Emergency disconnect

[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.
...
While legislators would be scrambling to find open lines during a national emergency, the calls of lobbyists who do have GETS cards would connect.

......MORE.......

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

[NYC]

1. Lobbyists have GETS cards while many congress members

haven't heard of them. Typical.

We really ought to switch to that American flag that has corporate logos instead of stars.

[benburch]

2. That is SICK.

And it makes me ILL.

[xultar]

3. blah blah blah Libby said Dick said Chimpy said leak. :woohoo:

Libby said Dick said Chimpy said leak. :woohoo:

[Rabrrrrrr]

4. But can American Idol voters still get through? That's the real issue.

American IDol voters first, then lobbyists. That's the natural order of things.

[TomInTib]

5. Good grief! Can these guys do ANYTHING right?

From the article:


Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), chairwoman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, said she does not possess such a card.

“They haven’t told me about it,” said Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.). “It would be good to have.”

After saying he doesn’t have a GETS card, Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) asked one of his aides to find out how to secure one.

Rep. John Linder (R-Ga.) remarked that he’s on the House Homeland Security Committee “and I’ve never seen it.”

[The Wielding Truth]

10. Quiz: name any part of government the Republicans did not screw up.

[UpInArms]

6. why would lobbyists have this card when many lawmakers do not?

also from your link:

Lawmakers had major difficulties making calls to their district offices on Sept. 11, 2001. Then-Rep. Porter Goss (R-Fla.), who was chairman of the House Intelligence Committee at the time, experienced major problems communicating with Central Intelligence Agency officials.

Nearly a year later, House Chief Administrative Officer James Eagen testified to Congress that GETS cards had been delivered to all members. But despite that assertion, dozens — if not hundreds — of legislators do not have GETS cards in their wallets.

[Rose Siding]

8. The *excuse* is that it's a "multilayered" system but that doesn't wash-

snip>
Jon Brandt, spokesman for the Administration Committee, said GETS is part of a “multilayered and redundant communications system,” explaining that there are many ways for members to communicate during an emergency, including cell phones, BlackBerrys and other devices he refused to reveal.

Lawmakers, however, said their cell phones and BlackBerrys were of little use after the 2001 attacks.

[Atman]

7. I am sure the 14 who have the cards all have offices very close to Dick's

Oh, and that other guy, "W"hatsisname.

[seafan]

9. Yep, our shadow government at work. n/t

[lovuian]

11. Getting ready for a major disaster here

sure looks like the Congressmnen our on the lower end ot the hierarchy...

[merwin]

12. If you have a cell phone, the provider can provision it for you, provided

that you are a government official that actually deserves one :-) You have to be pretty high up in the company to even provision it on an account.