Today, emergency workers have a plethora of communications tools at their disposal, but we must not forget one of the most critical tools — the Government Emergency Telecommunications Service, or GETS.

Although there are backup systems in place, many things can disrupt communication channels, leading to congestion on the public telephone network. During an emergency, this congestion often forces emergency personnel and government officials to compete with the public for the same overtaxed communication channels and resources. GETS helps national security and emergency response personnel during crises get phone calls through when mainstream and emergency telecommunications systems fail.

The program is designed to provide 90 percent call completion rates when call volume is eight times greater than normal capacity. In actual emergencies, GETS has consistently met or exceeded this completion rate.