Email from the Business Emergency Operations Center (BEOC) for coordinated operations in WNC:

Thank you for contacting the Business Emergency Operations Center (BEOC) at the North Carolina Division of Emergency Management (NCEM). This inbox is monitored by the BEOC staff between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. (Monday-Friday), and inquiries/requests are handled in the order they are received.

PLEASE READ THE ENTIRETY OF THIS EMAIL TO IDENTIFY YOUR BEST NEXT STEP(S).

The State of North Carolina, in coordination with local municipalities and counties, are advising the public to restrain from traveling into the affected region (Western NC) at this time. Current guidance from NCDOT is as follows: "Travel in Western NC is limited to local and hurricane response traffic." If you are traveling into the impacted region with a partner VOAD organization with a valid mission (mission code), you do not need approval from this office for routing/access.

Donations, Volunteers, and Travel into Western NC

Groups, individuals, relief supplies, apparatus, and equipment should have ALL of the following:

A verified HOST recipient/organization within the affected region.

You have maintained regular communications with the host organization.

There are expressed needs by the host organization, and can directly accept and utilize your supplies/offerings.

Confirmed local routes and fuel plan to ensure that you can arrive safely, refuel, and disembark in a safe manner.

A plan for meals, medical, and other resources needed to sustain your group while you are in the area supporting the HOST.

Your participation in host operations will not hinder existing first responder rescue and search operations.

A clear UNDERSTANDING that travel into and within Western NC is strongly advised against by NCDOT. There exist live/energized electrical lines, communications lines, unburied temporary utilities/comms, and other serious hazards within, across, and/or on the shoulders of roadways providing essential resources to affected communities that must not be disturbed. There are also numerous secondary, tertiary, and private maintained roadways still uncleared, including bridges with no known safety status.

Don't have a Host VOAD Partner in Western NC?

Currently, many of our partners, to include Team Rubicon, Food Bank of Eastern and Central North Carolina, Red-Cross, United Way, Hearts with Hands, Samaritan's Purse, Baptists on Mission, and numerous others are accepting supplies and coordinating approved deliveries between the source agencies/organizations and the destination host organization(s) in the affected region. Please visit https://www.ncvoad.org/members/ to find a list of partner organizations and contact them to indicate your service and/or to coordinate your movement of goods and donations to an approved host location within Western NC.

Volunteering - https://www.nc.gov/.../volunteer-opportunities/volunteernc

If you are an unaffiliated volunteer and are interested in volunteering your time, equipment, and/or commodities and are traveling into the area, we thank you for your support and encourage you to connect with an existing VOAD partner organization to ensure successful coordination, delivery, and to avoid stockpiles of supplies where they are not needed. Please avoid collecting supplies without validating its need from an organization who needs them. https://www.ncdps.gov/how-to-donate

Search and Rescue

The state of North Carolina has dedicated Search and Rescue organizations at the local, county, and state levels. In order to deploy for Search and Rescue operations you will need to be a member of one of those teams — you will not be allowed to self-deploy. Learn more here: https://www.ncdps.gov/.../em.../em-resources/search-rescue

Businesses Seeking State Contracts

If you are a business interested in contract work, please visit https://eprocurement.nc.gov/ and work through the NC electronic vendor portal. The BEOC does not award nor manage contracts with vendors and/or private sector partners.

NEW Corporate and Business Services/Resource Donations and Loaners (not for pay or contract)

If you are a business with an offer for donation for the State to utilize for asset requests from the impacted region, thank you, please go to the link below and complete the form. https://forms.juvare.com/NCSPARTA-BEOC_Inventory

Existing State Business EOC Private Sector Partners

If you are an existing BEOC private sector partner with WebEOC access, please continue to utilize WebEOC to enter your available assets and donation allocations, and we will utilize this information to satisfy resource requests as they are posted.

The BEOC coordinates business donations, personnel, equipment, and assets for verified private sector partners with active disaster response and recovery missions in North Carolina. The Office of Partnership Engagement does not grant permissions or authorization for travel beyond the scope of managing the Disaster Vendor Re-Entry Program for private sector businesses.

Thank you for your inquiry and support for the residents of North Carolina.

iPhones 14 and later can call via satellite: https://www.google.com/search?q=iphone+can+message+via+satellite&mstk=AUtExfALDauxjeC8oItb3GSkgFMlQUiE0Y6IKiqfLkHsvQnw-y3CcH4IfegM7FGwRU3dekGnx-Y_2TLIGU5-J9Mg4sD8EHPD2WCWcn9ZXV9OIgX7YsUcN0DpoFJ6biYIZ_RwMe-xLLTA5d0dwG5_159JKNGHUCP9sWiV30GRhUSpFxfkUR7-yRLxHwPF7sHMaG4PLg3dq2Z1kIfzBbE0SR2zlWTNcbpXADQPYL-hETG4tju9g9MFy18TQyDCsZTI30bbDeeNGemYS2hNISc77JjFomtBzpfo2yd6lLMIFJJscqotpDZpdI6FpgNQKJgVA7wTgA&csuir=3

Yes, iPhones 14 and later can send messages via satellite when there is no cellular or Wi-Fi coverage: [1, 2, 3]

Availability

Messages via satellite is available in the U.S. and Canada. [1, 3]

Requirements

To use Messages via satellite, you need: [1]

• An iPhone 14 or later with iOS 18 or later [1, 4]

• An active SIM [1]

• To be outside with a clear view of the sky and horizon [3]

• To turn on iMessage before going outside of cellular and Wi-Fi coverage [1]

• For SMS messaging, your carrier must support it [1]

Features

You can send and receive texts, emojis, and Tapbacks over iMessage and SMS. iMessages are end-to-end encrypted. [3]

When not to use

Messages via satellite shouldn't be used in emergencies. Instead, use Emergency SOS via satellite to text emergency services. [3]

Cost

Messages via satellite is free for two years after activating an iPhone 14 or later. [3]

Generative AI is experimental.

[1] https://support.apple.com/en-us/120930

[2] https://support.apple.com/en-us/105097

[3] https://support.apple.com/en-za/120930

[4] https://support.apple.com/en-us/101573

(Credit: TikTok @megsnbacn video 5:51 min mark, unknown man: https://www.tiktok.com/@megsnbacn/video/7422528843581394222?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7423267213467797034)