Cell phone towers

From WikiCover

Temporary cell phone towers

Verizon Wireless has been helping firefighting teams by setting up temporary cell phone towers so that the firefighters can use cell phones to communicate and coordinate activities. Wireless technologies allow first responders to communicate over longer distances than many two-way radios and help coordinate the efforts of firefighters in remote areas.

The company dispatched at the request of local authorities advanced mobile communications equipment, including Cells on Wheels (COWs), Cells on Light Trucks (COLTs) and other support, including donations of working wireless phones, to either enhance coverage or establish a wireless network where one had not previously been operating to enable firefighters and other emergency workers to communicate in remote areas where many wildfires originate. COWs and COLTs can handle thousands of wireless calls per hour when linked directly or indirectly to emergency telephone cables and sometimes creating a wireless network that can span miles of burning acreage.

Verizon Wireless COWs and COLTs are self-contained mobile cell sites specifically designed for rapid, and short-term response. These mobile cell sites can process thousands of calls an hour, enabling more emergency response teams and other wireless users to make calls concurrently. COWs are fully functional, generator-powered mobile cell sites with single masts that enhance coverage and capacity. COLTs are 25,000-pound vehicles with two retractable masts, a microwave antenna to link network components, an emergency power generator and a small office. The COLT is also fully equipped with fuel, electrical generators, food, water, and cots.