Verizon Activates Oklahoma City Emergency Response

Verizon has boosted network capacity, waived overage fees, and begun employee disaster-relief donation efforts.
May 21, 2013 8:30 PM ET
Campaign: Philanthropy

May 21, 2013 /3BL Media/ - Verizon is calling on its employees and customers to assist victims of the May 19-20 tornadoes that swept through the Oklahoma City area.  Verizon has committed $100,000 in grants to disaster relief in the area, and the Verizon Foundation will provide a 1-to-1 match of employee online donations (from $25 up to $1,000 per employee) to the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army.

Verizon Wireless customers can make a $10 donation by texting REDCROSS to 90999 to support the American Red Cross. Text messaging fees will be waived and 100 percent of each donation goes directly to the Red Cross.  Verizon Wireless customers who pay monthly bills will see their donations on their next regular monthly bill.  For customers using the company’s prepaid services, donations will be taken from their prepaid balances.

Verizon Wireless Waives Overage Fees

Verizon Wireless will waive any text, voice or data overages for customers in the communities affected by the tornadoes. It has also brought in mobile cell sites to the hardest hit areas to add emergency calling capacity, established free phone charging stations, offered to place free calls at its retail stores, deployed its mobile support unit for customers and its emergency mobile command center to help first responders coordinate relief efforts.

“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims of these horrific storms,” said Dean Taylor, Verizon Wireless president-Oklahoma.  “Verizon employees work and live in these communities, and we’re committed to supporting our neighbors in Moore, Shawnee and other communities in the Oklahoma City area.”

More information about Verizon's Oklahoma disaster relief programs and Verizon Wireless emergency response activities is available online.