NWS Gets Results from Customer Satisfaction Survey for Climate Services

NOAA's NWS climate services received a score of 74 in a customer satisfaction survey conducted in November 2004. The climate survey had a high level of participation from customers, with 2,214 individuals responding to the survey.

NWS climate services customers participated in the survey, one of a series of customer satisfaction surveys conducted for NWS by the Claes Fornell International (CFI) Group, a nationally-known, OPM-approved research company that is used by hundreds of government agencies and private companies to measure customer satisfaction.

Results from the survey were briefed to NWS partners and customers at the annual meeting of the American Meteorological Society on January 10, 2005, and will continue to be briefed to NWS focal points, customers, and partners.

NWS's climate survey score aligns well with the scores of other NWS surveys, including emergency managers (80), marine/tropical customers (78), aviation customers (77), hydrology customers (77), and the broadcast media (76). The climate score is above the aggregate score of 70 for Federal agencies.

The information gathered will be used to establish requirements for current and future products and services and to guide customer service and outreach for the NWS climate services program.

The focal point in OCWWS for the climate survey was Barbara Mayes, W/OS4.

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Forecast Office Hosts Industry Workshop for Severe Weather Preparedness

Representatives from John Deere & Company toured the Davenport, IA, Weather Forecast Office on January 25, 2005, as part of a Severe Weather Preparedness Workshop for industry. Photo by Jim Belles, Meteorologist-In-Charge, WFO Davenport.

Preparing for severe weather became a topic for concern for many companies after they viewed the aftermath of the F4 tornado that destroyed the Parsons Plant in Roanoke, IL, last summer. In spite of a direct hit to the company, there were no fatalities or injuries due to proactive severe weather planning by the senior management at Parsons.

"The effect of preparedness was meaningful for the John Deere Company, headquartered in Moline, IL, because Parsons was a major supplier to John Deere," said Davenport, IA, Warning Coordination Meteorologist Donna Dubberke.

While visiting the destroyed facility the day after the tornado, John Deere safety teams realized they were vulnerable. Had this tornado struck their plants the outcome would not have been the same. The outgrowth of this realization and the Deere Company's search for severe weather training inspired Dubberke to develop a severe weather preparedness workshop geared toward industry, large organizations, and their needs.

Preparedness begins with planning, assessing risk, and determining needs, so Dubberke, and eight representatives from five John Deere worksites in Iowa and Illinois began the process with a half day workshop at WFO Davenport.

Topics for discussion included severe weather climatology, risks and impacts, storm shelters, designated weather watchers, drills, and the need for site specific action plans. "Participants agreed that for a company where hundreds of employees in multiple locations could be vulnerable, the first step was planning," Dubberke said. "The Parsons plant shows what can happen in 'Tornado Alley,' and the workshop highlighted what can be achieved. The goal of preparedness is to be ready for the worst, for no one wants to have the responsibility to notify next of kin."

Dubberke said she got good feedback from John Deere.

Scott Carthey of John Deere Davenport Works said "Thank you. This was very helpful. Now we know where to start!"

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NOAA Exhibits at Mall of America Government Expo

Nearly 40 NOAA staff members teamed up to offer an informational booth at the Mall of America Government on Display Expo (GODE) in Bloomington, MN, during the last weekend of January. Reportedly the largest government event ever staged inside a shopping mall, the GODE offered unparalleled opportunities for citizens to interact one-on-one with federal and state government representatives. The Federal Executive Board of Minnesota coordinated the event, which annually attracts over 300,000 attendees.

The NWS was one of 26 government agencies who exhibited at the expo. The NOAA exhibit promoted awareness of NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards and severe weather safety practices, hydrologic remote sensing operations, a river flood model, real time hydrologic modeling, a "mock" WSR-88D radar, and NOAA's water and weather forecasting web sites. The booth was a partnership between NOAA's Chanhassen, MN, Weather Forecast Office (WFO), the North Central River Forecast Center (NCRFC), and the National Operational Hydrologic Remote Sensing Center, in addition to the NOAA Corps, and the NEXRAD Radar Operations Center (ROC) in Norman, OK.

