UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
                                                        National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
                                                        NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
                                                        Silver Spring, Md. 20910                                  OA/W112x3

This chapter provides instructions for the conduct of emergency drills. It is a much abbreviated version of the old chapter. The only significant change is that regional headquarters may determine reporting dates for drills.

1. Purpose. This chapter provides instructions and assigns responsibility for the conduct of a program of drills for warning situations and other emergency conditions. The intent of these drills is to assure that all personnel with warning responsibilities are prepared to react quickly when required. This chapter is intended to supplement, but in no way supersede, instructions in other chapters of the Weather Service Operations Manual (WSOM).

2.1 Regional Headquarters. Regional headquarters in conjunction with the meteorologist in charge (MIC), official in charge (OIC), or hydrologist in charge (HIC) should determine what hazards are a threat and what type of drills should be conducted. Regional headquarters should also provide guidance material for drills, require annual updating of the Station Duty Manual, and ensure that each MIC, OIC, or HIC periodically carries out assigned drills.

2.2 Weather Service Field Offices with Warning Responsibility. MIC's, OIC's, and HIC's are responsible for conducting periodic drills and maintaining a level of preparedness at their respective office commensurate with the risks in their area of responsibility. This should include natural and man-made hazards, as well as plotting fallout winds.

In general, drills for specific weather emergencies should be conducted just prior to appropriate seasons. All office personnel with warning responsibility should be required to participate on an individual or office basis. Any deficiencies should be corrected immediately. Individual offices should maintain a record of drills performed, including date of drill, type, and personnel participating.

2.2.1 Station Duty Manual. All offices with warning responsibility will include their complete warning program and procedures for handling emergency messages in a Station Duty Manual. Offices will review these plans at least once annually and incorporate necessary changes as they occur. (For details on manual, see WSOM Chapter A-13, Station Duty Manual.)

2.2.2 Knowledge of Instructions in Station Duty Manual. All operational office personnel should be required to read Part I, Volume I, of the Station Duty Manual annually. In addition before the start of a particular type of severe weather season, personnel should review appropriate sections of the Station Duty Manual and WSOM chapters.

2.2.3 Reports to Regional Headquarters. Regional headquarters will establish the format and reporting procedures for drill reports and due dates. At least one report a year will be required for each office. The report should include the number, types, and dates of drills conducted.

3.2 Scope of Drill. The scope of a drill can vary widely as to detail and the types of persons and organizations involved. Drills concerning tornadoes, hurricanes, winter storms, flash floods, nuclear accidents, tsunamis, and toxic chemical spills are situations which can readily be expanded to include other organizations.

3.2.1 Intraoffice Drill. This type of drill is the easiest to conduct, since it does not involve persons outside the office and can be done with minimum disruption of office operations. It can be administered to office personnel on an individual or office basis. Its primary purpose should be to condition personnel to react quickly and effectively to severe weather reports or emergency conditions.

The participants can be presented with one or more descriptions of situations requiring issuance of warnings or the taking of other emergency actions. Each of these simulated emergencies should be accompanied by a set of questions which must be answered, including the requirement to write the text of a warning, statement, or other issuance as appropriate.

3.2.2 Community Drill. This type of drill is similar to the intraoffice drill, except that it is broadened to include persons, organizations, and communities outside of the National Weather Service (NWS). Interested news media and public service agencies could be invited to participate. As an example, arrangements could be made for an interested party in the office's area of responsibility to call in a report of a hypothetical "tornado." Progress reports on this "tornado" could be furnished by a law enforcement patrol car. Office procedures would be the same as in the intraoffice drill, except actual dissemination of some of the material prepared could be made to the affected areas. The words "TORNADO manual" should be used frequently. The effectiveness and timeliness of the information distributed could be evaluated by officials in the affected areas who are responsible for relaying warnings to the public. In this type of drill, everyone concerned should know that the material distributed is for a simulation drill.

4. Availability of Communication Channels. A warning message is obviously of no benefit unless it is distributed to the user. Therefore, drills should include the use of normal and alternate communication channels. This section of the drill will include familiarity with the warning dissemination list and its priorities. Office personnel must be familiar with the means of alerting storm spotters and rainfall and river observers to the threat of severe weather and of obtaining storm reports from these observers.

