Paul Helmke says he could have used SentryPoints' command-and-control system when an abandoned Bowser Avenue warehouse caught fire with a half a million tires inside, causing 600 nearby residents to evacuate their homes.

"We had tons of (firefighters). Tons of police and state environmental management... and one of the problems was 'who's in charge,' " he recalled.

It was Labor Day weekend 1997, and Helmke quickly returned to Fort Wayne from the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Festival to coordinate the emergency response. Before it was over, he had joined city workers in going door to door to make sure everyone endangered had made it to safety.

"We did it well, but we would have done it better if we had had this (command-control-system) set up ahead of time," he said.

Supervising such an emergency situation is a lot like trying to coordinate troops in a combat zone. With SentryPoints, Don Willis is trying to replicate his success in developing that problem in military situations, but this time for local governments.

SentryPoints announced last week Helmke has joined as its chairman. The business is part of FourthWave, a company Willis started in Fort Wayne last year, which employs 10.

Local entrepreneur Willis started FourthWave a year after he sold Command Systems to General Dynamics. What is now a General Dynamics operation here develops communications, situation awareness, and command-and-control software for the military. The software applies Internet technology to command communications and continually updates data on the location, condition and resources of friendly and enemy forces.

Willis stared FourthWave to produce a version of the software for civilian emergency services. Other parts of the company will develop other nonmilitary systems, establish an investment group for technology startup companies and provide consulting services.

Helmke comes to SentryPoints after having served as its counsel last year. In October, he helped its president and chief executive officer, Tom Teague, with a presentation before a U.S. Conference of Mayors Fall Leadership Meeting in Miami.

Teague was chief of staff under Mayor Graham Richard, a Democrat, and Helmke, a Republican, is a former president of the conference and board member for the National League of Cities.

Helmke said cities everywhere face many of the same problems when it comes to homeland security, including the nearly universal challenge of limited funds. "But they are spending on homeland security... there are things you can do."

Teague and Helmke demonstrated the command-and-control software to Fort Wayne in December and plan to hold regional workshops around the nation to show its flexibility, ease of use and compatibility with existing systems.

SentryPoints also sells software to automate terrorist threat assessment for important buildings and sites.

The assessments point out vulnerabilities at sites such as power plants, municipal buildings, water filtrations plants ands places where people congregate.

The locations are scored on criteria terrorists might use for target selection, such as visibility, potential for death and destruction, and the number of people who could be affected by a successful attack.

SentryPoints is discussing such an assessment with the city of Fort Wayne, Teague said.

The company also recommends steps to improve security, such as lock and fence upgrades, security camera installation and improved mail handling.

And, it is helping U.S. cities seek a share of federal funds for homeland security by tracking the use of funds sent for that purpose to the 50 states.

A survey of cities the company conducted last year showed they were getting very little of the federal funds states have received for homeland security.

The day after SentryPoints released its findings, President Bush said his administration would work with the states to see that they share more of the money with cities, Helmke said.

The company will conduct a follow-up survey to see how the cities are doing with homeland security funding before the U.S. Conference of Mayors meets in June.

Helmke will continue his private law practice, but devote about 75 percent of his work time to the new responsibilities.

In addition to SentryPoints, FourthWave has started MetroMetrics, to supply customer relations management software designed for government agencies, and VersiTech, which supplies risk analysis and management software designed for universities.

Jim Johnston, former president for National City Bank in Fort Wayne, was hired last week to head MetroMetrics.

FourthWave announced last month it had hired Karen Goldner, Fort Wayne's former economic development director, to create its adventure Fund and serve as director of special projects.