The idea for Civilian Emergency Response Network came in 1998. My name is Steven Conklin and while building my house by Saratoga Lake, NY the sky grew dark and all hell broke loose. A series of F3 tornadoes swept through neighboring Mechanicville and left a path of destruction for 25 miles through Bennington, VT. I watched the carnage from a hilltop while hundreds of lightning strikes hit, houses were demolished and neighborhoods were erased. t brought back horrible memories of my childhood when a flash flood destroyed my hometown of Elizabethtown. One of my best HS friends, Kevin Doyle was killed and only 15 years old. The flood had caused a bridge to wash out and in the fog they didn't see until it was too late.
Back Story
IWe were the last ones over the bridge returning from a basketball game in our school bus and when we got back to the school heard about the bridge and went looking for survivors. The deafening sounds and power of the water was surreal.. Knowing we were looking for our friend was heartbreaking.
Even though we were only 16 years old, we spent the next few days looking for bodies, and personal items to return to the owners. It was a way to cope with the tragedy. Every time we found a photograph or a personal item the healing became a little easier.
Just like the flood, there is nothing worse than watching and not taking some sort of control. So when I watched hundreds of families lose everything I had to do something. Immediately I called the Sheriff's non-emergency number and asked them what they needed. To my surprise they just advised me to stay home.
I knew that was the wrong answer so I told them that I was going to start clearing one of the main roads into the devastation. I grabbed my chainsaws, tarps, and chains and set off in my truck. I only had a go a few hundred yards and the first tree. After I had cleared the first one, ambulances and fire trucks pulled up trying to respond. We still had 3 miles of debris to clear. Soon we passed a house and a man was standing by the road. When I told him what I was doing he told me he could put a plow on his truck and push the trees out of the way after we cut both ends. We made quicker process and within an hour we had the road open. Behind us was a line of first responders, utility workers and medical personnel. At that point, as we took a break, I was telling the crew of volunteers that had turned into about 15 that there should be a volunteer network to help when the disaster is simply too big for the community to handle.
That is where the idea died. We all agreed and then life got in the way. Over the years I did helicopter rescues during the flood of Schoharie, flew supplies to remote locations after the hurricane in Puerto Rico, and Key West. Once again I was dismayed that there still wasn't an organized group of volunteers. We were about to fly supplies from Pembroke Pines, Florida to Key West after the 2017 Hurricane Irma when a dozen cars came to greet us. They were wonderful, kind, thoughtful families that were dropping off pans of lasagna and food for KW. Trouble is there was no electricity and everyone in KW was eating the food from their freezers. The last thing they needed was more. Once again there were wonderful volunteers, however no structure.
I had waited 30 years for someone else to organize volunteers by skill set and assets and knew it was time. As I am technologically challenged I recruited Brett Gordon to handle the logistics of bringing this to life and here we are. I hope that no one needs this service, and this Labor of Love will all be for naught. However, we all know that it isn't a matter of 'if', but 'when and where'. So if we can save one life, one home, one memory it will all be worth it. Thank you for being a part.
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Major Severe Thunderstorm and Tornado Outbreak, Sunday May 31, 1998
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