5. Content of Drill. To ensure effective handling of emergency conditions, drills should be formulated to cover a review of appropriate WSOM chapters, Station Duty Manual, communication channels, and those reports or conditions that in themselves may be indicators of actual or potential disaster. Among such items are:

5.1 Tornado, Hurricane, and Winter Storm. A suggested outline of key points to develop and stress in a warning drill, in which a tornado, hurricane, or winter storm is simulated, is given in Exhibit A-17-1. If desired, the drill may be shortened to action items 6 through 9 that would be taken if a tornado or other severe weather were reported.

5.2 Floods and Flash Floods. The format of a flood drill or a flash flood watch/warning drill may vary with the size and responsibility of the individual field office. In addition to the items suggested in section 5, the drill should include the following.

a. Procedures for evaluating flash flood potential, using upstream stage reports (when available) and flash flood guidance. A map delineating areas of known or potential flash flooding should be included.

b. Knowledge of key hydrologic forecasts and antecedent and predictor data provided by the appropriate River Forecast Center or field office with hydrologic service area responsibility. For known flood and flash flood sites, a brief tabulation of antecedent and synoptic conditions, rainfall amounts, and other pertinent data, such as degree of flooding, should be available for quick reference.

5.3 Aircraft Mishap. An aircraft mishap is an inclusive term used to denote the occurrence of an accident or incident or an in-flight emergency which could adversely affect the safety of the aircraft. Drills should be formulated to cover mishaps that require immediate or specific action as given in WSOM Chapter D-90.

5.3.1 Pre-mishap Planning. Arrangements should be made with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) offices and civil authorities for prompt notification whenever an aircraft mishap occurs.

1. Review:

Severe weather procedures in appropriate WSOM chapters and Station Duty Manual.

2. Emphasize:

Need for adequate staffing and coordination and consultation between offices.

3. Document:

Each action in the office Severe Weather Log.

4. Know:

Relationship between radar indications and severe weather.

5. Monitor:

All guidance material and sources of severe weather information. Be alert to an individual report or a sequence of reports which indicate severe weather is occurring.

6. Prepare:

A warning when any reliable report indicates severe weather is, or is likely to be, occurring. Use timely and understandable statements.

7. Distribute:

Releases according to priorities via all communication channels.

8. Follow:

Progress of storm by radar and surface reports from cooperative observers and law enforcement agencies. Ask for appropriate reports.

9. Summarize:

Severe weather actions and storm damage.

5.3.2 Drill Action. Upon notification of an aircraft mishap, the drill should cover the steps which must be taken concerning observations, operational status of primary observing equipment, safeguarding weather records, and preparation of statements and reports.

5.4 Communication Failure. When communications fail, the primary responsibility is to use alternative means to distribute observations and severe weather information. Personnel are required to be familiar with back-up procedures (Chapter I-03).

5.5 Man-made Hazards. If appropriate, drills should include actions that must be taken by office personnel for toxic chemical and oil spills, nuclear accidents, emergency evacuation of the office, and other hazards that could occur.

6. Post-drill Evaluation. The post-drill evaluation is invaluable and should always be conducted. It can take place on an individual basis or at an office seminar. Discussion after the drill should center on (1) ensuring that all personnel know what to do in the type of emergency simulated and (2) improving office operations during emergencies.

1. Review:	Severe weather procedures in appropriate WSOM chapters and Station Duty Manual.
2. Emphasize:	Need for adequate staffing and coordination and consultation between offices.
3. Document:	Each action in the office Severe Weather Log.
4. Know:	Relationship between radar indications and severe weather.
5. Monitor:	All guidance material and sources of severe weather information. Be alert to an individual report or a sequence of reports which indicate severe weather is occurring.
6. Prepare:	A warning when any reliable report indicates severe weather is, or is likely to be, occurring. Use timely and understandable statements.
7. Distribute:	Releases according to priorities via all communication channels.
8. Follow:	Progress of storm by radar and surface reports from cooperative observers and law enforcement agencies. Ask for appropriate reports.
9. Summarize:	Severe weather actions and storm damage.