NWS Director's AMS Presentation Highlights Growth, Next Steps for NWS

Speaking at the 82^nd Annual Meeting of the American Meteorological Society in Orlando, January 14, NWS Director Jack Kelly said improvements to forecasting made in 2001 are the springboard for more accurate water, weather and climate predictions in the coming years.

"We're improving each year with our forecasts - both short and long-term - and gaining more knowledge about the science behind complex weather phenomena, but we have a long way to go," Kelly told AMS members attending the Interactive Information and Processing Systems (IIPS) conference. He also highlighted the growing strength of the public-private partnership between weather forecasters, which, he said, is helping to narrow the gap between forecast successes and failures.

Kelly said Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Services, with high tech flash flood forecast and warning capabilities, are a public-private partnership effort that will bring a projected $766 million savings to U.S. taxpayers, according to a report from the National Hydrologic Warning Council.

"Together, the public and private forecasters are working to save lives and support the American economy. That's the bottom line," Kelly said.

Kelly added that new opportunities will exist for the private weather industry to create and tailor more products and services to fit its clients' needs. NWS forecast offices and the National Centers for Environmental Prediction soon will prepare collaborative forecasts extending to seven days. The products, Kelly said, would make digital forecasts consistent with text forecasts.

He said the NWS will continue incorporating new technologies and science into its operations in the future. "There won't be another full-scale modernization effort. Instead we will build on our new structure, and keep pace with technology."

Click here for a link to copies of Director Kelly's IIPS presentation.

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Working Together to Save Lives
NWS and NOAA Sea Grant Recognize Kure Beach, NC, Rip Current Preparedness

On January 15, 2002 Kure (pronounced "cure-ey") Beach Police Chief Dennis Cooper received the NWS Public Service Award for his efforts to inform vacationers of the hazards of rip currents. After a couple of rip current-related drownings in 2000, Chief Cooper worked with the North Carolina office of NOAA Sea Grant and the NWS to prepare, publish and distribute educational brochures to motels and tourist centers. He posted signs at all beach walkways, ensured lifeguards were well-trained, and spoke to organizations to promote rip current awareness.

Steve Pfaff, the NWS Wilmington, NC, Marine Program Leader, worked to improve rip current forecasting and public awareness through a partnership with coastal towns and Sea Grant. The work included developing and distributing rip current safety signs. These informative signs will be installed at every public beach entrance along a 40 mile stretch from Surf City to Fort Fisher, NC. "The signs are especially useful at beaches where there are no lifeguards, and provide the public with the knowledge of what to do if they encounter a deadly rip," Pfaff said.

Kure Beach Mayor Betty Medlin and Sea Grant's Spencer Rogers recognized Chief Cooper's leadership, citing Kure Beach as the most proactive in the Carolinas. NWS Wilmington MIC Richard Anthony presented the award, describing Chief Cooper's work, along with that of Sea Grant and the NWS, as potentially lifesaving. "Thank you Chief Cooper for helping keep our community informed and safe," Anthony said.

Have an example that illustrates how we work together to save lives? Send it to NWS.Focus@NWS.gov.

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Positive changes occurred because of employee participation in the 1998 Survey Feedback Action (SFA). In one instance, a workgroup implemented more staff training and professional development time for all employees, as a result of the 1998 survey and feedback sessions. William T. Davis, MIC of the Springfield, MO, WFO, said his lead meteorologists were empowered to ensure each member of their shift was allowed a set amount of training and professional development time during duty hours.

Davis said, lead meteorologists were held accountable for increasing professional development time. When an individual attended training, staff members assumed the duties for the person in training, except in serious weather conditions. Davis, who is currently serving as an activated reservist in the war on terrorism, noted that the workgroup implemented leadership training for all staff members, not just the management team. "This has paid dividends in my absence as the staff continues to do a great job while I'm away. I feel that the manager/leader could fall off the face of the earth, like I've done, and the staff can continue on without missing a beat. Of course, having a great staff really helps."

