Verizon Helps Jesusita Wildfire Survivors & Fire Fighters

By Contributor Wireless and Mobile News on May 8, 2009 3:55 PM

Firefighters in the field and evacuees at shelters in Santa Barbara County are relying on the Verizon Wireless and wireline networks to stay connected during the Jesusita wildfire.

Verizon landline customers who have lost their homes or who have been evacuated because of the Jesusita wildfire in Santa Barbara County can add call forwarding to their account at no charge as part of the company's efforts to help those in need cope with the disaster.

Verizon donated wireless modems for Internet access, and mobile phones with airtime to help fire fighters battle wildfires and evacuees to contact loved ones and get updates on their homes and communities. Verizon has also installed extra landline phones and high-speed Internet connections at the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection's (CAL FIRE) command center.

Verizon Foundation has contributed $10,000 to the Santa Barbara County chapter of the American Red Cross to further its relief efforts for the wildfire evacuees.

Support for emergency responders
Verizon has donated equipment and service to CAL FIRE and the American Red Cross. To date, the company has donated:

300 cell phones to help battle fires and to keep in touch with family members
80 wireless USB modems with Mobile Broadband service for Internet access
20 BlackBerry smartphones to make phone calls and provide Internet and e-mail access
10 netbooks to provide Internet and e-mail access
50 landlines and eight high-speed Internet connections at the firefighters' command center

Support for relief efforts
To assist residents displaced by mandatory evacuations, Verizon Wireless volunteers have staffed a communications booth at the Red Cross Emergency Shelter located at Dos Pueblos High School at 7266 Alameda Avenue in Goleta. Resources for the booth include:

50 cell phones to make free phone calls
15 wireless USB modems with free Mobile Broadband service to access the Internet

Volunteers are also placing a wireless phone bank at a second emergency shelter, being opened at the University of California Santa Barbara Multi Activity Center on the UCSB campus. Information about emergency shelter is available at www.sbredcross.org.

"The devastation caused by the Jesusita Fire is heartbreaking. It's affecting our customers, communities and employees," said Kevin Zavaglia, Verizon Wireless regional president. "We are committed to making a difference for those who've been affected by this crisis."

Keeping customers connected
Verizon technicians are waiting for permission from fire officials to enter the burned area and assess any damage to its networks from the fire, which has been burning in Santa Barbara County since Tuesday. Verizon Wireless technicians have added capacity to area cell sites to keep customers connected as mandatory evacuations of residential and commercial neighborhoods generate spikes in call volume. Backup batteries and generators have powered several sites during intermittent commercial power interruptions caused by the fire