Modern life is more dependent upon communication than ever before. We expect our computers and cell phones to keep us all connected, all the time, wherever we are. But what happens when a natural disaster throws us all back to a time before telephones and the Internet? How will governments, hospitals, and other emergency managers communicate with each other and with the public, when getting the right information out is most important?

That's where the Prince George's County Amateur Radio Emergency Service stands ready.

ARES installs amateur radio equipment in the region's hospitals, health departments and extended care facilities, and staffs them with local amateur radio operators who volunteer to help in the case of an emergency that damages regular lines of communication that depend on a sound infrastructure.

"They hate to admit that all these high-tech, high-cost systems can break down," said Prince George's County Emergency Coordinator Jim Montgomery of Brandywine. "When the lights go off, we won't miss a beat."