🚀 go-pugleaf

Michael Nie  <mnie@fuse.net> wrote:

> >Once again, the discussion on who is responsible for Skywarn rears its ugly
> >head.

What a strange question

> NOT ALL SKYWARN SPOTTERS ARE HAM OPERATORS!  

True. Should be true everywhere.

> It's not just in Florida.  Skywarn is a program of, by, and for the National
> Weather Service - everywhere.  Period!  

True legally. And since their the main information source and sink,
in reallity also.  If they didn't accept the reports, it wouldn't be
skywarn.

> doesn't ... make it a program of the ARRL, ARES, or
> RACES, EMA, etc.  (On the other hand, nothing says it can't be, but that is
> discretion of NWS.)  Yes, I'm aware of the MOU between the ARRL and
> NWS.  

Right.  The local NWS WCM can entrust coordination and filtering,
that is to say network management, to whomever.  The ARRL MOU
specifically _allows_ them to entrust it to ARES entities, and
provides groundrules for that.  They can also use any other entity
that exists, or create their own ad hoc or incorporate structure.
If there is an existing survivable network already in place that
spans the right geography, be it REACT, ARES, RACES or EMA, it makes
sense to use it. If there isn't one, it needs to be grown with what
ever players will make it work.

> I also think that well trained amateur radio operators in an efficient
> system are the most effective method of relaying weather info to NWS.  So
> what?  Just because some police officers call in reports doesn't make
> SKYWARN a program of the International Association of Police Chiefs or FOP.
> Our amateur radio operation supports the Wilmington, Ohio NWS office. We
> cover the 21 county area around Cincinnati, Ohio.  We have only the loosest
> affiliation with RACES or ARES, in that most of our members are also
> affiliated with those groups.  We like it that way.  It's very streamlined.

> No politics.  We answer to two people outside of our organization, the
> Warning Coordination Meteorologist, then the Meteorologist in Charge at ILN.

Same here.   Many of our individual coordinators hold ARES or RACES
appointments in parallel with their skywarn appoitments, but everyone
understands that the WCM appoints the single head coordinator and that
the WCM is our Patron.  Our ARRL Section Manager and/or ARES SEC may
_choose_ to _recognize_ the Skywarn Coordinator with a DEC or EC
appointment or not, but he can't replace him, only the NWS WCM could.
If and when we finally burn Rob out, the if the WCM doesn't have an
obvious replacement in mind (he should by then!), he might consult the
ARES leadership, but he's more likely to discuss it with those of us
who regularly attend the Skywarn coordination meetings or send
representatives (which happily at the moment includes both the State
Radio Officer for RACES and the ARES SEC, but hasn't always).

> Works for us.  ...Would it work everywhere? No. 
> ... There is no blanket system that will work > everywhere.  

Right.  In some parts of the country, where the states are bigger than
WFO CFA's and the County structure is Strong and the RACES structure is
commensurately strong, a system that ignored that structure would
likely be inappropriate duplication of effort.  Our counties are
shaped wrong up here ... either that or the storms can't read maps.

> The important part is that it works for the served agency > (NWS).

That's the important point in _any_ public service or emergency
service operation, ham or otherwise.  Second is that the public
benefits.  Some where in there is that we enjoy it enough to
continue.

Cheers es 73
Bill N1VUX
-- 
Bill Ricker  N1VUX  wdr@world.std.com  "The freedom of the press belongs 
http://world.std.com/~wdr               to those who own one."--A.J.Liebling