OREGON — The state is cutting ties with the head of Oregon’s amateur radio service, Vince Van Der Hyde.

The cut comes after he asked volunteers not to take part in a recent emergency drill — because of bad equipment and control issues.

When Oregon suffers a major earthquake, cell phones, telephone lines and other communication systems may fail — or be overwhelmed. So the state has an agreement with amateur radio enthusiasts to provide a backup system.

That system was scheduled to be tested during a drill last week.

Read more at Oregon Public Broadcasting