What is “ARES-SKYWARN” ?

ARES-NWS Memo Of Understanding (MOU)

I. PURPOSE
The purpose of this document is to state the terms of a mutual agreement (Memorandum of Understanding) between the National Weather Service (NWS) and the American Radio Relay League, Inc. (ARRL), that will serve as a framework within which volunteers of the ARRL may coordinate their services, facilities, and equipment with NWS in support of nationwide, state, and local early weather warning and emergency communications functions.

It is intended, through joint coordination and exercise of the resources of ARRL, NWS, and Federal, State and local governments, to enhance the nationwide posture of early weather warning and readiness for any conceivable weather emergency.

II. RECOGNITION
The National Weather Service recognizes that the ARRL is the principal organization representing the interests of more than 400,000 U.S. radio-amateurs and because of its Field Organization of trained and experienced communications experts, can be of valuable assistance in early severe weather warning and tornado spotting.

The American Radio Relay League recognizes the National Weather Service with its statutory responsibility for providing civil meteorological services for the people of the United States. These services consist of: Observing and reporting the weather of the U.S. and its possessions.

To perform these functions and many related, specialized weather services, NWS operates a vast network of stations of many types within the U.S.; it cooperates in the exchange of data in real time with other nations, including obtaining of weather reports from ships at sea.

III. ORGANIZATION OF THE AMERICAN RADIO RELAY LEAGUE
The American Radio Relay League is a noncommercial membership organization of radio amateurs, organized for the promotion of interest in Amateur Radio communication and experimentation, for the establishment of networks to provide communications in the event of disasters or other emergencies, for the advancement of the radio art and of the public welfare, for the representation of the radio amateur in legislative matters, and the maintenance of fraternalism and a high standard of conduct.

A primary responsibility of the Amateur Radio Service, as established by the Federal Communications Commission, is the rendering of public service communications for the general public, particularly in times of emergency. Using Amateur Radio operators in the amateur frequency bands, the ARRL has been serving the public, both directly and through government and relief agencies, for more than fifty years. To that end, the League created the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) and the National Traffic System (NTS).

The League's Field Organization consists of sixty-seven administrative sections managed by elected Section Managers. A Section is a League-created political boundary roughly equivalent to states (or portions thereof).

The Section Manager appoints expert assistants to administer the various emergency communications and public service programs in the section. Each section has a vast cadre of volunteer appointees to perform the work of Amateur Radio at the local level, under the supervision of the Section Manager and his/her assistants.

IV. ORGANIZATION OF THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
The National Weather Service consists of a National Headquarters in Washington, D.C., and six regional offices in the United States: Eastern, Southern, Central, Western, Alaska, and Pacific.

An NWS Public Information Office is located at Weather Service Headquarters. Fifty-two
Weather Service Forecast Offices and 209 Weather Service Offices provide warnings and forecasts to the Nation.

SKYWARN is the spotter program sponsored by the NWS. Radio amateurs have assisted as communicators and spotters since its inception. In areas where tornadoes and other severe weather have been know to threaten, NWS recruits volunteers, trains them in proper weather spotting procedures and accepts the volunteers' reports during watches and episodes of severe weather.

By utilizing the SKYWARN volunteers, the NWS has "eyes and ears" throughout the
affected area in conjunction with NWS sophisticated weather monitoring equipment.

V. PRINCIPLES OF COOPERATION
A. The American Radio Relay League agrees to encourage its volunteer Field Organization appointees, especially the Amateur Radio Emergency Service, to contact and cooperate with Regional Weather Service Headquarters for the purpose of establishing organized SKYWARN networks with radio amateurs serving as communicators and spotters.

B. ARRL further agrees to encourage its Section management teams to provide specialized communications and observation support on an as-needed basis for NWS offices in other weather emergencies such as hurricanes, snow and heavy rain storms, and other severe weather situations.

C. The National Weather Service agrees to work with ARRL Section Amateur Radio Emergency Service volunteers to establish SKYWARN networks, and/or other specialized weather emergency alert and relief systems. The principle point of contact between the ARRL Section and local NWS offices is the Meteorological Services Division of the appropriate NWS Regional Office.

The addresses of the Regional offices are listed below.

The national contact for ARRL is the Public Service Branch, ARRL Headquarters, Newington, CT 06111.

National Weather Service Eastern Region
NOAA
585 Stewart Avenue
Garden City, New York 11530
Tel: 516-228-5400

National Weather Service Southern Region
NOAA
819 Taylor Street, Rm. 10A26
Fort Worth, Texas 76102
Tel: 817-334-2668

National Weather Service Central Region
NOAA
601 E. 12th St., Rm. 1836
Kansas City, Missouri 64106
Tel: 816-374-5463

National Weather Service Western Region
NOAA
Box 11188, Federal Bldg.
125 S. State Street
Salt Lake City, Utah 84147
Tel: 801-524-5122
National Weather Service Alaska Region
NOAA
Box 23, 701 C St.
Anchorage, Alaska 99513
Tel: 907-271-5136
National Weather Service Pacific Region
NOAA
P.O. Box 50027
Honolulu, Hawaii 96850
Tel: 808

06/21/2011

The National Weather Service (NWS) has updated its Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the ARRL (scroll below to access a link to the document). The updated MoU serves “as a framework within which volunteers of the ARRL may coordinate their services, facilities and equipment with the NWS in support of nationwide, state and local early weather warning and emergency communications function.” In May, ARRL President Kay Craigie, N3KN, signed on behalf of the ARRL, and in June, NWS Office of Climate, Water and Weather Services’ Director Dave Caldwell signed on behalf of the NWS. The ARRL and the NWS have had a formal working arrangement since 1986.

The NWS, in the MoU, acknowledges that Amateur Radio operators can be of valuable assistance in early severe weather warning and tornado spotting. Through its SKYWARN program, the NWS recognizes that Amateur Radio operators have assisted as communicators and weather spotters since the program began in the late 1960s. “In areas where tornadoes and other severe weather have been known to threaten, the NWS recruits volunteers and trains them in proper weather spotting procedures,” the MoU states. “These dedicated citizens help keep their local community safe by conveying severe weather reports to their local NWS forecast office. SKYWARN spotters are integral to the success of our nation’s severe weather warning system.”

“All the National Weather Service personnel I’ve met throughout the country have told me how much they respect and depend on the Amateur Radio SKYWARN volunteers in their forecast areas,” Craigie said. “This year’s weather disasters underscore the importance of amateurs becoming trained severe weather spotters and participating in SKYWARN. It’s a pleasure for me to work with the National Weather Service, both as an ARRL official and as a local SKYWARN volunteer.”

Through the MoU, the ARRL will encourage its Field Organization, including ARES®, to “contact and cooperate with National Weather Service Warning Coordination Meteorologists for the purpose of establishing organized SKYWARN networks with radio amateurs serving as communicators and spotters.” The ARRL will also encourage its Section management teams “to provide specialized communications and observation support on an as-needed basis for NWS offices in other weather emergencies, such as hurricanes, snow and heavy rain storms, and other severe weather situations.” In turn, the NWS will work with ARRL Section ARES® volunteers to establish SKYWARN networks, and/or other weather emergency and alert systems.

“The relationship between the National Weather Service and the ARRL has been a model partnership for many years,” said ARRL Emergency Preparedness Manager Mike Corey, W5MPC. “The renewal of this MoU emphasizes the value of Amateur Radio to the NWS mission.”