals, give fire fighters on frontline means
to communicate

IRVINE, Calif., Oct. 26 2003 (PRIMEZONE) -- Verizon Wireless, the largest wireless
services provider in Southern California, today reported that its mobile telephone
network, the largest in California and the nation, has not experienced any
problems, delays or dropped calls due to the swath of brush fires raging through
the heart of its Southern California Region.
Teams of experienced wireless telecommunications engineers and support personnel,
backed by eight heavy-duty vans loaded with technical equipment known as COWS, or
"cells on wheels," were on standby to perform a number of functions to support
firefighters. Through highly sensitive GPS positioning equipment, engineers can
set up a temporary cell near a base camp, boost signals miles beyond normal
capacity, and allow firefighters provided with Verizon Wireless handsets to speak
with and hear orders from their commanders.

However, Verizon Wireless also cautions those in the affected areas to limit
wireless calls to preserve battery life, keep on hand an extra rapid travel
charger designed for AC outlets, and a automobile cigarette lighter charger for
use in consumers' vehicles.
Over the past few years, Verizon Wireless, as the largest wireless company in the
U.S., has been asked to assist in other natural disasters. This led to the
company's commitment to train some of its engineers and support personnel for the
events unfolding over the past three days in Southern California.

Throughout the past 72 hours of fires, which have grown fiercer each day as Santa
Ana Winds have strengthened, Daniel Jaurigue, executive director -- Network
Operations for the company's Southern California Region, and his Irvine,
California-based team, have been monitoring the progress of the fires and working
out strategies on how best to deliver their services when called upon. The team is
on around-the-clock status. It last assisted in the Coyote Canyon Fire in
Riverside County about 60 days ago.

"It's a testament to the billions of dollars we've spent to upgrade our network in
Southern California, by far the company's largest single and most geographically
challenging region, that we are not experiencing dropped calls today or any other
problems during what looks like the end-of-the world is at hand," he said. "It's
not if the firefighters need us, but when, and we will be on scene within a few
minutes or a few hours, depending on their location and where our strategically
parked COWS are." Other equipment Verizon Wireless has and can utilize during such
conflagrations are wireless satellite phones, computer mapping, and satellite
feeds to direct its signals to the most available and efficient wireless
communications platform.

About Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless is the nation's leading provider of wireless communications. The
company has the largest nationwide wireless
voice and data network and 34.6 million customers. Headquartered in Bedminster,
NJ, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of
Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) and Vodafone (NYSE:VOD) and (LSE:VOD). Find more
information on the Web at
www.verizonwireless.com
CONTACT:  Verizon Wireless
Keith Karpe
Manager, Public Relations
Southern California Region
(949) 286-8194 office
(949) 244-4416 mobile
[email-masked]
http://www.primezone.com/pub/headlines.mhtml?d=47132

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