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Role of the Emergency Manager & Agency for Severe Weather

Role of the Emergency Manager & Agency for Severe Weather. Dan Stahl Administrator Seneca County Department of Public Safety Hazardous Weather Course May 17-19, 2005. NOAA’s National Weather Service. NOAA’s National Weather Service. The Day Begins. Monitor the Weather

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Role of the Emergency Manager & Agency for Severe Weather

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  1. Role of the Emergency Manager& Agency for Severe Weather Dan StahlAdministrator Seneca County Department of Public Safety Hazardous Weather Course May 17-19, 2005 NOAA’s National Weather Service NOAA’s National Weather Service

  2. The Day Begins • Monitor the Weather • Serious, High-Priority EMA job – every day • Any Weather for Any Emergency • Severe Weather possibilities • Multiple reviews of available data • Begins before weather • Spotter activation criteria • Contact with NWS office • Emergency Operations Plan - in place • Checklists – don’t miss procedures, assignments • Relationships with other agencies and providers • Local and Regional weather meetings

  3. The Day Begins • Monitor the Weather • NWS Severe Weather Outlook • Received daily • 1-day outlook • 2-7 day outlook • Zone Forecast • Local weather forecast through media • Other “heads up” on the weather

  4. Good or Severe Weather • Severe Weather is Possible • Your favorite weather source • Check Storm Prediction Center (SPC) Forecast • Check local media for their interpretation • Check NWS Doppler Radar • NWS Cleveland • NWS North Webster • NWS Wilmington

  5. Good or Severe Weather • Severe Weather is Possible (continued) • Monitor local Amateur Radio repeaters • Monitor local Skywarn Net • Monitor regional Skywarn Control Net • Monitor MARCS system for other counties’ weather • West of our area • South of our area • Odd weather situations (unusual frontal activity)

  6. Good or Severe Weather • Severe Weather Monitoring / Warning Resources • Thunder Eagle • Federal receivers • Alpha Pagers • Cell phones • Internet • EAS receiver • NOAA Weather Receiver • Weather Station • Meteorlogix – Storm Sentry

  7. Good or Severe Weather • Severe Weather Monitoring / Warning Resources • EMWIN • RASTRACK messaging • Alpha-paging encoders • Email / Email messaging • Ohio EMA Weather Alerts • Storm Now Alerts • Public safety two-way UHF communications • Amateur Radio • Television

  8. Good or Severe Weather • Severe Weather Monitoring / Warning Resources • AM/FM radio • Scanners • FAX • Phone • MARCS radio system • Reverse 9-1-1 • NW Ohio Skywarn group email • NWS’ eSpotter

  9. Good or Severe Weather • Monitoring / Warning Goal • Provide a “heads up” for our communities • Messaging to public safety agencies • If practical, FAX to • Fire • EMS • Law enforcement • Schools • Hospitals • Government agencies

  10. Good or Severe Weather • Severe Weather Monitoring / Warning Resources • Thunder Eagle • Receives NWSweather messages • Use SAME codes toseparate “our” messages • We broadcast anyTornado Warning orSevere ThunderstormWarning for our countyover a VHF radio frequency • We can send customcounty messages • Activate Federal Receivers

  11. Good or Severe Weather • Severe Weather Monitoring / Warning Resources • Federal receivers • “Black Box” receiveractivated by encodedbroadcast from theThunder Eagle system • We place these inschools, hospitals,businesses, publicbuildings, etc. • We allow Warning-level weather messages • Also receives our customcounty messages

  12. Good or Severe Weather • Severe Weather Monitoring / Warning Resources • Alpha Pagers • Alpha-numeric pagers • Short text messagesvia email • Weather status & warningsfrom subscription service • Weather status & warningsfrom our weather family

  13. Good or Severe Weather • Severe Weather Monitoring / Warning Resources • Cell phones • Some of the same messagesused by alpha-numeric pagers • Voice communications by livecalling or by recorded message • Some phones allow email & web • Some phones now have short-range radios used with othersimilar cell system components

  14. Good or Severe Weather • Severe Weather Monitoring / Warning Resources • Internet • Some of the same emailnotifications used by pagers • Weather websites showingradar, reports, discussion • Emergency websites showingrelief efforts, logistics • Shared data systems toconnect agencies • Instant Messaging – IM’ssuch as Yahoo Messenger,AOL AIM, ICQ

  15. Good or Severe Weather • Severe Weather Monitoring / Warning Resources • Emergency Activation System (EAS) receiver • Encode/Decode ofNWS Weather Alerts • Logging of events on adedicated printer • Local radio stations

  16. Good or Severe Weather • Severe Weather Monitoring / Warning Resources • NOAA Weather Receiver • SAME weather receiversavailable from places likeRadio Shack, Uniden andothers • At EOC we have a radiodedicated to each NOAAweather station in our area –Carey & Castalia • Some radios have the capabilityto send email to pagers andemail accounts

  17. Good or Severe Weather • Severe Weather Monitoring / Warning Resources • Weather Station • Local conditions • Available on Internet • Archive of weather readingsto computer storage drivewww.senecapublicsafety.org • Many types to choose from • Ours is a Peet Bros.

