Verizon MERIT hazmat team on standby to ensure network readiness in emergency situations
June 18 2018 - 9:00AM
A specialized team of Verizon engineers called MERIT -- Major
Emergency Response Incident Team – has just completed their annual
training to ensure they are ready to deploy when necessary to
protect Verizon’s network assets and facilities during natural
disasters or hazardous materials incidents. With the hurricane
season in full swing, volcano eruptions, summer forest fires, and
frequent events nationwide including train derailments and
industrial fires striking, Verizon’s MERIT team is prepared to keep
people connected when they need it most.
“We understand that reliable communication is never more
important than during an emergency when individuals need to reach
critical resources and loved ones and when first responders need to
communicate with one another quickly and consistently,” said Kyle
Malady, Chief Network Operations Officer. “As part of our emergency
preparation and planning, we recognized the need for a specialty
team, and so we created the communication industry’s first hazmat
team.”
Founded in 1992, The Verizon MERIT team is comprised of over 30
technically skilled communications employees who are specially
trained and certified to enter an area affected by a hazardous
materials spill and complete critical network repairs. The
members of Verizon’s MERIT team have a wide variety of
capabilities, including expertise in wireless and wireline
telecommunications network equipment such as fiber optic cables,
switches, routers, hubs, transmission equipment, customer premise
equipment, wireless mobile assets, radio networks, and critical
infrastructure such as AC/DC power, generators, and HVAC (heating,
ventilation and air conditioning) systems.
Ongoing training keeps them safe and
helps them get the job done.
The team has been trained under Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA) and National Fire Protection Association
(NFPA) guidelines, the same certification guidelines used by major
fire department hazardous materials teams in the U.S. MERIT
team members, who are also trained in emergency response
management, are qualified to operate at the highest operational
protection level (Level A), which allows them to enter a
contaminated zone, wearing fully encapsulated hazmat suits. The
team uses multiple tools to detect more than 30 chemicals,
biological and radiological containments.
An initial 80-hour training class and approximately 100 hours of
annual refresher training are required by all MERIT members. All
team members are trained in the Unified Incident Command System and
receive annual physical exams. The team recently completed
mandatory annual recertification training in Little Rock, AR.
“During all deployments, our top priority is safety,” said Mike
Cochran, Verizon MERIT manager. “We know we have a serious job to
do to repair the network or enter a technical facility, and we take
pride in getting that done for our customers. However, before we
act on any operational needs we ensure the job can be completed
safely.”
MERIT team is equipped for
success
As a self-contained hazmat team, MERIT participants
bring all necessary tools and equipment to the emergency scene with
them. Team members have custom-designed transport and support
vehicles that are fully loaded and ready to deploy
immediately. Additionally, the MERIT team has an onsite,
climate-controlled mobile command center with workspaces, a
conference room, communications equipment, TV monitors, external
cameras, an on-board generator, area lighting and a weather
station. The team also has hazmat equipment trucks with
hazmat gear, communication equipment and an on-board generator, as
well as a utility truck with remote camera systems, a breathing air
compressor, and additional communications equipment.
“Whether it’s building our network to withstand extreme weather
conditions, running regular drills with our Crisis Response Teams,
or ensuring our MERIT team is trained and ready to respond at a
moment’s notice, Verizon is ready to support our customers and
first responders in any emergency scenario,” said Malady.
Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) (Nasdaq:VZ), headquartered
in New York City, generated $126 billion in 2017 revenues. The
company operates America’s most reliable wireless network and the
nation’s premier all-fiber network, and delivers integrated
solutions to businesses worldwide. Its Oath subsidiary reaches
about one billion people around the world with a dynamic house of
media and technology brands.
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Media contact:Karen
Schulz864.561.1527Karen.Schulz@verizonWireless.comTwitter:
@VZWKarenS
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