A PUBLIC WORLDWIDE EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS CENTER IS LAUNCHED

E-COMM Links Amateur Radio Operators and The Internet For The First Public
Worldwide Emergency Communications Center

(LAKEWOOD, CO USA) January, 28, 1995--Plans for the world's first public
emergency communications center have been launched by long-time amateur
radio operator, John Hart, N0OCF.

The short name for the communications center is E-COMM, and its purpose is
to link amateur radio operators worldwide with the Internet, to expedite
emergency communications between disaster victims and their family and
friends.

Mr. Hart, who has been an amateur radio operator for 38 years, has launched
the nonprofit organization, E-COMM, Inc., to fund the construction of the
Colorado facility. "The concept of E-COMM is simple: if you are in a city
where disaster strikes, or you are experiencing an individual emergency,
E-COMM's network of radio operators and Internet volunteers will pass a
health and welfare message to your family and friends, wherever they
reside, even if phones are down and power is out in your city and in
Colorado," Mr. Hart said.

Getting your emergency message to E-COMM is accomplished via amateur radio
operators worldwide, who are already generally organized in the Amateur
Radio Emergency Service (ARES). E-COMM will form a strategic alliance with
those operators and ARES groups who volunteer to participate and they will
be listed in individual city directories that travelers, residents,
missionaries, and others, can download from E-COMM's ftp server. According
to Mr. Hart, "when a disaster strikes, or an individual has an emergency,
either call one of the amateur radio operators listed in our city
directories, or if the phone lines are down, go directly to the operator's
home, or ARES central location."

To make emergency communications work faster and more reliable, E-COMM is
requesting that before traveling out-of-country, or out- of-state, you
register the names and contact information of family and friends. In
addition, E-COMM will ask Internet users worldwide to volunteer as I-CALL
sites--Internet Caller Location sites--that will receive emergency
messages addressed for a family or friend in their city.

E-COMM will have a large communication facility constructed in Lakewood,
Colorado. It will include high-frequency transceivers, very high frequency
transceivers, satellite communications, packet communications, and of
course an email server, an ftp server, and a WWW server, all connected via
a T-1 to the Internet.

The WWW server will have a WEB News Page that will feature the latest
information on emergencies taking place worldwide, as reported by amateur
radio operators on the scene. Anyone can log on and download the latest
news.

The ftp server will allow anyone to download city directories of amateur
radio operators, and files pertaining to E-COMM.

The email server will act as the centerpiece in the concept, delivering
automated and human-assisted message updates to all registered family and
friends, as well as message bulletins.

Inbound traffic will come mainly from worldwide amateur radio operators,
using wireless communications methods, such as packet and high-frequency
radio. Outbound messages will be delivered via the E-COMM email server on
a T-1 connection to the I-CALL sites, or via telephone to the family.

"When we are finished building it, the link between the Amateur Radio
Emergency Service--the most valuable public wireless communication
resource in the world--will have been made with the Internet, as well as
other online services, and near-instant communications to family and
friends will have been established," Mr. Hart said.

"The problem with amateur radio's public service effort currently is
two-fold: 1) there is no powerful, full-time dedicated radio facility
linked to the Internet and, 2) disaster victims only have a vague idea of
where to go to get an emergency message out," Mr. Hart explained. "E-COMM
will assist ARES on many levels," he added, including city-by-city lists
of all participating ARES organizations, and help in publicizing the
emergency plans of all ARES groups.

E-COMM will be a 24-hour, 7 day-a-week listening post, staffed by volunteer
amateur radio operators who will be trained in the operation of the
Internet.

E-COMM, Inc. is a nonprofit corporation, presently awaiting Internal
Revenue Service tax-deductible status. E-COMM will be funded by donations
of equipment, cash, labor, and by sales of a private label coffee,
supplied to E-COMM by a third generation coffee grower, and by sales of
T-shirts, coffee mugs, and other items.

To receive a weekly email bulletin on the progress of E-COMM, please send
your email address to jhart@teal.csn.net with a request in the subject or
message to receive E-COMM BULLETIN.

Internet users who wish to become an authorized I-CALL site should send a
request for an I-CALL APPLICATION, to jhart@teal.csn.net.

For more information, please contact:

John Hart, founder
767 South Xenon Court, Suite 117
Lakewood, CO 80228
Voice: 303-987-3246
Fax: 303-987-3246
Internet: jhart@teal.csn.net
CompuServe: John Hart 71044,2446
America Online: fyihart

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