How a major cellular provider helps first responders during natural disasters in Arizona

PHOENIX (AZFamily) — From relaying important weather information to tracking locations, and coordinating crews on the front lines, communication is key to handling natural disasters.

“Everything that happens out there for any critical event, you need to be able to effectively communicate and gather data,” said David Nelson, director of operations for Verizon.

Through Verizon’s Crisis Response team, they provide portable cell sites that provide critical communication support to public safety agencies in emergencies.

“We take them out there. set them up, hook them up, and get them going in less than 24 hours,” Nelson said.

In Arizona, they have a top-secret hub which has everything first responders need to keep an open, efficient, and reliable line of communication.

“This top-secret location is really the heart of our cellular system here,” Nelson said.

This year, they’ve deployed their fleet more than 1,000 times to support nearly 500 agencies nationwide. Everything from fires to hurricanes and tornados to help keep our first responders and our greater community safe.

“The community needs to know what’s going on. The community needs to be safe and communication is a big part of that,” Nelson said.

See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it.

Do you have a photo or video of a breaking news story? Send it to us here with a brief description.

Copyright 2024 KTVK/KPHO. All rights reserved.