§8545 — Title 15 Commerce and Trade | U.S. Code

Summary

The Director must assign at least one warning coordination meteorologist to every National Weather Service weather forecast office. This requirement does not change the total number of full‑time equivalent employees or force new hires. The main job of that meteorologist is to carry out the duties below, but other staff may do the work if the Director decides. The warning coordination meteorologist serves the office’s area to help people act on forecasts and warnings. They work with the public, media, pilots, mariners, farmers, foresters, and water managers to make sure forecast products are useful. They help create and change products with local, State, and tribal partners, keep severe‑weather contact lists and procedures up to date, and coordinate with emergency managers for preparedness and response. The Director can assign any of these tasks to other staff. The Director may place a meteorologist with a State or local emergency manager, and if that placement is near a forecast office, it counts as the office’s designated meteorologist.

Title 15, §8545

Commerce and Trade — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)(1)The Director of the National Weather Service shall designate at least one warning coordination meteorologist at each weather forecast office of the National Weather Service.

(2)Nothing in this section shall be construed to authorize or require a change in the authorized number of full time equivalent employees in the National Weather Service or otherwise result in the employment of any additional employees.

(3)Performance of the responsibilities outlined in this section is not limited to the warning coordination meteorologist position.

(b)The primary role of the warning coordination meteorologist shall be to carry out the responsibilities required by this section.

(c)(1)Subject to paragraph (2), consistent with the analysis described in section 409,11 See References in Text note below. and in order to increase impact-based decision support services, each warning coordination meteorologist designated under subsection (a) shall—

(A)be responsible for providing service to the geographic area of responsibility covered by the weather forecast office at which the warning coordination meteorologist is employed to help ensure that users of products of the National Weather Service can respond effectively to improve outcomes from weather events;

(B)liaise with users of products and services of the National Weather Service, such as the public, media outlets, users in the aviation, marine, and agricultural communities, and forestry, land, and water management interests, to evaluate the adequacy and usefulness of the products and services of the National Weather Service;

(C)collaborate with such weather forecast offices and State, local, and tribal government agencies as the Director considers appropriate in developing, proposing, and implementing plans to develop, modify, or tailor products and services of the National Weather Service to improve the usefulness of such products and services;

(D)ensure the maintenance and accuracy of severe weather call lists, appropriate office severe weather policy or procedures, and other severe weather or dissemination methodologies or strategies; and

(E)work closely with State, local, and tribal emergency management agencies, and other agencies related to disaster management, to ensure a planned, coordinated, and effective preparedness and response effort.

(2)The Director may assign a responsibility set forth in paragraph (1) to such other staff as the Director considers appropriate to carry out such responsibility.

(d)(1)Subject to paragraph (2), a warning coordination meteorologist designated under subsection (a) may—

(A)work with a State agency to develop plans for promoting more effective use of products and services of the National Weather Service throughout the State;

(B)identify priority community preparedness objectives;

(C)develop plans to meet the objectives identified under paragraph (2); and

(D)conduct severe weather event preparedness planning and citizen education efforts with and through various State, local, and tribal government agencies and other disaster management-related organizations.

(2)The Director may assign a responsibility set forth in paragraph (1) to such other staff as the Director considers appropriate to carry out such responsibility.

(e)(1)In carrying out this section, the Director of the National Weather Service may place a warning coordination meteorologist designated under subsection (a) with a State or local emergency manager if the Director considers doing so is necessary or convenient to carry out this section.

(2)If the Director determines that the placement of a warning coordination meteorologist placed with a State or local emergency manager under paragraph (1) is near a weather forecast office of the National Weather Service, such placement shall be treated as designation of the warning coordination meteorologist at such weather forecast office for purposes of subsection (a).

Editorial Notes

References in Text

section 409, referred to in subsec. (c)(1), is section 409 of Pub. L. 115–25, title IV, Apr. 18, 2017, 131 Stat. 112, which is not classified to the Code.

§8545 Warning Coordination Meteorologists at Weather Forecast Offices of National Weather Service

Summary

Title 15, §8545

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

Citations & Metadata