By Danny Straessle, KE5WLR - Arkansas District A Public Information Officer
Entering its fourth decade of providing community service and emergency communications, Arkansas Weather Net, Inc. (aka Arkansas SKYWARN®) has named Greg Staton, K5GSS, as the organization’s president. He is preceded by outgoing President Pat Dixon, N5ZSN, who served for the last three years.
Staton is on-call 24/7 with the National Weather Service Little Rock Forecast Office, which activates SKYWARN® at its discretion whenever weather may be severe enough to threaten its 45-county warning area. An updated Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) among Arkansas SKYWARN®, the National Weather Service, and the Central Arkansas Radio Emergency Net (CAREN Club) has been signed and will serve as the framework for volunteer Amateur Radio operators to coordinate their services, facilities and equipment with the National Weather Service in support of the state of Arkansas and local governments for early warning of emergency weather information and emergency communications.
Showing posts with label skywarn. Show all posts
Showing posts with label skywarn. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Monday, October 26, 2009
State-wide Skywarn Class: Hams team-up with Department of Health
By Joshua Carroll, N5JLC - Arkansas Section Asst Public Information Coordinator
Several clubs around Arkansas have teamed together with the Arkansas Department of Health, the National Weather Service, the Arkansas Hospital Association, several media outlets, and numerous hospitals to present a state-wide Skywarn Weather Spotter's class. The class will occur on November 2 at 6 pm and will be broadcasted from the Arkansas Department of Health in Little Rock over thier video-teleconference network to hospitals all over the state.
Most Skywarn Weather Spotters are Ham radio operators, but that is not a requirement for the program; one must only have access to a reliable form of communications.
Several clubs around Arkansas have teamed together with the Arkansas Department of Health, the National Weather Service, the Arkansas Hospital Association, several media outlets, and numerous hospitals to present a state-wide Skywarn Weather Spotter's class. The class will occur on November 2 at 6 pm and will be broadcasted from the Arkansas Department of Health in Little Rock over thier video-teleconference network to hospitals all over the state.
Most Skywarn Weather Spotters are Ham radio operators, but that is not a requirement for the program; one must only have access to a reliable form of communications.
Monday, December 29, 2008
Arkansas "Hams" Include the Internet in their Emergency Communications Plan
By Joshua Carroll, N5JLC - Arkansas Section Asst Public Information Coordinator
Amateur Radio operators are used to providing weather observations over the airwaves during severe weather. But one group in Arkansas has incorporated the Internet to help spread important and possibly life-saving information.
The Central Arkansas Ultra-High Frequency Group (www.cauhf.org) is using a new tool called "Warn I.M." to share information in real-time with officials at the National Weather Service, local governments and the media. The tool allows Skywarn certified weather spotters to submit weather observations and gives them access to a map of the state showing the latest radar imagery from the National Weather Service. The application also plots each of the participants on the map, allowing officials to see where their assets in the field are located.
The "Warn I.M." had its first test when a line of storms reaching from the Gulf of Mexico to the Great Lakes swept through Arkansas on Saturday, bringing damaging winds and heavy rain to most of the state. Many individuals logged into the "Warn I.M." including several weather spotters, at least one Chief Meteorologist from a local media outlet, officials from the National Weather Service and the Arkansas Department of Health. During the weather event Ham radio operators were able to relay important information from others into the "Warn I.M.".
John Nordlund (AD5FU), Arkansas Section Emergency Coordinator, said, "As emergency communicators, Ham radio is one of our most valuable tools. But it shouldn't be our only tool."
Amateur Radio operators are used to providing weather observations over the airwaves during severe weather. But one group in Arkansas has incorporated the Internet to help spread important and possibly life-saving information.
The Central Arkansas Ultra-High Frequency Group (www.cauhf.org) is using a new tool called "Warn I.M." to share information in real-time with officials at the National Weather Service, local governments and the media. The tool allows Skywarn certified weather spotters to submit weather observations and gives them access to a map of the state showing the latest radar imagery from the National Weather Service. The application also plots each of the participants on the map, allowing officials to see where their assets in the field are located.
The "Warn I.M." had its first test when a line of storms reaching from the Gulf of Mexico to the Great Lakes swept through Arkansas on Saturday, bringing damaging winds and heavy rain to most of the state. Many individuals logged into the "Warn I.M." including several weather spotters, at least one Chief Meteorologist from a local media outlet, officials from the National Weather Service and the Arkansas Department of Health. During the weather event Ham radio operators were able to relay important information from others into the "Warn I.M.".
John Nordlund (AD5FU), Arkansas Section Emergency Coordinator, said, "As emergency communicators, Ham radio is one of our most valuable tools. But it shouldn't be our only tool."
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