Southwestern Bell T-Shirt

2010

Upon hearing the term “first responder,” it is natural that images of nurses, EMTs, physicians, police officers, firefighters and other rescue workers come to mind. Those teams and individuals were crucial in the weeks and months of rescue and recovery following the Oklahoma City bombing.

However, making that work possible was a massive network of people, teams and organizations who provided infrastructure, materials, communications and other less visible kinds of support.

One such organization was the Southwestern Bell Telephone Company, whose building a block away from the site became the central hub for crisis communications during the rescue and recovery efforts. Acquisition and raising of a temporary cell tower, putting up new phone lines, providing cell phones to rescue workers: these were just some of the crucial jobs performed by Southwestern Bell. They also met with government officials to help develop a 3D floor plan of the Murrah Building before and after the bombing to help locate where victims were likely to be found.

You can learn more about computer aided design and the 3D model in the Museum.

Learn more about crisis communications and Southwestern Bell.