Verizon Collaborates with the United States Military to Prepare for Natural Disaster Response Through Extreme Training

Verizon recently collaborated with the U.S. military on a training exercise to ensure its personnel and assets are ready to assist in the swift restoration of critical communications in the event of natural disasters, particularly as hurricane season approaches.

Verizon's Response Team participated in a six-day training with the Air Force, Mississippi National Guard, and Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) in and around Camp Shelby in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, for the first time.

Multiple realistic, high-intensity simulated crisis scenarios comprised PATRIOT 24. These scenarios included a Category Four hurricane that disrupted critical communications at a hospital and a cyclone that resulted in a nuclear radiation release, necessitating network restoration in a hot zone. This page has the team in action.

Julie Slattery, Senior Vice President of Core Engineering & Operations at Verizon, stated,

We know that our customers, government agencies, and first responders rely on us to keep them connected in times of crisis, which is why we construct our network with industry-leading resilience and dependability." "Our team remains prepared in the face of natural disasters due to substantial investments and continuous training, enabling us to be mobilized promptly to aid in the swift restoration of vital communications infrastructure.

In addition to training the National Guard in significant debris removal, flooding and erosion response, search and rescue (SAR) operations, chemical and radiological response operations, air medical evacuations, K9 activity, drone support, and security operations, Verizon's Response Team also provided training in these domains.

Verizon's Response Team is comprised of diverse groups of specialized engineers and technicians, including military veterans and former first responders who have been trained to rush to the scene of an emergency. The Verizon Response Teams that took part in the exercises comprised the Major Emergency Response Incident Team (MERIT), which consisted of technicians and engineers who were certified by Verizon to handle hazardous materials.

Technicians and engineers with specialized training in mobile satellite asset deployment, rudimentary generator repair, and cable/connector fabrication comprise Verizon's Dedicated Impact Response Team (DIRT).

Verizon's Emergency Response Team (ERT) comprises fiber connection restoration-specialized technicians and engineers who support wireline operations.

The Verizon Frontline Crisis Response Team is committed to delivering round-the-clock, emergency communication support to government agencies and emergency responders in the event of a crisis. The team deployed various Verizon Frontline solutions, such as the Verizon Rapid Response Connectivity Unit, portable cell sites, and WiFi nodes during PATRIOT 24 in order to facilitate communications and enhance network performance.

Verizon maintains a fleet of more than 550 portable assets in preparation for natural disasters. These assets consist of generator-powered cell sites that are fully operational and capable of substituting or augmenting network coverage and capacity in a designated region; additionally, they comprise fixed wing aircraft and drones that can deliver services and offer situational awareness from above. In addition, Verizon possesses a pioneering inventory of 200 portable network assets based on satellite technology.