Government Emergency Telecommunications Service & Wireless Priority Service
Government Emergency Telecommunications Service & Wireless Priority Service
Government Emergency Telecommunications Service is an emergency communications service designed to be used when National Security and Emergency Preparedness personnel are unable to complete emergency calls through their regular telecommunications means. GETS uses a calling card to provide federal, state, local government and industry NS/EP users with a higher probability of call completion during periods of natural or man-made disasters or emergencies that cause congestion or network outages. GETS features are implemented as software enhancements to the telephone switches throughout the Public Switched Network.
GETS access control is accomplished through the use of Personal Identification Numbers to ensure only authorized users gain access to GETS features and protect against fraud.
Wireless Priority Service allows authorized National Security/Emergency Preparedness personnel to initiate calls during an emergency when cellular networks may be congested. During emergencies, cellular providers can experience congestion in their networks, severely curtailing the ability to use cellular services. To facilitate completion of critical calls during these high usage events, WPS gives authorized NS/EP personnel priority cellular access before subscribers who do not have WPS. WPS will not preempt calls in progress and does not guarantee call completion.
WPS gives authorized NS/EP personnel priority access to available cellular resources during emergency situations. In addition, WPS is complementary to, and can be used in conjunction with, the Government Emergency Telecommunications Service card. This ensures a high probability of call completion in both the landline and cellular portions of the Public Switched Network. Not all wireless providers currently offer the WPS feature. If the agency's current wireless provider does not offer the WPS feature, the agency must be willing to cancel service with the provider and establish service with a vendor who does offer the feature.
Agency Telecommunications Coordinators must request WPS on a GETS/WPS Request Form 26. Fill out the sections which pertain to WPS and email the form to one of the names listed below.
Customer Service
- Voice Orders, 225.342.7720
- Rebecca Morvant, 225.219.5542
GETS: There is no one time or monthly recurring charge for GETS. GETS calls are billed at a rate of $0.10 or $0.74 per minute (depending on the carrier) for calls within the US and its territories, Canada, and most of the Caribbean. International and operator-assisted calls are billed at commercial rates. GETS usage will be billed on the OTS/NS bill and supporting documentation will be mailed to users.
Actual cost plus 3%. A Support Service fee of 0.5% shall be applied to the monthly cost of this service.
Certified Mail Return Receipt
- $1.85 Return Receipt
- $2.40 Certification
- Postage determined by the size of the package
WPS: Costs may vary by cellular provider, but they are limited to a maximum of:
- $10.00 one time activation fee
- $4.50 per month service fee
- $0.75 per minute for WPS (*272) calls
WPS charges are in addition to the basic calling plan. Applicable charges will be billed on the agency's cellular services bill.
GETS: To be eligible for GETS, an organization must have requirements for emergency telephone services and qualify as a part of the NS/EP community, defined by the National Communications System as governmental or non-governmental organizations that directly support at least one of the following:
- National Security Leadership
- National Security Posture and Population Warning
- Public Health, Safety, and the Maintenance of Law and Order
- Public Welfare and Maintenance of the National Economic Posture
- Disaster Recovery
Agency telecommunications coordinators must request GETS cards on GETS/WPS Request Form 26. Fill out the sections which pertain to the GETS card request and email the form to one of the OTS contact names listed above.
GETS cards will be mailed to users outside the Baton Rouge area by Certified Mail Return Receipt. Users in the Baton Rouge area may pick up and sign for GETS cards at:
Office of Technology Services Network Services
Galvez Building, 602 North Fifth Street
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
To do this, the user should make an appointment with one of the OTS contacts listed above to pick up the card at OTS. Otherwise, the card will be mailed to the agency by Certified Mail Return Receipt. The GETS card is sent to the addressee with a return receipt card attached. Either the addressee or an agent must sign for the item within three days or the item will be returned to OTS. The cost of the Certified Mail Return Receipt will be passed to the agency via the OTS/NS bill.
WPS: Key federal, state, and local government personnel who service in NS/EP leadership positions are eligible for WPS. The following criteria have been established to identify critical NS/EP leadership functions, and determine WPS eligibility.
- Executive Leadership and Policy Makers
- Disaster Response/Military Command Control
- Public Health, Safety, and Law Enforcement Command
- Public Services/Utilities and Public Welfare
- Disaster Recovery
