As told by Harris Broadcast Communications Division’s Hal Kneller, manager of National Public Radio Initiatives

After Hurricane Katrina, there were no radio stations left on the air in Hancock County, Mississippi, which is northeast of New Orleans. As a result, there was no way to dispense emergency information regarding food supplies, water, ice, and other public safety information to citizens. Unlike New Orleans, this area did not sustain heavy flooding for days and days. However, the radio towers were down and stations couldn't operate.

Mike Zeitfuss from our Government Communications Systems Division (GCSD) had been talking with the Florida Emergency Operations Center (FEOC), which was coordinating all of Florida's hurricane assistance to the Gulf Coast. The FEOC notified Mike that they needed to get radio stations back on the air, but their specific requirements were vague. Mike and I talked on Wednesday, September 7, and we put the wheels in motion beginning about 3:45 p.m. Mike wanted product shipped that night to arrive at the FEOC staging point in Tallahassee, Florida, the next afternoon to meet a military convoy heading down to Hancock County. Obviously, this is not our normal lead time, even in emergency situations!

We were able to turn the Quincy, Illinois, factory on that same afternoon, and they found a Quest 1 kw FM transmitter, which had just been returned from loaner status (we didn't have any new ones ready to ship at that moment). Chuck Miklich and Scott Webster had it tested, retuned, crated and out the door by 7:30 that night. A dedicated truck was dispatched with two drivers (to drive straight through) to get it to its destination in time for the convoy.

Meanwhile we also had to build a studio. Mark Goins and Scott Russell took a list of items I prepared and converted it into reality — microphones, headphones, a mixer, Optimod, wires, cables, etc. The items were pulled from inventory, taken to shipping, and then put on a Fed Ex truck in about an hour's time.

There was one additional wrinkle. We still needed an FM antenna and transmission line. Thanks to John George at Dielectric, we were able to secure an appropriate FM antenna and 200 feet of line and connectors and had them shipped by noon the next day. We also hired a Harris authorized radio contract engineer, Gary Minker, in West Palm Beach, Florida, who has a motor home. He was dispatched to the scene to put all of this together.

Andy Cisar from GCSD helped me track this program all the way through, and we have learned that the station went on the air on Sunday night or Monday morning.

It is gratifying to know that Harris employees across the company can band together very quickly to make the near impossible very possible. By the way, we didn't even know who the customer was or exactly where the equipment was going — we were just told to "get it done."

Addendum from Michael Baranishyn, a systems engineer with GCSD's Homeland Security business unit:

I wanted to pass along the names of a few other people who worked on the ground in Mississippi. I know there are probably others involved as well, but there was a team of GCSD employees who set up the 55-foot portable tower which allowed the radio station to have the studio "remoted" from the EOC. Daryl Campbell, Tim deCordova, Greg Morisette and Bill Kearney are outstanding individuals who ensured the portable tower was ready for the remote capability even before work was completed at the tower in Waveland (one of the extremely damaged areas of lower Mississippi).

There is an entire team in Gulfport that is constantly checking on the station and other Harris assets, and providing support - things as small as finding open stores in Jackson County to buy additional audio cables, headsets and other items needed for the studio. I also know 3500 small transistor radios were handed out throughout the most effected areas of Hancock County, and I think that the Public Information Office of the Hancock EOC coordinated that effort.

On another note, the broadcast sounds great. I was able to listen to 103.5 through all of the lower Hancock county area, where information is desperately needed, and even well into neighboring Harrison County.

The team based in Gulfport is helping every way they can with relief efforts.

<< Back to the Hurricane Katrina Relief Efforts page.

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