🚀 go-pugleaf

I agree with Kevin on the sirens, its Emergency Management's call.

It was noted in southern New Hampshire that NWS did a great job in
forecasting flooding. Problem is when they issue a flood warning, wording is
used such as evacuation of low-lying areas should occur. Well, one of the TV
stations ran off and said that without emergency management authority, so
EMA in Goffstown, NH was upset. Even though it was the right call, the
political rights of responsibility are...

1.) NWS issues warning.
2.) Emergency Management takes action. (I.E. Sounds sirens alert media, public)
3.) TV stations reports EMA and NWS info.

If not done in that order, the "political" problem cranks out. Not fair, but
the way it is I guess. That's why, the sirens are sounded by emergency
management from one man's opinion.

73,Rob-KD1CY.
SKYWARN Training Coordinator
Greater New Bedford ARES Emergency Coordinator


At 12:12 AM 4/24/96 -0500, you wrote:
>There are 3 messages totalling 90 lines in this issue.
>
>Topics of the day:
>
>  1. Southern Wisconsin Skywarn / NWS Office
>  2. Blowing the Sirens
>  3. Sirens: Whose responsibility?
>
>----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>Date:    Tue, 23 Apr 1996 01:50:21 -0500
>From:    "Michael J. Grey" <MJ.GREY@HOSP.WISC.EDU>
>Subject: Southern Wisconsin Skywarn / NWS Office
>
>I am blessed with a job that allows me to leave work whenever the
>weather gets 'interesting', so last week out the door I went.  It was
>a good experience for myself, reviewing where I stuck my pen and maps
>and the various frequencies needed to be programmed.
>
>One thing that would benifit me as a chaser (aside from straightening
>roads west of Madison) would be updates of cell locations, strength,
>size, and relative movement.  In this manner I can position myself
>well ahead of time in a favorable location, instead of having to
>drive through the cells to find out what might be on the otherside.
>
>Location can be given by county name and side, IE West Dane Co.,
>direction by simple gross compass heading and strength by keyword
>such as strong, severe and developing.  Timely updates (around
>reports of course) would also be key.  Say each 15 minutes on the 15
>minute mark.
>
>Thanks !
>
>Michael Grey
>
>University of Wisconsin Hospital, Dept. of Information Systems
>3330 University Ave, ste 300  Madisonm WI 53705
>608-276-7111    mj.grey@hosp.wisc.edu // grey@thunder.hosp.wisc.edu
>
>------------------------------
>
>Date:    Tue, 23 Apr 1996 07:04:02 +0100
>From:    Undetermined origin c/o LISTSERV administrator
>         <owner-LISTSERV@POSTOFFICE.CSO.UIUC.EDU>
>Subject: Blowing the Sirens
>
>Your county government must have been napping on that one...
>
>The FIRST thing the NWS office does is alert the NAWAS system for weather
>warnings, then they type in the warning into AFOS...then it goes out via
>NOAA radio......
>
>The NAtional WArning System has been in place since the 1950's and is
>basically one giant conference call telephone....if your EOC wasn't
>paying attention then they should take the blame....and the sirens belong
>to the county or municipality....NWS does not control them
>
>de Kevin Heyboer KD4UYR
>Pinellas County FL  Skywarn Coordinator
>
>------------------------------
>
>Date:    Tue, 23 Apr 1996 21:56:29 GMT
>From:    Bill Lefler <wo0e@SKY.NET>
>Subject: Re: Sirens: Whose responsibility?
>
>Peter Laws (plaws@BABO.UARK.EDU) wrote:
>: Help me out here.  The NWS issues a tornado for a given area, a county,
>: say.  This I understand.  Once the warning is issued, whose responsibility
>: then is it to blow the sirens?  My understanding is that it's the County
>: OES and/or municipal agency's responsibility.  Is the municipality/county
>: required to wait for a phone call from the NWS?
>:
>:
>: So.  Whose responsibility is it to blow the siren?  Is the NWS being made
>: a scapegoat?
>:
>My $0.02 worth (and a bargin at that!!!:-)
>        As I understand it, the NWS is responsible for issuing the
>Warning. However, the local municipality/County Emergency Management is
>who blows the sirens. Here in Kansas City KS, The Emergency Manager will
>blow the siren immediately upon a report of a funnel cloud, or a wall
>cloud with sufficient rotation, when the report is from a known, reliable
>spotter. It is the responsiblity of the OEM for all siren activity,
>including testing and maintenance, as well as blowing them "For Real".
>        I believe most Emergency managers will wait until the NWS issues
>the "Official" warning to avoid the legal reprecussions that assuming the
>lead may expose one to. By waiting until the NWS issues the warning, they
>have someone to blame if it is too late. This is my *opinion*, nothing
>more. As I stated, in Wyandotte County Kansas, we will blow the siren
>*first*, then notify the NWS of the report (or possibly at the same
>time).
>        As stated, this is all my opinion. If it is misguided, incorrect,
>off target, arbitrary, and obtuse then it certainly should be
>recognizable as mine! :-)
>BCNU Lef (Bill Lefler/WO0E Kansas City/Wyandotte County Kansas)
>wo0e@sky.net
>
>------------------------------
>
>End of SKYWARN Digest - 22 Apr 1996 to 23 Apr 1996
>**************************************************
>
>