After serving the Lake of the Ozarks area in the emergency management, communications, and fire department fields since 2016, Samantha Dale Vaughn decided to start a business to help bridge tremendous gaps in those areas/specialties.
Samantha began her work in emergency services in Missouri as a Public Information Officer for Warsaw Fire Protection District in Warsaw, MO. She also began her efforts in emergency communications through the Benton County Amateur Radio Emergency Service, securing her amateur radio call sign, KE0LMY, and soon advanced to a General Class ham. She served for two years as the Emergency Coordinator in the Benton County ARES, where she was recruited into the world of Emergency Management by then Benton County Emergency Management Director Mark Richerson, serving as his Deputy Director from February 2018 through July 2021.
During this time, Samantha got involved with the Missouri Emergency Management Association and was one of the founding members of the Missouri CERT Association, and became the Public Information Officer for both!
She soon transitioned over to Deputy Director of Camden County Emergency Management Agency from July 2020 through August 2021. She was appointed Director of Emergency Management for Camden County EMA from August 2021 through January 2025, when she decided to begin her new business to pursue her own dreams to help build bridges in the emergency services sector, bringing much needed training opportunities to agencies that may not have access to such.
Using the tremendous and ever-growing knowledge-base she has developed over almost a decade of service, both via certifications and boots-on-the-ground experience, she will work to help coordinated efforts to improve emergency services, mutual aid, communications, and more in the lake area!
*Special thanks from Samantha to the following people:
Nicholas Tietsort – “You should just start your own business.”
Jasper Cason – Samantha’s kiddo who came up with the “ICS isn’t the Incident Command System; it’s I Call Sam!”
James Vaughn – “Go for it.”
Joan Dale – “You can do it!” and also for her excellent input on many of the new slideshows and presentations!
Christopher Blomgren – For all of the love and support as soon as you heard I was making a go of it! (Christopher owns and operates Disaster Prep Solutions LLC)
Tina Brown – Likewise, your support has been amazing!
Mikey Vaughn – For all of his input including his choice for our official launch date of April 4 “Because Sam’s favorite number is 4!”
icallsamllc.com 