Verizon commits $500,000 to support North Bay wildfire relief efforts

SAN FRANCISCO - Verizon is supporting Northern California communities through a $500,000 contribution to fund the North Bay wildfire relief efforts. The nation's most reliable wireless provider has pledged these funds to the Tipping Point Emergency Relief Fund, supporting immediate and long-term needs.

"The unprecedented North Bay fires affected thousands of people who live and work in this community,” said Verizon Chairman & CEO Lowell McAdam. "Running to a crisis is what we do at Verizon. By partnering with Tipping Point we can help North Bay families and businesses recover and rebuild.”

"Verizon's support will help low-income communities hit hardest by the fires," said Daniel Lurie, CEO + Founder of Tipping Point Community. "We are tremendously grateful for their leadership and generosity."

Verizon also responded to the crisis in the following ways:

• Relieved postpaid customers of data, talk and text charges and gave prepaid customers an extra 3 GB to be used for data, talk and text from October 10 through 18. 
• Deployed mobile equipment including Cells on Wheels (COWs), Cells on Light Trucks (COLTS), and Repeaters on Trailers (RATs) to supplement service in areas throughout the North Bay that needed extra network capacity. This effort is part of a network investment of nearly $1.5 billion in the last 18 months in the state of California.
• Worked closely with government agencies to help support first responders on the ground with much needed communications services.
• Staffed evacuation shelters and local assistance centers with Verizon employees in Sonoma, Napa and Mendocino Counties to assist first responders and displaced residents with mobile charging, internet access and other communications needs.