Forecaster Michelle Margraf planned and organized the event for NOAA. NCRFC Electronics Technician Andy Miller envisioned, created, and implemented the River Control Model Display, which drew large crowds and a lot of interest from attendees. ROC Meteorologist Randy Steadham worked many hours assembling the "mock" radar and educating the public. Numerous NOAA employees staffed the exhibit during the two-day event, including some that worked 8-hour shifts before attending the GODE. Others provided support behind the scenes, such as the entire electronics technician staff of the WFO and NCRFC who worked until 3 a.m. the night before the event setting up the booth, and others who ordered supplies and designed displays for the exhibit.

"A great big thanks to those folks who participated in the Government on Display Expo!" wrote Daniel Luna, NCRFC Hydrologist-In-Charge, in an e-mail. "I've had the privilege of being a part of a lot of outreach in the NWS, and I can say this is the best I have seen or been a part of!" The Federal Executive Board of Minnesota also gave the booth high marks. The NOAA booth was awarded the 2nd Place Award for Best Exhibit at the Expo, second only to NASA.

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AMS Holds Lightning Conference

The American Meteorological Society (AMS) Committee on Atmospheric Electricity organized the "Conference on the Meteorological Applications of Lightning Data" at the 2005 AMS Annual Meeting in San Diego, CA. The conference included nearly 70 operationally-oriented oral and poster presentations over a two-day period, including 12 student-led presentations. The conference drew large audiences and positive feedback from both the presenters and attendees. Another conference is planned for the 2006 AMS Annual Meeting in Atlanta, GA.

As part of the conference, Huntsville, AL, Weather Forecast Office Science Operations Office Chris Darden teamed with Larry Carey from Texas A&M and Martin Murphy from Vaisala, Inc., on the conference's student judging committee. Three student presentations were awarded with "Outstanding Student Paper" awards, including presentations by Lesley Ott from the University of Maryland, Michael Gauthier from the University of Alabama-Huntsville, and Brandon Vincent from North Carolina State University. The entire program listing including extended abstracts can be found at: http://ams.confex.com/ams/Annual2005/techprogram/programexpanded_267.htm.

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Slides Promote NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards in Movie Theaters

This is one of the slides featuring NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards which is currently on movie theater screens in Rochester, MN, and La Crosse, WI.

A local Weather Forecast Office (WFO) is working with local movie theaters to promote NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards (NWR).

WFO La Crosse, WI, recently developed a promotion using advertising slides to be shown before movies in theaters. Three different slides featuring NWR are currently included in the cycle of images flashed on movie theater screens in two theaters with 20 total screens in Rochester, MN, and La Crosse.

Forecaster Todd Rieck contacted several advertising companies that supply the material to theaters and worked with them on developing some promotional material. He created three different slides to be included in the project. With funding assistance from NOAA's NWS Office of Climate, Water, and Weather Services, the project was started in the fall of 2004 and slides played in theaters for five weeks through the holiday season.

This project supports national goals and follows priorities listed in the strategic plans, including "increased public knowledge of and access to emergency information."

Although results from the project will be difficult to meter, efforts have been made with the theater managers to track total attendance during the period and with local radio distributors to track units sold.

WFO LaCrosse Warning Coordination Meteorologist (WCM) Todd Shea said the WFO posted the slides at the WCM Resource Center web page here.

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Also On the Web...
Space Environment Center Newsletter

The Space Environment Center, which recently transitioned from NOAA Research to NOAA’s National Weather Service, publishes a quarterly newsletter. The January 2005 issue covers details of Space Weather Week planned for April 5-8, 2005, in Boulder, CO. View the new edition here, and the archive here.

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Employee Milestones

• Click here to see NEW APPOINTMENTS/TRANSFERS to NWS through January 31, 2005.
• Click here to see RETIREMENTS/DEPARTURES from NWS through January 31, 2005.

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Snapshots

Click here for a look at photos we've received from around the NWS.

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