WHO:
Ken Muché, Verizon Wireless spokesperson

WHAT: Interview to discuss the following consumer cell phone tips for wild fire season:

1.
Save emergency phone numbers in your cell phone for one-touch dialing

2.
Forward your home phone calls to your wireless number if you have to evacuate

3.
Limit non-emergency calls to conserve battery power and free-up wireless networks for emergency agencies and operations

4.
Send brief text messages rather than making voice calls for the same reasons

5.
Have additional charged batteries and car-charger adapters available for back-up power

WHEN:
April 30, 2008 — wildfire season

WHERE: By phone

WHY: Wild fires have already begun in the state. Angelenos living within the city’s “Very High Fire Hazard Safety Zone” face a May 1 deadline to clear brush and vegetation around their property.

Verizon Wireless’ reputation as the nation’s most reliable network is supported by industry-leading redundancy and maintenance measures, including brush clearance. This has proven particularly valuable during natural disasters and other emergencies across the country. In 2007, Verizon Wireless deployed mobile cell sites and other equipment to more than a dozen wild fire incidents around the county.

Standard Verizon Wireless network-reliability features include battery back-up power at all facilities as well as generators installed at all switching facilities and many cell site locations.

VISUALS: B-roll and still images of cell site generators, cell tower-on-wheels and other network equipment

About Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless operates the nation’s most reliable wireless voice and data network, serving 67.2 million customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with 69,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ) and Vodafone (NYSE: VOD) and (LSE: VOD). For more information, go to: www.verizonwireless.com. To preview and request broadcast-quality video footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.

Contacts

Verizon Wireless
Ken Muché, 949-286-8193
Ken.Muche {at} VerizonWireless(.)com