Critical Skills Needed Within The NWS Fire Weather Program Eli Jacks Chief, Fire and Public Weather...
16
Critical Skills Needed Critical Skills Needed Within The NWS Fire Within The NWS Fire Weather Program Weather Program Eli Jacks Eli Jacks Chief, Fire and Public Weather Chief, Fire and Public Weather Services Branch Services Branch NOAA’s National Weather Service NOAA’s National Weather Service 23 September 2009 23 September 2009
-
date post
21-Dec-2015 -
Category
Documents
-
view
215 -
download
1
Transcript of Critical Skills Needed Within The NWS Fire Weather Program Eli Jacks Chief, Fire and Public Weather...
Critical Skills Needed Within The Critical Skills Needed Within The NWS Fire Weather ProgramNWS Fire Weather Program
Eli JacksEli JacksChief, Fire and Public Weather Services BranchChief, Fire and Public Weather Services Branch
NOAA’s National Weather ServiceNOAA’s National Weather Service23 September 200923 September 2009
OutlineOutline
NOAA’s fire weather servicesNOAA’s fire weather services
Critical fire weather forecaster skillsCritical fire weather forecaster skills
Current skill gaps and shortagesCurrent skill gaps and shortages
Current efforts at addressing gapsCurrent efforts at addressing gaps
RecommendationsRecommendations
NOAA’s Fire Weather ServicesNOAA’s Fire Weather Services
First “Fire Weather Forecast” 1914First “Fire Weather Forecast” 1914First Incident Meteorologist 1916First Incident Meteorologist 1916Routine and on-site services Routine and on-site services Partners: Partners:
- US Forest Service- US Forest Service - Bureau of Land Management- Bureau of Land Management - Bureau of Indian Affairs- Bureau of Indian Affairs - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - National Park Service- National Park Service - Nat. Assoc. of State Foresters- Nat. Assoc. of State Foresters - FEMA, DOD, US Coast Guard - FEMA, DOD, US Coast Guard - International Partners (Australia)- International Partners (Australia)
Importance of Fire Weather
NOAA’s Site-SpecificFire Weather Services
• NOAA’s “Spot forecasts” support:
- Wild Fire Suppression - Prescribed fire ops.
• We average 17,000 “Spot Forecasts” annually
• 19,000 forecasts in 2008
NOAA’s National Fire Weather Services
• National Fire Weather Watch/Red Flag Warning Program.
• Fire Weather Planning Forecasts.
• Over 30,000 Red Flag Warnings and Fire Weather Watches issued annually.
No Fire Weather Forecast Issued
NOAA’s On-Site Fire Weather Services
Incident Meteorologists:NOAA’s on-site fire weather forecasters!
Extensive training in microscale and mesoscale meteorology
Forecasts used to plan NIFC Incident Team and resource placement
Essential part of an Interagency fire management team
Dependent on mobile technology and meso/micro-scale research improvements.
Range of IMET Services
Selendang AyuOil Spill…Dutch Harbor
Large Fire SupportCave Creek FireEdge Fire Day Fire
Texas/OklahomaStarted in December…IMETs there for 9 months!
