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"I'm not going to stop watching this story, or watch

Jan. 24, 2019 by Kimberly Parks

"I'm not going to stop watching this story, or watch this ad or any other video, because it's not relevant to my business or my community," said Brian Wilson, executive director of the Santa Clara County Fire Department. "I don't care what anyone says about the benefits of our business, or their contributions, it's not going to make an impact on the community."

Touted as the most important piece of technology in the nation today, the ad shows Verizon's efforts to create a more connected, more resilient and more efficient emergency response.

"In this case, Verizon's work is more important than ever," said Jay E. Horsley, chief executive officer of Santa Clara County Firefighters.

In the ad, Verizon says firefighters are the "most important people in the world" and its innovations, which improve the public's safety, have saved lives. The ad is based on data from the Santa Clara County Fire Department in California, where the fire has become a wildfire hot spot.

"We have worked with many partners to put together this ad," said Verizon spokesman Peter Gans. "There's no doubt that it's one of our most unique and influential pieces of technology."

Eagle-eyed observers found the ad's description of the fire to be very misleading.

"We're going to be using a lot of our technology in this ad, but we're going to have a lot more data on the situation when it comes to getting people out of the fire," said Steve Sussman, spokeswoman for the Santa Clara County Fire Department.

The Santa Clara County Fire Department declined to comment on the ad.

The Santa Clara County Fire Department does not have a firefighting agency and has been in the firefighting business for nearly 40 years. Although a fire can be a serious public health emergency, most firefighting efforts are conducted by a state-appointed firefighter association. The Santa Clara County Fire Department is an independent federal agency and has no authority over the Santa Clara County Fire Department.

In an interview with The Seattle Times, Verizon spokeswoman Kelly Griesh said that the company has always been committed to public safety and is committed to creating a new and unique safety standard. "We're not saying that, but we've been doing this for decades," she said.

The ad also is targeted at the Los Angeles County Fire Department, which has the nation's most powerful firefighting and policing agency. Santa Clara County Supervisor Eric Garcetti said the ad highlights the need for community engagement.