  18. Good or Severe Weather • Severe Weather Monitoring / Warning Resources • Meteorlogix – Storm Sentry • Near real-time data • Satellite feed • New version is web-based • Weather radar, text products • Enhanced data analysis • Looping of data picturesfor review • Automated tasks such asprinting of county-specificwatches and warnings

  19. Good or Severe Weather • Severe Weather Monitoring / Warning Resources • EMWIN • Satellite reception • Send it out overAmateur Radio Packet BBS • We had a computer-generatedvoice read the report onAmateur Radio • Can be logged to a printer

  20. Good or Severe Weather • Severe Weather Monitoring / Warning Resources • RASTRACK messaging • Allows text messages tobe sent to our Public SafetyUHF radio system • Messages can be pre-setor can be custom • Saves air-time, personaltime and is private • Messages can be sent toindividuals or groups • Messages are identifiedby the assigned radiosystem ID’s

  21. Good or Severe Weather • Severe Weather Monitoring / Warning Resources • Alpha-paging encoders • A previous method weused Alphamates • Can still use as a backup

  22. Good or Severe Weather • Severe Weather Monitoring / Warning Resources • Email / Email messaging • Regular email to personnel • Email sent to pagers andcell phones • Email from discussionwebsites such as Yahoo!

  23. Good or Severe Weather • Severe Weather Monitoring / Warning Resources • Ohio EMA Weather Alerts • This is a coordinatedsystem between theOhio EMA and NWS • OEMA receives NWStext product and sends it outto a subscription list of pagers,cell phones and email

  24. Good or Severe Weather • Severe Weather Monitoring / Warning Resources • StormNow Alerts • Customize for your needs • Low cost subscription

  25. Good or Severe Weather • Severe Weather Monitoring / Warning Resources • Public safety two-wayUHF communications • Any channel is availablefor public safety and isredundant several times • We dedicate a commonchannel to severe weatherinformation andcommunications when watchesand warnings are issued • All fire, EMS, law enforcementand public safety can participate • Fire and law spotters

  26. Good or Severe Weather • Severe Weather Monitoring / Warning Resources • Amateur Radio • This is a large resource • This volunteer group ismany times cross-trainedfor service, especiallyemergency communications • They bring their own equipment • They can operate other equipment • They can supplement EOC • They may be independent,Skywarn, Red Cross, Salvation Army,Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES), MARS • They run networks, are spotters, operate from home or onsite

  27. Good or Severe Weather • Severe Weather Monitoring / Warning Resources • Television • Local stations • Weather Channel

  28. Good or Severe Weather • Severe Weather Monitoring / Warning Resources • AM/FM radio • Relationship with yourlocal stations • Public service announcements • Find ways to keep themon the air during emergencies • Emergency power

  29. Good or Severe Weather • Severe Weather Monitoring / Warning Resources • Scanners • Available to the general public • Published Public Safetyfrequencies • Monitor public services asthey respond • Monitor Amateur Radio networks

  30. Good or Severe Weather • Severe Weather Monitoring / Warning Resources • FAX • Announce weather that iscoming soon • Especially slow-arrival,long-range weathersuch as snow • Can be sent to a largegroup by broadcast

  31. Good or Severe Weather • Severe Weather Monitoring / Warning Resources • Phone • Easy to use • Common to high percentage of people • Easy to train users • Both wired and wireless • Many enhancement tools available • Develop calling trees for notification • Need to learn new ways to useor improve this universal resource

  32. Good or Severe Weather • Severe Weather Monitoring / Warning Resources • MARCS Radio System • Another radio path to NWS • Another radio path to other counties • Digital • Some SIMPLEX Analog channels

  33. Good or Severe Weather • Severe Weather Monitoring / Warning Resources • Reverse 9-1-1 • Use telephone infrastructure to callspecific “groups” with any type of message • “Groups” can be of any delineationincluding geographic, service, work-group and more • Message is automated for deliveryby a dedicated network • Includes many other abilities such asverifying receipt of message, replyingto the message, surveys • Extremely versatile • May incur additional costs

  34. Good or Severe Weather • Severe Weather Monitoring / Warning Resources • NW Ohio Skywarn group email (others) • Your local Skywarn groupmay have an onlinediscussion group • Each group’s rules may differ • Usually includes ability tosend notices, email, andInstant Messaging (IM) • If you use some of these onlinegroups for other things, then youcan easily send a request to join • You may need to first subscribeto a group service

  35. Good or Severe Weather • Severe Weather Monitoring / Warning Resources • NWS’ eSpotter • From the National Weather Service • Online weather reporting system • New version • Each NWS office decides to use it • Several offices now online • Users authorized by each office • EMA directors can be given additionalprivileges and review of reports

  36. Are you ready? • Get your resources lined up • Don’t wait until the last minute • Plan for redundancy • Propagate working relationships with responders • Talk to your NWS office regularly

  37. Thank you! • Next up – Severe Weather Plans • How our county operates during severe weather • Getting your severe weather resources in order • Recruiting Volunteers • Interfacing with Skywarn and NWS Thanks for your attention!

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