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Rex Systems finding ways to make life safer for soldiers and civilians
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Thomas Guelzow, president of Rex Systems Inc., shows new equipment being developed by the Lake Hallie company. The technology will allow command centers to track the locations of firefighters at fire scenes. It is the biggest technological advance for First Responders since self-contained breathing apparatus.
Photo by Mark Gunderman
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By Katie McKy - Published Sept 2007
When terrorists struck the World Trade Center’s twin towers on Sept. 11, 2001, killing about 3,000 people, the only people trained and equipped to react to the civilian structures were firefighters, police officers and other rescue workers.
Another 346 rescue workers died that day, despite their protective gear. The smoke, noise and chaos impeded them, but they were also handicapped because their supervisors couldn’t always pinpoint their location.
Something is being done about that and, surprisingly, it’s being done in the Chippewa Valley.
Rex Systems Inc. in Lake Hallie employs 52 people, which puts it on the wee side as defense contractors and research and development firms go. But this also proves the adage that big things come in small packages, for Rex Systems is developing revolutionary lifesaving devices.
For example, one of its R&D projects is the First Responder Communication Tracking System, which allows a person to track individuals within structures without the aid of GPS.
“The events of 9/11 regrettably identified the limitations of current first responder technology,” said Thomas Guelzow II, 37, president of Rex Systems.
This tracking system will be the first technological advance delivered to first responders in decades. Technology isn’t always a series of quantum leaps, much less a series of steady steps. Sometimes technology stalls. But the FRCTS is projected to be a giant step forward.
“To put it in perspective, the last technological breakthrough for the first responders was the self-contained breathing apparatus,” Guelzow said.
“Our prototype unit will provide an infinite commander with three-dimensional reference points of individual first responders. It will set up a wireless network for the transmission of data.”
A commander’s ability to lead is impaired by not knowing where one’s people are. The quality of decisions hinge on the quality of the data. FRCTS will boost the quality of the data.
Rex Systems is also working with the U.S. Army to expand and enhance the quality of data that pertains to danger.
Hundreds of years ago, the primary threats to soldiers came from steel and stone. Threats are much more insidious and subtle now, and one can’t take countermeasures if one isn’t aware of what’s out there.
This led to the development of the Smart Marker, a rolling, armored laboratory. It takes soil, water and air samples to detect the presence of chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive threats. Perhaps even more impressive is the portable version, which allows a foot soldier to mark (identify) such threats as Improvised Explosive Devices.
“We’ve demonstrated it at several Army facilities and soldiers just back from Iraq have grabbed it and said, ‘We need this now. It’s a lifesaver,’ ” Guelzow said,
Information can save lives. In a global economy, where products pass through multiple countries, many lacking checkpoints, the opportunities for sabotage increase due to insufficient information. Thus, Rex Systems is also developing the Soldier Sensor.
“Our program is part of a larger framework of research and development aimed at providing the military with state-of-the art logistics inventory control,” Guelzow said. “This will be an 18-month effort and we’re currently nine months into it. The overall goal is to maintain shipping container integrity and position accuracy.
“The Army wants Wal-Mart’s capabilities of tracking and acquiring every type of material across the globe. They want to be able to track the containers, find them, and tell you what’s in there.
“Our part is the security concerns. Has a container been opened? Is there a chemical concern? We’re developing a suite of sensors designed to protect soldiers. These sensors will determine tampering.”
Rex Systems wasn’t always involved in research and development. Rather, R&D is a new development.
“The company has a long history in legacy manufacturing,” said Guelzow. “There are existing military systems out there that need to be repaired, refurbished or even manufactured. We get an order to manufacture a new part, a new assembly, or even complete systems. The technology might be 20 years old. Even though it might be dated, there are a lot of challenges inherent in maintaining the data integrity and quality control. There are very few manufacturers that have that level of expertise.”
Five years ago, Rex Systems decided to expand into pure research and development.
“This decision was based on the Chippewa Valley being the Silicon Valley of the Midwest with a large pool of highly skilled engineers,” Guelzow said. “Over the last five years we’ve expanded the R&D facility from two engineers to 15, covering the gamut of engineering, from mechanical to software.”
Rex Systems employees also cover the gamut of mindsets, from the bulldog tenacity that R&D demands to the pride of handing a life-saving device to a soldier or firefighter.
“There’s a tremendous amount of pride in knowing you’re not just part of a new mechanism, but your efforts are devoted to life-saving,” Guelzow said.
“We wonder why some of these things haven’t been done before. The ultimate pat on the back comes when a soldier who just returned from Iraq says, ‘You guys are on track. You’re making great stuff,’ or a fire chief from New York City holds up your prototypes.”
It isn’t just faraway firefighters who partner with Rex Systems. The company also works with the Chippewa Falls Fire Department.
“Kurt Fenske is one of our employees,” said Guelzow. “He’s the lead engineer on the FRCTS and he’s participating in the Chippewa Falls firefighting training program. This way, he gets feedback on the development of this program.”
For Rex Systems’ future, its engineers want to fuse its past with its present.
“We want to take the lessons learned in 34 years of manufacturing experience and join them with state-of-the-art R&D,” Guelzow said. “This leads to our newest directive: sustainment engineering. What we’re looking to do is provide a new area of value for the military by applying components specific technology refresh to large-scale military systems versus a much more costly complete system redesign.”
Katie McKy is a freelance writer from Eau Claire. Reach Chippewa Valley Business Report at 715-723-5515 or through www.chippewavalleybusinessreport.com.
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