Local team responding to a need

Local trio establishes emergency communication system

In the wake of an earthquake or another natural disaster that could render communications systems across Southeast Missouri helpless, there is now comfort in knowing that a tool exists that would come to life should the worst occur.

In this day of high tech advancement, an idea that now secures communication in the event of an emergency ironically came to be through the simplest of initial measures.

"It's just something we wanted to do," says Larry Thompson of Dexter, who along with two old friends, has formulated the emergency communication system that now stands ready.

Thompson was one on a team who took a mission trip to Joplin following the tornado of May 2011. It was on that trip, he says, that the idea came to him.

"I looked at that destruction and wondered what kind of shape we'd be in if the same happened here," he recalls.

Once home, he embarked on another mission to establish a communication system that would be available should Southeast Missouri ever face challenges similar to those that Joplin experienced.

With each having a military history and a love of ham radio since their teens, Thomson, Bob Gosnell, and Gary Kitchen devised a plan. First, they needed a vehicle. When a 1980 Ford ambulance was posted on Craigslist for sale near Paducah, Ky., Thompson had to have a look. For a mere $2,500, it was his.

"We had a lot to do on the inside, but the outside was in pretty good shape," he recalls.

Indeed, the bright red vehicle looks no worse for its 32-year wear. Under the hood, though, some problems existed early on, and its rubber left a bit to be desired. A trip to Springfield shortly after the vehicle was acquired in June met with ample delays for repairs along the way.

"The tires were a little questionable," Thompson says. "We had two blowouts by the time we reached Poplar Bluff."

Eventually, the three made it to their destination, but not before repairing a bad hose and correcting some other minor issues with the former ambulance.

The Springfield trip was made so that the three could sit in on a review of communication responses following the Joplin tornado. Emergency responders from across the region attended the event. The three Dexter men and their modestly equipped emergency response vehicle joined in for their first official lesson in mass emergency communication. With two computers granted them by the Stoddard County Sheriff's Office, the session provided vital knowledge of how the state's emergency system operates and, as importantly, gave them a host of new contacts within the ranks of emergency personnel. Many have since proven to be invaluable links to their operation.

Additional equipment has been installed since the summer, and through trial and error, all seemed to be working well during a recent trial run. The unit can communicate with all emergency agencies in the area and beyond. On a cool October Saturday morning, the unit was set up with at the Missouri State Veterans Cemetery at Bloomfield in order to take part in a testing session based in Kansas City.

"We just wanted to send some test messages back and forth and see how things are working," explains Kitchen. The session was only the second of its type involving the newly established unit.

A mirage of antennas and cables supports the system and its generator hums along outside the unit, furnishing all power within the former ambulance. As the three joined in on a testing session that included responders from across the Midwest, they quickly established signals, both radio and via computer readouts. There were a few expected glitches that required some rebooting of the computers and repositioning of a receiver, but the trio seemed pleased with their results.

And they should be. With a little cash and a lot of heart, the three have established one of only two such emergency mobile communication units in Region 7, which is comprised of Missouri, Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska.

Some might consider their operation meager, but it has been entirely purchased and equipped through their own funding and a few equipment donations. Their unit is self-contained and with the generator, requires no commercial power to operate.

"We can actually operate off the vehicle's batteries for a short period of time," Thompson says.

"In case we ever have another earthquake like we did in 1812," explains Kitchen, "all electricity will probably be down. Cell phones will no longer work. Landline phones will no longer work, and a vehicle like this one will probably be the only unit that will be able to communicate with the outside world."

While every city has an emergency plan in place, none other in Missouri has the capability to match that of the local MARS unit.

"We're all members of MARS," Gosnell explains, which is the Military Auxiliary Radio System. Basically, we're an auxiliary of the Army."

What that means is that the unit is able to communicate with all the National Guard Units in the state, and the regular U.S. Army if need be. With their history of ham radio operating, the three carry all necessary licensing and certification required for the MARS system.

Through the voluntary efforts of Thompson, Gosell and Kitchen, Stoddard County and beyond can rest a little easier in the knowledge that vital emergency communication will remain an option, should the worst occur -- all because three caring individuals saw a need and followed through with a unique and proven solution.