Sprint Nextel Announces Preparations for Hurricane Rita's Impact

HostReview.com
Friday, September 23, 2005; 05:02 AM

Sprint Nextel (www.sprint.com) said it is preparing for the potential impact of Hurricane Rita.

"Sprint Nextel's team is ready to respond should Rita impact our networks. We have the resources in place to mobilize as needed," said Mike Karageorge, area vice president, Sprint Consumer Solutions in Texas. "Meanwhile, our efforts to restore service to the Gulf Coast areas hit by Hurricane Katrina will not be curtailed by this latest hurricane development."

As part of its hurricane preparedness process, Sprint Nextel has staged backup generators and personnel in strategic locations in the Texas Gulf Coast areas to deal with potential service impacts.

"Loss of power to our wireless, wireline and local telephone facilities can be an issue after a storm hits," noted Karageorge. "While many of our wireless sites and all of our major local telephone network sites have backup generators, those on battery power will have to be recharged from time to time." In the event of loss of commercial power, the batteries will hold the site for several hours, depending on traffic. All major wireline facilities have generator backup.

Sprint Nextel's Emergency Response Team (ERT) also is available nationally 24/7 and provides communications capabilities and technical expertise to city, state and federal emergency workers, as well as utilities and other necessary infrastructure organizations.

Sprint Nextel offers the following consumer tips to prepare for possible landfall of the storm:

• Sprint Nextel encourages customers to prepare themselves by having at least one modular, wireline (NON-CORDLESS) phone at home.

• Wireline home telephone service typically should be available for hours after commercial power has been disrupted, and these phones should continue to operate as long as the local switch operates on auxiliary or battery power.
• Keep your wireless phone and backup batteries charged, but be aware that an interruption of wireline and commercial power also could affect wireless calls.
• If possible, get extra batteries and charge them. Make sure to take your wireless phone charger with you at all times.
• In times of commercial power outages, a car adapter for your wireless phone should 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 and keep a copy of the numbers in your sealed plastic bag. Make sure those who need it have your wireless number.
• Wireless networks are sometimes compromised with heavy traffic during emergency events, so remember to use your Sprint Nextel Walkie Talkie or send a text message.
• Elect to receive weather alerts on your wireless phone to stay abreast of current weather situations, in case a television or radio is unavailable.

Sprint Nextel offers a comprehensive range of wireless and wireline communications services to consumer, business and government customers.