Hurricane Wilma Restorations Oct 2005 - Southeastern Communication Service, Inc. (SECS) technicians and mechanical specialists were dispatched to key communication centers even as hurricane Wilma continued to wreak its destructive forces on southern Florida. Says Tony Ankersmit, SECS Vice President of Technical Operations, “Our people were alerted and mobilized within hours of receiving information about damage to communications likely to be caused by the hurricane.” Among systems restored on an urgent priority basis was the Florida Department of Transportation’s microwave path that follows Alligator Alley across the southern Florida peninsula. SECS personnel were immediately deployed to repair links in the communications system without which continued operations of the vital highway would not be possible. In Palm Beach County, the sheriff’s office network system was knocked completely out of commission making responses to emergencies all but impossible. SECS technicians were on the scene within hours working on restoration of the emergency communication system. Wireless operations at multiple cellular sites were also quickly repaired. Three Palm Beach County School District microwave towers felled by the storm were removed and with their restoration, the system will shortly be back in full operation.