Emergency disconnect [View All]

[Rose Siding]

Many lawmakers will not be able to communicate with other government officials if another major terrorist attack occurs in the United States because they lack access to a White House-directed emergency phone service.

The Government Emergency Telecommunications Service (GETS) gives users priority telephone access to approved public and private-sector officials, aiming to facilitate communication during national emergencies and security events.

GETS acts like a calling card. Approved users call a 710-prefix number and punch in their assigned identification numbers, and the calls are patched through.
...
Shown a printout of a mock GETS card from a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) website, most House and Senate lawmakers said they did not have a card and had never heard of it. The Hill asked 41 lawmakers, and only 15 said they had a card.
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While legislators would be scrambling to find open lines during a national emergency, the calls of lobbyists who do have GETS cards would connect.

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http://www.hillnews.com/thehill/export/TheHill/News/Frontpage/040606/news1.html