NWS Warning Coordination Meteorologist Program

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NWS Warning Coordination Meteorologist Program

• Jeff Osiensky
  
  Alaska Region WCM

2008 AR WCM Workshop
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What we do

• Proactive Customer Service
• Customer Feedback (tip of the spear!)
• Local compliance with Directives and Regional
  Supplements
• Establishing and maintaining working relationship
  with our partners
• Ensuring our warning program works
• Innovative Education and Outreach
• Advancing environmental literacy with our
  customers as part of NOAA!
• Implementing and selling our services
• Helping communities mitigate, prepare, respond,
  and recover from ALL ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS
• Strong WFO Staff Leadership
• Acting MIC
• Leading local teams and studies
• At least 25 shift supervisor

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Did you know?

• NWS services cost each American about 5 a year
  roughly the cost of a fast food meal
• We have approximately 4700 employees in 122 WFOs,
  13 RFCs, 9 National Centers and other support
  offices around the country
• We have 132 WCMs 122 WFOs, HPC, SPC, NHC, 6
  Regional, and a National.
• Our WCMs are the main link to our customers and
  partners. They lead our education and outreach
  efforts. They are our experts in communication
  and assessment.
• Yet our WCM program has no budget. It is not
  even in the list of our top organizational
  priorities. We must all work together if we are
  going to change that!

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WCM Resources

• WCM Job Aid description of WCM duties
• http//www.weather.gov/om/wcm_jobaid/
• WCM Resource Center helpful information
• http//www.meted.ucar.edu/resource/wcm/
• NLSC (order publications)
• http//140.90.44.160/
• OCCWS Intranet TsunamiReady/ASOR reporting
• https//ocwws.weather.gov/intranet/index.php

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Tips

• Get your staff involved in your WCM program
• Consider assistant WCM, other focals
• Try to take part in one education/outreach visit
  or meeting per week
• Correspond with one EM per week
• Dont reinvent the wheel on creating brochures,
  presentations, newsletters, etc. Ask your peers
  for templates!
• Ensure that key materials are used appropriately
  distribute spotter guides to spotters, NWRs to
  those that will use them

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StormReady/TsunamiReady

• Important customer outreach and education effort
• Currently 10 StormReady and 5 TsunamiReady
  communities in Alaska
• 1 StormReady Supporter (Iditarod Trail Committee)

Valdez, AK, May 2008, from left Mark Roberts,
Alaska DHS and EM Sam Albanese, WCM WFO
Anchorage John Madden, Director, Alaska DHS and
EM John Hozey, Valdez City Manager Erv Petty,
Alaska DHS and EM Laura Furgione, Director,
Alaska Region NWS Bob Hopkins, MIC WFO
Anchorage Paul Whitmore, Director, West
Coast/Alaska Tsunami Warning Center Debra
Elliott, OIC WSO Valdez George Keeney, Valdez
Fire Chief
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Thanks for all that you do!
Alaska region WCM team
Sam, John, Joel