Humanitarian Relief | San Diego, CA - Wildfires

San Diego, California—Wildfires

San Diego assistance center
Intake area for San Diego's wildfire Local Assistance Center
in the Scripps Ranch neighborhood. An NDR ECV can be seen
in the background.

October 2003

In the last week of October 2003, wildfires swept through northeastern San Diego County destroying over 2000 homes. AT&T deployed a small group of NDR technology trailers and part of the NDR Team to San Diego as a precaution in case the fires damaged any network facilities.

On Wednesday morning, October 29, 2003, AT&T/NDR was asked to provide emergency communications for a relief center being set up by the City of San Diego and FEMA in the Scripps Ranch neighborhood. This was the first of three local assistance centers that were opened in San Diego.

Using an Emergency Communications Vehicle (ECV) that had been staged in Poway, California, NDR established communications for the center by midday on Wednesday. Team members ran cables from the ECV into the building and set up phones in the city's command room.

The team also set up a bank of telephones where fire victims could place free local and long distance phone calls. Displaced residents used the service to contact friends and family, and to initiate their FEMA and insurance claims.

NDR remained on site until late Thursday, October 30, 2003, when an AT&T Metro Team finished the installation of new service to the community center. Between 6 AM PST and 6 PM PST on October 30th, the San Diego AT&T Metro Team provisioned and installed two T1s for voice connectivity and two T1s for an AT&T Metro frame network.

An AT&T NDR ECV deployed at the Scripps Ranch
Local Assistance Center on Wednesday, October 29, 2003.

Turning up the satellite link at the relief center Adjusting the satellite dish on the ECV
NDR Team members establishing the satellite link with the ECV.

NDR provided voice and Internet service for the
City of San Diego's command center at the relief
center in Scripps Ranch.

NDR Team members setting up phone service in the city's command room.
NDR Team members running temporary cables in
the command room.

City agencies providing services at the relief center
City agencies set up a contact area for fire victims
inside the relief center.

NDR phone bank in the community center
The NDR phone bank inside the relief center on
Wednesday afternoon, October 29.

Phone bank and ECV in San Diego, CA
A phone bank was set up outside on Wednesday
afternoon, October 29, and on Thursday, October 30.

NDR ECV in San Diego, CA
The NDR ECV at the Scripps Ranch relief center.