Customers can use Sprint’s exclusive NextRadio application for
real-time FM radio news updates and emergency information
Company Website:
http://www.sprint.com
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. -- (Business Wire)
As Tropical Storm Arthur continues its path along the Atlantic coast and
is forecast to strengthen into a Category 1 hurricane before reaching
parts of North Carolina, Sprint (NYSE:S) is preparing its network,
mobilizing Network Disaster Recovery staff and equipment, and
strategically staging Sprint
Emergency Response Team (ERT) personnel and resources to serve
customers and mitigate storm impact.
Sprint’s preparations include:
-
Actively monitoring Tropical Storm Arthur’s increasing strength and
continued path while instituting flood prevention measures at Sprint
network facilities and retail stores.
-
Fully fueling permanent generators along the storm’s anticipated track
and mobilizing portable generators into threatened areas to ensure
they’re available to meet response needs based on the current track
and intensity of Arthur’s wind speeds and rainfall.
-
Verifying operational readiness of generators and emergency equipment
at all mobile switching centers and network Points of Presence (POP)
in the storm’s path – the facilities where traffic enters and leaves
the company’s global IP network, which facilitate dedicated data
services for Sprint’s corporate and government customers, as well as
other critical communications.
-
Ensuring Sprint network strike teams are on standby and ready to
deploy following Arthur’s landfall and assess impact on Sprint
facilities.
-
Providing any local public safety agency in need of emergency
communications assistance with 14 days of service free of charge for
25 Sprint ERT wireless devices in states where an official “state of
emergency” has been declared.
-
Preparing and mobilizing the Sprint Emergency Response Team’s SatCOLT
(Satellite Cell on Light Truck) assets, mobile phone and broadband
devices, reservist staff and other equipment to provide wireless
communications service to local first responders, emergency command
centers and other public safety officials in the field.
Whenever a hurricane or tropical storm threat is issued, Sprint’s
Network Disaster Recovery and Emergency Response teams implement a
standard preparedness and response plan approximately 24 to 72 hours
before the storm is predicted to make landfall, including:
Additionally, with the continued launch
of America’s Newest Network in 443 cities – including the
hurricane-prone areas of Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; Houston; Miami; New
Orleans; Orangeburg, S.C.; Wilmington, N.C.; and West Palm Beach, Fla. –
Sprint’s network strives to provide the following during emergency
weather events:
-
A better wireless coverage footprint and overlap to compensate if a
cell site is impacted from a natural disaster.
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Enhanced wireless data and voice capacity due to modernized network
hardware and software.
-
Reduction of blocked voice calls during mass calling events.
Sprint and NextRadio provide free emergency FM radio access
For customers looking for additional communications resources during an
emergency, Sprint exclusively offers the NextRadio®
interactive FM radio application, which receives FM radio broadcasts in
a user’s local area through a built-in FM tuner inside the smartphone.
Available on select
Sprint, Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile USA Android-powered smartphones,
the free Google
Play app allows consumers to listen to FM radio stations on the go.
By downloading NextRadio, Sprint, Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile USA
customers can use their Android smartphone to receive news and
information from local broadcast affiliates during times of emergency.
FM radio can be a lifeline to citizens when other communication networks
suffer disaster- related outages, such as hurricanes.
Sprint is committed to serving the emergency response community
The first of its kind in the industry, the Sprint
Emergency Response Team (ERT) was created in 2002 as a cross-functional
group of full-time and seasoned personnel with expertise in
providing immediate restoration of wireless voice, data and IP service,
and communications coordination among disaster relief and emergency
response agencies, public safety officials and medical personnel.
Since its inception, Sprint ERT has conducted more than 6,100
deployments, and provided emergency wireless support for close to 2,500
events, including recently supporting the Army National Guard during an
April 2014 training exercise in Alaska, the 2013
tornados in Moore, Okla., the 2013
Presidential Inauguration and the 2013
LAX Air Exercise.
To facilitate this multi-agency coordination during times of an
emergency, Sprint ERT maintains an inventory of 10,000 Sprint handsets,
mobile broadband devices, and fully charged Sprint
Direct Connect phones at secured facilities.
In addition to having experience in military and public safety
communications, continuity management, and disaster response, Sprint ERT
is supported year-round and nationwide by an ERT Reservist program.
These close a thousand ERT Reservists are trained annually on all
aspects of Incident Command System (ICS), National Incident Management
System (NIMS), Emergency Operation Center (EOC) staffing and management,
and disaster response.
Sprint ERT also maintains a 24-hour hotline, 365 days a year to rapidly
address client needs round the clock. In addition, during times of state
and federally declared national disasters, Sprint ERT provides 25 mobile
devices and wireless service free of charge for 14 days from the date of
declaration to state and local agencies.
Preparedness and post-storm tips for Sprint customers
Wireless consumers are also encouraged to use the following tips to
prepare for a hurricane, severe flood or other natural disasters:
-
Wireless networks sometimes experience heavy traffic during emergency
events, so remember to send text messages, rather than call.
-
Keep your wireless phone and backup batteries charged, but be aware
that an interruption of wireline and commercial power could affect
wireless calls. If possible, get extra batteries and charge them.
-
In times of commercial power outages, a car adapter for your wireless
phone can enable you to recharge the battery.
-
Keep phones and necessary accessories in a sealed plastic bag to avoid
water damage.
-
Load family and emergency numbers into your wireless phone.
-
Use your Sprint phone to take digital pictures or video of your
property and valuables before the storm hits. Upload the images to a
cloud service so you have "before" pictures in the event of any storm
damage.
For more information about Sprint’s hurricane preparation efforts, or to
learn what you can do to prepare for a major storm, visit www.sprint.com/hurricaneinformation.
Public safety officials seeking information about services from the Sprint
Emergency Response Team should call 1-888-639-0020 or email ERTRequests@sprint.com.
About Sprint
Sprint (NYSE: S) is a communications services company that creates more
and better ways to connect its customers to the things they care about
most. Sprint served nearly 55 million customers as of March 31, 2014 and
is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying
innovative technologies, including the first wireless 4G service from a
national carrier in the United States; leading no-contract brands
including Virgin Mobile USA, Boost Mobile, and Assurance Wireless;
instant national and international push-to-talk capabilities; and a
global Tier 1 Internet backbone. The American Customer Satisfaction
Index rated Sprint as the most improved U.S. company in customer
satisfaction, across all 43 industries, over the last six years. Sprint
has been named to the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) North
America in 2011, 2012 and 2013. You can learn more and visit Sprint at www.sprint.com
or www.facebook.com/sprint
and www.twitter.com/sprint.
Contacts:
Sprint
Crystal Davis, 703-592-8139
crystal.davis@sprint.com
Source: Sprint
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