Original Article appeared in the Washington Post and is referenced on this page. It was dated Sept 1, 2005. Communications Networks Fail Disaster Area Residents - 09/01/05

Dennis Vernacckia wrote the following Letter to The Editor Of the Washington Post, Printed in todays' edition, Page A-21 (Unknown Date).

As an amateur radio operator in San Diego,I applaud Arshad Mohammed and Jonathan Krim for metioning my colleages'efforts to help provide emergency communications in the Gulf Coast states [Communications Networks fail Disaster area Residents, Business Sept 1]

But in the last two paragraphs of the article former FCC chairman Reed Hundt was quoted as saying that the scale of the damage would make repairs difficult , adding that they always discover the same thing. We need a National Emergency Communications Network and we don't have one.

There is a National Emergency Communications Network in place and it works very well.

It is also licensed by the FCC. It's called the Amateur Radio Emergency Service and the American Radio Relay League in Newington, Connecticut., can provide information to anyone about this FREE 24 hour service.