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Keep cell phone batteries charged during storms
Wireless company taking steps to keep people communicating during emergencies
By ALLEN JONES
Cell phone users may want to make sure their batteries are fully charged if Tropical Storm Gustav makes its way to the Gulf Coast on Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 1.
According to the National Weather Service National Hurricane Center, Tropical Storm Gustav could intensify to a hurricane and make landfall in the United States somewhere between Florida and Texas during the national holiday.
At least one wireless phone service provider, Verizon is recommending cell phone users include communications in their emergency plans.
The company suggests keeping phone batteries fully charged in case local power does go down well before warning are issued. Verizon also suggests having additional charged batteries and car-charger adapters ready to be used as back-up power.
The company also suggest keeping phone, batteries, chargers and additional equipment in dry but accessible locations.
Here are additional tips from Verizon:
Verizon Wireless also suggests cell phone users limit non-emergency calls to conserve battery power and to free-up wireless networks for emergency agencies and crews.The company suggests sending brief text messages instead of voice calls as an additional means of freeing up wireless networks.
And when commercial power is out, several cell phone brands allow users to access text messages, e-mail and Internet which can be used to check news reports on the weather.
“It’s clear that Gustav will have some impact on the Gulf Coast, but preparation and communication are key elements to responding quickly,” said Kay Henze, Houston/Gulf Coast region president for Verizon Wireless, in a press statement. “Verizon Wireless has the nation’s most reliable network and we are prepared for our customer’s every communication need, especially in times of emergency.”
According to the press statement, during the past year, Verizon Wireless has spent $137 million in the Gulf Coast area to strengthen and enhance its wireless network.
The wireless company instituted an emergency response plan to prepare emergency command centers across Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, Alabama, Georgia and Florida in case of a major storm event or other emergency.
Enhancements were also made to the company’s regional switching facilities, according to Verizon, which doubled its traffic capacity and back-up power redundancies. Many are designed to withstand a Category 5 hurricane and serve as regional emergency operations center in the event of a storm, according to the press statement.
Verizon also purchased a new 35-foot $150,000 Disaster Response Trailer to be used as temporary customer service location in areas impacted by a disaster. The company also erected nearly 59 new digital cell sites since the start of last year, of which
The company has been erecting nearly 59 new digital cell sites since the start of last year, of which about 85 percent have their own on-site generators.
“The company also has a fleet of Cells on Wheels (COWS) and 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,” according to the press statement.
Verizon officials say they are 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.
The company has also expanded its EV-DO wireless broadband network, including launching its highest-speed Rev. A network throughout the region, giving customers use of advanced wireless services such as downloads, location-based applications, and video messaging to make the network more robust for usage by residents and emergency agencies.
“These kinds of intensive investments and preparations proved critical during the height of extraordinary storm seasons in the late summer and early autumn of 2004, 2005 and 2006,” according to the company’s press statement. “In those years, the Verizon Wireless network remained strong, while many other wireless communication networks struggled to serve residents and emergency response officials.”
For more safety tips and updates on Tropical Storm Gustav, continue checking The Potpourri’s web site.
According to the National Weather Service National Hurricane Center, Tropical Storm Gustav could intensify to a hurricane and make landfall in the United States somewhere between Florida and Texas during the national holiday.
At least one wireless phone service provider, Verizon is recommending cell phone users include communications in their emergency plans.
The company suggests keeping phone batteries fully charged in case local power does go down well before warning are issued. Verizon also suggests having additional charged batteries and car-charger adapters ready to be used as back-up power.
The company also suggest keeping phone, batteries, chargers and additional equipment in dry but accessible locations.
Here are additional tips from Verizon:
- Maintain a list of emergency phone numbers – police, fire, and rescue agencies; power companies; insurance providers; family, friends and co-workers; etc. – and program them 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.
Verizon Wireless also suggests cell phone users limit non-emergency calls to conserve battery power and to free-up wireless networks for emergency agencies and crews.The company suggests sending brief text messages instead of voice calls as an additional means of freeing up wireless networks.
And when commercial power is out, several cell phone brands allow users to access text messages, e-mail and Internet which can be used to check news reports on the weather.
“It’s clear that Gustav will have some impact on the Gulf Coast, but preparation and communication are key elements to responding quickly,” said Kay Henze, Houston/Gulf Coast region president for Verizon Wireless, in a press statement. “Verizon Wireless has the nation’s most reliable network and we are prepared for our customer’s every communication need, especially in times of emergency.”
According to the press statement, during the past year, Verizon Wireless has spent $137 million in the Gulf Coast area to strengthen and enhance its wireless network.
The wireless company instituted an emergency response plan to prepare emergency command centers across Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, Alabama, Georgia and Florida in case of a major storm event or other emergency.
Enhancements were also made to the company’s regional switching facilities, according to Verizon, which doubled its traffic capacity and back-up power redundancies. Many are designed to withstand a Category 5 hurricane and serve as regional emergency operations center in the event of a storm, according to the press statement.
Verizon also purchased a new 35-foot $150,000 Disaster Response Trailer to be used as temporary customer service location in areas impacted by a disaster. The company also erected nearly 59 new digital cell sites since the start of last year, of which
The company has been erecting nearly 59 new digital cell sites since the start of last year, of which about 85 percent have their own on-site generators.
“The company also has a fleet of Cells on Wheels (COWS) and 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,” according to the press statement.
Verizon officials say they are 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.
The company has also expanded its EV-DO wireless broadband network, including launching its highest-speed Rev. A network throughout the region, giving customers use of advanced wireless services such as downloads, location-based applications, and video messaging to make the network more robust for usage by residents and emergency agencies.
“These kinds of intensive investments and preparations proved critical during the height of extraordinary storm seasons in the late summer and early autumn of 2004, 2005 and 2006,” according to the company’s press statement. “In those years, the Verizon Wireless network remained strong, while many other wireless communication networks struggled to serve residents and emergency response officials.”
For more safety tips and updates on Tropical Storm Gustav, continue checking The Potpourri’s web site.
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