PHOENIX — When you make a phone call, it probably goes to a single-story brick building surrounded by a thick fence—a building that Verizon doesn't want you to find.
That's because it's the "brain" of the Verizon network, where all the traffic comes in. If anything happens to it, well, it would be bad.
"This is a very important facility for all the communication that goes on," Dave Nelson said.
Nelson is in charge of making sure the facility stays working. And to do that he and his team have to think three steps ahead of Mother Nature, and anyone who might want to mess with the network.
"This is critical for the network to make sure this stays up and is operational," Nelson said.
So inside that thick block building are backups... on backups... on backups.
For instance, the building doesn't just have power coming from the street. It doesn't just have a backup generator. It has two massive diesel generators that can each handle more than the building needs. And because the power supply can't be cut off, there are rooms upon rooms of batteries stacked high to run it all in the fraction of time it takes for the generators to kick on.
There are cooling systems, backup cooling systems, and backup venting systems... down to movable cooling units if all else fails. The equipment inside generates a lot of heat and would overheat very quickly without cooling.
The building is built to withstand the worst Arizona storms. It's hardened against power surges and lightning strikes, even the bars on the windows are grounded in case of lightning.
In the back parking lot are trailers full of communications gear and satellite dishes that Verizon calls "The Barnyard".
One trailer is called a COLT, or "Cell On a Light Truck." There's a COW, or "Cell On Wheels". Another is called a STEER. Hence... The Barnyard.
They're all rolled out in case of emergencies or disasters to help boost the cell network. If a cell tower is burned in a wildfire, a portable one can be brought in. If a wildland firefighting camp is set up in the middle of nowhere, Verizon has a trailer unit that can expand its network to the camp.
And during huge events, like Super Bowls or Final Fours, they have trailers with a complete movable cell tower that can be set up just to cover that event. Nelson said those are also used at events like Country Thunder and the Phoenix Open.
And, if all that wasn't enough, the entire secret building has its own backup. There's a clone of the building in another state that can handle all of Arizona's traffic if the worst should happen.
Up to Speed
Catch up on the latest news and stories on the 12News YouTube channel. Subscribe today.