ISPs Help Firefighting Effort

A group of Internet professionals in the New Mexico are providing vital information and keeping the lines open as a wildfire rages in New Mexico.

by Patricia Fusco ISP-Planet Managing Editor [May 12, 2000]

While firefighters Friday struggle to contain a wildfire intentionally set and accidentally spread by the U.S. National Park Service in Los Alamos New Mexico, a group of Internet professionals in the area are contending with keeping the lines of Internet communication open.

For more about the fire, click here.

Relatives and friends of residents have a way to find out if their loved ones are safe and where they are now, due to the efforts of some hard working IT professionals in the area.

Headquartered in Albuquerque New Mexico, about a two hour drive from Los Alamos, iHighway.net provides network connectivity to businesses across the western United States. The company's co-founder, John M. Brown, thanked the providers and people that are helping to keep the lines of communication open during this challenging time.

"I personally want to thank Verio, Inc. and Cable and Wireless plc , our backbone vendors in New Mexico. Everything is running perfectly," Brown said. "I also want to thank those many members of the New Mexico Internet Professional Association. They have put together a wonderful site to track and locate people."

Brown added that sometimes the industry forgets how much the Internet can help people during trying times.

"This is one of the things we as Internet Professionals must not forget," Brown said. "The Net is also here to help people out."

The local ABQ Journal reported a 400 percent increase in bandwidth use inside of 6 hours on Thursday while people searched for news about the raging Los Alamos fire.

The NMIPA and the ABQ Journal are providing essential resources including news from the fire devastated area, insurance information for survivors whose homes were damaged or destroyed, as well as discussion forums and a people finder database. Many of the state's Internet service providers and IT professionals are helping with computers, connectivity, and know-how.

While the Parks Department is struggling with the conflagration and blame for the damage, the Internet and a few of the people behind it are being put to task to help bring everyone together while the fire rages onward.

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