We recently spoke with Mike Albarano and John Rockwell to find out more about the work of the Special Events team. While most of the construction teams at inRange get involved with longer-term building projects, the mission of the Special Events team is to install temporary cell sites to boost coverage when there isn’t enough capacity or coverage nearby to handle a temporary increase due to planned events or emergencies. 

“Planned events” could be anything from the Olympics, World Series, or Superbowl to something more local like the Governor’s Ball on Long Island. Just envision any event that is so large or crowded that the existing infrastructure can’t handle the temporary influx of people and/or traffic. “Emergencies” can be hurricanes like Katrina, Sandy, or the more recent Irene, flooding, or anything that knocks out cell service to a particular area.

Emergency situations like these can be dangerous and require the utmost care where safety is concerned. Both Mike and John agree safety is paramount on the Special Events team. “Working at any heights can be dangerous,” Mike said. “Safety is the number one thing.” 

Before any work is even started, the job site is assessed to ensure conditions are favorable for safety. (There have been instances where the team couldn’t begin a job because of unsafe conditions.) The team also conducts a job box meeting before work begins to get the whole crew together, talk through the entire plan, and ensure everyone has a chance to help identify where there may be risks and how to mitigate them.

So what does the Special Events team have that makes customers want to choose inRange over its competitors?

“Nobody has more knowledge and experience than we do. We understand what it takes, we understand the gravity and the urgency. When a cell site is offline, in some cases that is millions of dollars a minute. We know we can help them get everything up and running, so our customers have what they need when that event happens.” — Mike Albarano, inRange

John agrees. “You would choose us for the same reasons you choose inRange for any project,” he said. “We dissect it to understand it, to see where we can improve the timeline. We have good communications with all the players, so issues can be resolved quickly. We apply a full turnkey approach.”

Unbeknownst to most people who use cell phones, the inRange Special Events team helps provide an exemplary cell phone experience. “When that cell phone user is at that event, their phone should work without a hitch, like they’re the only person on the network,” Mike said. “Most people don’t think about it, which is the way it should be.” 

Interested in learning more about how we tackle special events? Contact us today to see how we can help you prepare for the expected and unexpected!