The National Weather Service trains spotter groups.
The organization of spotter groups is the responsibility of local Emergency
Management Directors, the Police and Fire Departments.
Many people who are fascinated by the weather have an
interest in serving as a storm spotter. If you are interested in becoming
a spotter, first check with these agencies to determine who serves as spotters
in your area. If a local Amateur Radio or CB Radio group provides spotter
support in your community, becoming an active member of that organization
is your best route to becoming a storm spotter.
The National Weather Service needs
real time reports of hail size, wind speed, and tornado development and
known damage, in order to effectively warn the public. Even as new
technology allows the Weather Service to issue warnings with more lead
time, spotters will always serve as links between radar indications of
severe weather and ground truth information.
Virtually every community has some form of spotter network.
Often, local fire and Police department personal are trained to observe
and report severe weather. Local Emergency Management Agencies also
train and deploy spotters. The existence of easy 2-way radio communication
and 24-hour operations are two reasons why these groups make effective
spotters.
Other groups that organize spotter networks include Amateur
(HAM) Radio Operators, and the Civil Air Patrol (CAP). Again,
2-way radio communications is an important factor in using members of these
groups as spotters.
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