By B.N. Frank
California wildfires are horrible enough. The unreliability of cell phone carriers obviously makes this so much worse and it’s not the first time.
From Inside Towers:
Carriers Struggle with Backup Power Amid California Fires
Despite layers of warning systems from California counties in fire ravaged regions, residents are found cut off from communication amid downed power lines and cell towers.
As dry land conditions and the recent heat wave ignited the LNU Lightning Complex Fire and other Bay Area wildfires, county officials used a “hi-lo” siren to warn residents to evacuate. Henry Wofford, public information officer, said the system is used to ensure residents without power or cell access know to evacuate.
Several residents in the evacuation zones took to Twitter to report they never received emergency alerts due to power outages.
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, San Mateo county resident Steve Portigal expressed frustration about the emergency warning system. Portigal reportedly received a link on his cell phone Tuesday evening but the link took him to COVID-19 resources instead of wildfire information.
AT&T, Verizon, and Comcast plan for such outages by using backup batteries or generators. Comcast spokesperson Joan Hammel said the company uses backup generators to ensure continued internet access during a power outage. Depending on the length and size of the outage, however, sustained service is not always feasible.
Speaking of California fires – some residents have also been the victims of utility “Smart” Meter fires and explosions – some of which led to lawsuits.
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Tens of millions of “Smart” Meters have been installed by different utility companies worldwide and fires and explosions aren’t isolated to California (see 1, 2, 3). Recent warnings from IBM solidify their vulnerability to cyberattacks which could potentially lead to fires. Hundreds of thousands of these meters have been recalled and/or replaced throughout North America due to mechanical issues, obsolesce, and of course, fires and explosions.
A group of Californians took legal action against utility companies when they became sick after “Smart” Meters were installed on their homes. “Smart” Meters produced and emit high levels of harmful Electromagnetic Radiation and exposure can make people and pets sick (see 1, 2, 3, 4). There are reports worldwide of people getting sick after these meters have been installed on their homes.
Californians have opposed these meters since they first started being deployed in the state:
“Smart” Meters collect customer usage data 24/7, whereas original analog meters do not. Legislation has been introduced in California to prevent utility companies from sharing “Smart” Meter customer data with ICE.
It may never been known how much of a role – if any – that “Smart” Meters contributed to California wildfires. Regardless of all the issues associated with them in California and beyond, utility companies still plan to install more everywhere because of their ability to collect data.
Activist Post reports regularly about “Smart” Meters and other unsafe technology. For more information, visit our archives and the following websites:
- Coalition to Stop Smart Meters
- EMF Safety Network
- Environmental Health Trust
- SmartMeterHarm
- Smart Grid Awareness
- Smart Meter News
- StopSmartMeters.org
- Take Back Your Power
- The People’s Initiative
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Cell Phone Alerts and Service Not Reliable AGAIN During California Fires