By Eric Eyre
The Charleston Gazette
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Critics of Frontier Communications’ plan to purchase more than 600,000 telephone access lines from Verizon in West Virginia said Monday the deal could jeopardize 911 emergency service.
At a news conference, West Virginia and Vermont firefighters compared the $8.6 billion deal between Frontier and Verizon to a similar transaction in New England three years ago.
The firefighters said a 911 center in Vermont had an equipment failure and couldn’t take calls in September 2008 — a year after Verizon sold its landlines in Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine to Fairpoint Communications. The company has since gone bankrupt.
The Vermont 911 center missed more than 100 calls that day, said Matt Vinci, president of the Professional Fire Fighters of Vermont.
“You don’t want ‘Can you hear me now?’ to be the answer when you call 911,” said Vinci, referring to Verizon’s popular advertising slogan. “It put the public at risk. It put firefighters at risk.”
Myron Boggess, president of the Charleston Professional Fire Fighters group, expressed the same fears.
“Our main concern is the failure of the 911 system,” Boggess said Monday. “This is a bad deal. We need to stop it.”
In May, Frontier announced plans to purchase telephone access lines from Verizon in West Virginia and 13 other states.
The Public Service Commission is reviewing the proposed sale. Hearings are scheduled next month.
The Communications Workers of American organized Monday’s news conference at the state Capitol and invited firefighters to speak.
On Monday, a Verizon official criticized the union and allegations that the $8.6 billion landline deal would put lives at risk.
“What the CWA is doing is reprehensible, and they should be called out for it,” said Verizon spokesman Harry Mitchell. “Their guest of honor is talking about Vermont. Different state, different company.
“There is no parallel to West Virginia and Frontier, a company that has been in business for 75 years, and 20 in this state.”
For months, Verizon and Frontier have been taking part in a 911 “working group” to ensure a smooth transition, if the deal closes, Mitchell said.
“The group is happy with where we are,” Mitchell said.
Also Monday, a host of organizations lined up with the Communications Workers of America to oppose the landline deal.
They were: West Virginians for Affordable Health Care, the West Virginia Troopers Association, Citizens Action Group, National Association of Social Workers-West Virginia chapter, West Virginia Association for Justice, The Steelworkers Organization of Active Retirees, West Virginia Alliance for Retired Americans and AFL-CIO.
“We’re happy to see the public awakening to the real dangers this proposed deal could have to the people of West Virginia,” said Ron Collins, CWA’s vice president District 2.
“As more people learn about this deal and how it could adversely affect their lives, not just their phone service, we expect more groups to join in telling the PSC this deal is not in the public’s best interest and should be rejected.”
Mitchell said the union continues to make the “same tired, misplaced arguments.”
“It has gathered several groups today that are directly tied or sympathetic to labor to echo its position,” Mitchell said. “Fortunately for West Virginians, the PSC - not the CWA leadership and its associated special interest groups - will decide the issue. We believe that, after its review, the commission will make the right call and approve the transaction.”
About 40 state lawmakers have written letters to the Public Service Commission, raising concerns about the proposed sale.
“We’ve had too many warnings from too many people who say this is not a good deal,” said Delegate Nancy Peoples Guthrie, D-Kanawha. “What I’m afraid of is consumers are going to be affected in a real negative way.”
Copyright 2009 Charleston Newspapers