The Evolution and Impact of a Meteorological Outreach Program for Public Safety Officials: An Update on the Oklahoma Mesonet’s OK-First Program

Abstract

Since 1997, the Oklahoma Mesonet (the state’s automated mesoscale weather station network) has served a community of more than 1,400 public safety officials (emergency managers, fire officials, law enforcement, etc.) across Oklahoma through a weather data and training program called Oklahoma’s First-Response Information Resource System using Telecommunications (OK-First). OK-First provides free weather and radar data interpretation classes to eligible public safety officials and, following successful completion of training, password-protected access to weather data tools including a website and software. The objective of OK-First when it began was to fill significant gaps in weather product training and data access for Oklahoma’s public safety community. Though the core mission remains the same 20 years later, many aspects of OK-First have evolved over time, including participant membership, training curriculum, formats of training, training requirements, website and software technology, and program feedback. The purpose of this paper is to provide an update on the Mesonet’s OK-First program, with a particular focus on training, tools, and the impact it has had on the public safety community.

Assessing the Impacts of a Weather Decision Support System for Oklahoma Public Safety Officials

“…Although there is a proliferation of weather data and resources freely available, Hocker et al (2018) argue that officials should never be expected to make well-informed decisions from weather data without appropriate training. Addressing how EMs could overcome this challenge, Baumgart and Bass (2006) stressed the need to use tools that present weather information in multiple formats and with different update rates in simulated real-time to help EMs make informed decisions.…”

“…There has always been a myriad of resources for EMs to use (Morss and Ralph 2007;Morris et al 2002), although there is often a disconnect with dissemination, response, and planning (Hoss and Fischbeck 2016;Weaver et al 2014;Morris et al 2002Morris et al , 2001. In effect, not only is there a need to improve EMs' training and decision support tools, but an indepth investigation is necessary to understand the needs and cues EMs require to make assessments and decisions during severe events (Hocker et al 2018;Baumgart et al 2008). Additionally, Baumgart et al (2006) developed a descriptive decision-making model of weather information usage, weather assessments, and decisions made during severe weather to help EMs plan for events.…”

“…Additionally, once a member is certified in the OK-First program, they are required to attend recertification classes no less than once every 18 months. The OK-First program has shown immense value in providing nonscientific audiences with complex meteorological information when paired with well-designed, relevant, and routine training (Hocker et al 2018;Morris et al 2002).…”

Potential Socioeconomic and Environmental Benefits and Beneficiaries of UAS Atmospheric Profiles from a 3D Mesonet

“…Mesonets continue to show value, not only from a meteorological point of view (e.g., by providing trusted and real-time data, decadal archives of weather changes) but also as a basis for decision-making (Hocker et al 2018) and determining the value of highly variable yet intangible information. Because of Denotes content that is immediately available upon publication as open access.…”

An Evaluation of the Utility of a Decision-Maker-Driven Climate Hazard Assessment Tool

“…OK-First is a weather and radar data training program that serves public safety officials across Oklahoma(Hocker et al 2018). …”