NOAA's NWS Focus - October, 16, 2002

Corporate Board Considers the Future NWS

The NWS Corporate Board focused on how to best position the NWS for the next five to ten years, at a Oct. 7-9, 2002 meeting in St. Michaels, MD. Board members explored trends and issues with the help of four NWS customers, an information technology expert from the Office of Homeland Security, a futurist, and a former NWS director.

A panel of NWS customers representing academia, research, commercial weather services and broadcast meteorology stressed the importance of data. The panelists were John Snow, College of Geosciences, University of Oklahoma; Jim Block, Chief Meteorological Officer, Meteorlogix; Kelly Redmond, Deputy Director and Regional Climatologist, Western Regional Climate Center, Desert Research Institute, Reno, NV; and John McLaughlin, National Weather Association President and Chief Meteorologist, News Channel 8, Des Moines, IA. All panelists emphasized that good data, in a consistent format, is as critical as good forecasts. These customers also noted the significance of climate information and services.

Other speakers included renowned futurist Ed Barlow, and information technology expert Ron Miller from the Office of Homeland Security. The Corporate Board invited former NWS directors to present their views. Past NWS Director Elbert W. "Joe" Friday, Jr., provided a luncheon address.

The board will continue collecting information from sources, including NWS employees, and when available, the new NOAA Strategic Plan and the National Academy of Sciences "Public - Private Partnerships in the Provision of Weather and Climate Services" study. The information collected through all of these activities will influence the NWS’s operating plans and strategic planning efforts. Look for future NOAA's NWS Focus articles on these activities.

New Policy Establishes Criteria for Hardship Transfer Consideration

Sickness, aging parents, divorce--life happens. Sometimes relocating may seem like the only way to deal with a family burden. A new NWS policy identifies circumstances that make an employee eligible to apply for hardship transfer consideration and procedures for applicants and selecting officials.

"Employees are our most important resource," said NWS Director Jack Kelly. "This policy is a step forward in serving our workforce better and keeping the NWS a family friendly agency."

The NWS Workforce/Human Capital Committee consulted with the NWS Employees Organization to develop this policy. Dean Gulezian, Eastern Region Director and Committee Chair said, "We never had anything in writing for considering hardship transfer requests. This policy outlines procedures that will help us review requests in a fair and expeditious manner, as vacancies permit." Mission needs are the primary criteria for determining placement.

In summary, the new policy identifies three categories:

1. The medical condition of the employee or the employee's immediate family require relocation to a geographical area deemed medically necessary to improve or maintain health or receive health services.

2. When the employee or employee's spouse is the primary caretaker of a dependent parent, and the medical condition of the parent requires the employee or employee's spouse to relocate to another geographic area.

3. In cases of a separated family, where the transfer of an employee to another geographical area would allow the employee to maintain contact with dependent children. Not all separations from children will be considered a hardship.

The policy outlines the process from application through consideration.

Gulezian explained how the program works.

"Employees will know 30 days after applying for consideration if their name has been added to the candidate list. Selecting officials will review the hardship transfer candidate list and notify employees when they issue vacancy announcements for the desired location."

According to Gulezian, employees must apply for vacancies to be considered for the hardship transfer. Selecting officials will take into consideration the transfer request as a factor when making a decision. If a transfer candidate is selected for a position, the NWS will pay travel and relocation expenses in accordance with applicable law and regulations.

Thrift Savings Plan Record Keeping System Implementation
Delayed Indefinitely

The Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board announced in a news release October 11, 2002, that it will not implement the new Thrift Savings Plan record keeping system in November 2002 as last reported. The Board has not set a new implementation date. To read the news release, visit http://www.tsp.gov/ and browse Press Releases within the Current Information section of the web site.

First StormReady Universities Mark Certification

In addition to StormReady counties, communities, Indian Nations and National Laboratories, we now have StormReady Universities.

Personnel from NWS's Chicago, IL, forecast office conducted a recognition ceremony on October 9, 2002, to mark Northern Illinois University's certification as the first StormReady University. In order to become StormReady, the entire campus security staff received severe storm spotter training, and the university purchased 150 NOAA Weather radios for every building on the main campus, plus buildings at satellite campuses. The school also prepared lightning and severe weather evacuation plans for the football stadium and other outdoor events. The school was certified StormReady on May 6, 2002, but the recognition ceremony was delayed until school resumed in the fall.

Also on October 9, WFO San Angelo, TX, recognized Abilene Christian University (ACU) as the Nation's second StormReady university. Located on opposite ends of Tornado Alley, ACU has developed a crisis response team and has a local police department that will monitor severe weather watches and warnings, 24 hours a day. The university has installed NOAA Weather Radios in its coliseum, library, residence halls, campus center and other buildings where large groups assemble. ACU will also work closely with the area SKYWARN group.

The NWS certifies communities as StormReady when they demonstrate communication and safety skills needed to save lives and property, both before and during severe weather events. Most of all presidentially declared disasters are weather related, leading to around 500 deaths per year and nearly $14 billion in damage. The NWS StormReady program helps community leaders and emergency managers strengthen local safety programs. Currently, there are more than 450 StormReady communities in 42 states.

Tools for Collaboration: NWS List Server Update

Seeking answers to technical issues? Try joining one of the many NWS e-mail distribution list servers that employees are using to share information, ask questions, and resolve problems. Employee focus groups indicate that field personnel want more technical information. NWS list server technology may fill this void.

"If you can't find the list you need, you can start a new list," explains John Ball who together with Fran Curnow, administers the list server system software.

"Since we began using list server technology, I have seen a marked increase in the number of employees signing on and using the technology to communicate technical information," said Ball. "Everybody on the list benefits from the trouble-shooting experience of the group."

According to Ball, "GIS forum," "MOS-mailing list," and "Retention-of-Women" are the newest additions to the lists. However, the "awipsinfo" list, with over 1,030 members, remains the most active list. Ball noted the growing number of employees joining the "orpg-development," "coop-mod," and "crs-talk" lists over the last year also. "We add a new list for a new purpose just about every week," said Ball.

"I've been able to disseminate a lot of important information to folks very quickly using the NWS Diversity Network List," said Stephan Smith of the Office of Science and Technology. "During the implementation phase of the Survey, Feedback, Action (SFA), this tool was invaluable. We had a lot of important information to get out quickly and using the list server was very effective," Smith noted.

To learn more about NWS list servers, check out a previous NOAA's NWS Focus Story. To create a new list, contact John Ball at John.Ball@noaa.gov or Fran Curnow at Frances.Curnow@noaa.gov with your work-related topic idea.

New NOAA Weather Radio Fact Sheets Available

Two new general-use fact sheets have been posted to the NWS NOAA Weather Radio web page. They are "All Hazards NOAA Weather Radio," dated September 9, 2002, and "AMBER Alerts and the National Weather Service," dated September 10, 2002. (AMBER stands for America's Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response).

These fact sheets are posted as PDF files. Employees may download, print, link to, or forward the URL to colleagues. The other available NWR fact sheet, "National Weather Service and Changes to the Emergency Alert System (EAS)," was updated August 19, 2002.

Also On the Web...Q&A Close-Up

On its web page, NWS Public Affairs provides one-on-one interviews with NWS forecasters to educate the public about weather events.

The most recent Q&A Close-Up segment features an interview with Colin McAdie, chairman of the National Hurricane Center's Best Track Committee, which upgraded Hurricane Andrew to a Category 5 storm, based on new research.