Katrina ResponseIMETs present for 3 months
Democratic/RepublicanNational Conventions
Mt. RushmoreFireworks
Columbia ShuttleRecovery
Critical Skills Needed For Fire Critical Skills Needed For Fire WeatherWeather
Develop and Maintain Customer Awareness/PartnershipsDevelop and Maintain Customer Awareness/Partnerships Requires coordination for policy, training, tactical planning Requires coordination for policy, training, tactical planning
Assess the Fire EnvironmentAssess the Fire Environment Know how to apply weather at all scales to fire environmentKnow how to apply weather at all scales to fire environment Apply knowledge of fuels & topography to fire environmentApply knowledge of fuels & topography to fire environment
Warning Decision MakingWarning Decision Making Possess situational awareness based on knowledge of Possess situational awareness based on knowledge of
meteorology, policy, user requirements meteorology, policy, user requirements
Provide Fire Weather Products and ServicesProvide Fire Weather Products and Services Understand product policy and partner needs to issue timely Understand product policy and partner needs to issue timely
and useful fire weather forecasts, watches and warningsand useful fire weather forecasts, watches and warnings
Skill Gaps and ShortagesSkill Gaps and ShortagesExtend IMET knowledge of partnering agencies Extend IMET knowledge of partnering agencies requirements to entire NWS forecast workforcerequirements to entire NWS forecast workforce
- A sensitivity to land management operations is - A sensitivity to land management operations is
key to excellent servicekey to excellent service
A clear and comprehensive fire weather curriculum A clear and comprehensive fire weather curriculum for the study of the fire environment, fire weather for the study of the fire environment, fire weather and fire behavior, tailored for meteorologistsand fire behavior, tailored for meteorologists
- Existing distance learning training is incomplete - Existing distance learning training is incomplete
and not well organizedand not well organized
Skill Gaps and ShortagesSkill Gaps and ShortagesLeadership and situational awarenessLeadership and situational awareness
- Within the office and at the fire scene- Within the office and at the fire scene
Expertise in delivering briefings to partners in termsExpertise in delivering briefings to partners in terms
they can understand and meet their specific needsthey can understand and meet their specific needs
- Social science reveals that different users have- Social science reveals that different users have
different needs and focusdifferent needs and focus
Culture change needed to foster a forecasterCulture change needed to foster a forecaster
mindset as being the “front-line service provider”mindset as being the “front-line service provider”
- Impart a bias towards “decision support”- Impart a bias towards “decision support”
Current Fire Weather TrainingCurrent Fire Weather TrainingFire Weather ForecasterFire Weather Forecaster
Minimum Journey-level forecaster (4 years experience)Minimum Journey-level forecaster (4 years experience)
75+ hours coursework75+ hours coursework Introductory Fire Weather (all scales)Introductory Fire Weather (all scales) Introductory Fire BehaviorIntroductory Fire Behavior
IMETs (additional)IMETs (additional)175+ hours coursework175+ hours coursework Intermediate Fire Weather (all scales)Intermediate Fire Weather (all scales) Intermediate Fire Behavior (S-390, S-491)Intermediate Fire Behavior (S-390, S-491) SafetySafety Incident Command System (FEMA)Incident Command System (FEMA) HAZMAT (USCG, NOAA OAR and FEMA)HAZMAT (USCG, NOAA OAR and FEMA)
““Internship” on fires – 2 weeks minimumInternship” on fires – 2 weeks minimum
Yearly refresher/recertification workshopYearly refresher/recertification workshop
Training Gap Mitigation Effort:Training Gap Mitigation Effort:COMET Curriculum DevelopmentCOMET Curriculum Development
COMET = Cooperative Program for Operational Meteorology, Education and Training
A “Fire Weather Training Working Group” met in
Boulder to outline a fire weather training curriculum
- Consisted of IMETs, Fire Weather Forecasters,
COMET staff, NWS Training
Identification of specific, sequential training needs in
2009-10 will lead to clear course development requirements development in FY 11
RecommendationsRecommendations
0 - 2 years:0 - 2 years: Continue to support Fire Weather/COMET curriculum Continue to support Fire Weather/COMET curriculum
development project and begin developmentdevelopment project and begin development
2 – 5 years:2 – 5 years: Utilizing fire weather operations funding, continue Utilizing fire weather operations funding, continue
prioritized development of curriculum elements prioritized development of curriculum elements
5 years and beyond:5 years and beyond: Create an “All Hazards University”: Integrate across Create an “All Hazards University”: Integrate across
multiple fire and non-fire agencies to leverage limited multiple fire and non-fire agencies to leverage limited training budgets into a comprehensive curriculum for training budgets into a comprehensive curriculum for gov’t meteorologists and emergency respondersgov’t meteorologists and emergency responders
SummarySummaryFire Weather well on its way to rounding out critical Fire Weather well on its way to rounding out critical skills and filling gaps/shortages. High quality distance skills and filling gaps/shortages. High quality distance learning is under development.learning is under development.
Critical gaps are fulfilling an “all hazards” role and Critical gaps are fulfilling an “all hazards” role and changing the corporate culture from one of “come and changing the corporate culture from one of “come and get it” to “how can I serve you?”get it” to “how can I serve you?”
The key to future training and development of The key to future training and development of meteorologists is to integrate and cross-train. Our meteorologists is to integrate and cross-train. Our missions overlap, so should our training.missions overlap, so should our training.
Questions?Questions?