The NWS wants to tell stories of "best practices" put into place because of the information learned from the SFA process. "Your participation in this year's SFA will contribute to a better work environment for everyone. Improved productivity and increased morale are just a few of the benefits that may be gained through your participation," said John Jones, NWS Deputy Director. SFA 02 is currently underway - from January 22 through February 15, 2002. For instructions to access and complete the survey, go to http://www.rdc.noaa.gov/~Diversity/sfa02instruct.html. The access code for NWS employees is 40444. If you have any questions on the SFA, contact your SFA coordinator or send an e-mail to: nws.sfa@noaa.gov.

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Kansas City NWS employees will begin taking new routes to work February 11, 2002, as Central Region Headquarters (CRH) relocates to the building now shared by the National Weather Service Training Center (NWSTC) and the Aviation Weather Center (AWC) about 5 miles south of Kansas City International Airport. CRH will move into a remodeled 12,000 square-foot area of the building.

Refurbishment of the Bolling Federal Building at 601 E. 12^th Street in Kansas City provided the opportunity to relocate the regional office to more modern facilities and save NWS significant lease expense. Renovation activities would have forced the regional headquarters to make a temporary move within the Bolling Federal Building. Dennis McCarthy, Central Region Director, and his staff examined available options and recommended to NWS and NOAA management the economical option of moving to the NWSTC/AWC building. After approval of the reprogramming request, work on the remodeling began last fall.

"Besides saving taxpayers some money on office space, this move will allow Central Region to develop a synergy with the Training Center and the Aviation Weather Center that wasn't possible before," McCarthy said. "I'm eager to see the development of relationships and great cooperation among the three groups of people from different operating backgrounds."

After the move, the building on 101^st Terrace will house the 45 regional headquarters employees, 30 individuals at the Training Center and the 65 at AWC.

Coincidental with the relocation, the mailing address and telephone numbers for Central Region Headquarters offices will change. The new mailing address will be:

NWS Central Region Headquarters
7220 N.W. 101^st Terrace
Kansas City, MO 64153

Telephone service also will change beginning February 11, 2002. Central Region will provide more information on the new phone numbers in the coming days.

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Forecast Office Hosts Martin Luther King, Jr., Luncheon

On January 18, 2002, WFO Louisville hosted a luncheon at the forecast office, in observance of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Day. The WFO invited State Senator Gerald Neal and a group of students from a local high school. "The theme of the luncheon was the importance of education with emphasis on the significance of continuing education, setting high goals, and never giving up on your dreams," said WFO Louisville MIC Mike Matthews.

Senator Neal presented the students certificates entitling them to become pages at the state capital for a day and invited Matthews and NWS coworkers Theresa Northington and Pam Lozier to accompany the students.

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Prepare Your Speaker for a Great Event!

Many times when we work with someone who will give a speech, we spend most of our energy concentrating on what will be said and less on preparing our speaker for important aspects of the event such as who's in the audience, background about the event, and appropriate attire. Prepare your speaker for what to expect from the event with an event planning worksheet that's available online from the NWS Communications Office. This worksheet is currently used to help prepare Jack Kelly and John Jones for upcoming events, but you can modify it to assist other speakers, too. The worksheet is a valuable tool in planning presentations, workshops, speeches, and outreach activities. Additional instructions for filling out the worksheet and assistance are available by contacting the NWS Communications Office. The event worksheet can be found on the Communications Office tools page.

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Also On the Web...

• Buoy Center Web Page Second Most Popular
  The National Data Buoy Center home page has been rated second most popular in the News > Weather > Marine category by "Google.com," a pre-eminent Internet search engine http://directory.google.com/Top/News/Weather/Marine/. NDBC's web site http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov receives about 9 million hits a month and displays data from NWS stations, NOAA's National Ocean Service and Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research, and Canadian and United Kingdom buoys.
• FBI Center Issues Internet Security Advisory
  The National Infrastructure Protection Center (NIPC), an arm of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, issued an advisory January 17 to heighten online security awareness and encourage Internet content providers to review the data they make available online. The NIPC's mission is to serve as the U.S. government's focal point for threat assessment, warning, investigation, and response for threats or attacks against our critical infrastructures. Read the advisory at: http://www.nipc.gov/warnings/advisories/2002/02-001.htm

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