The National Weather Service has informed us, that out of caution to ensure that the NWS staff at each office is able to continue to support their mission to protect life and property, that the BMX office has been given direction to temporarily suspend non-essential visits (public, volunteers, tour groups, etc) to the forecast offices.
The impact to ALERT is, for the next 30 days, unless there is a change in direction, any K4NWS callout or activation will be done remotely, and we will use NWSchat’s BMXEMACHAT room to coordinate communication with the forecast office. This is similar to some office workplaces choosing to work remotely, to keep risks low, and is not a reason to panic.
As we enter the peak severe weather season for Alabama, this is a great opportunity to ensure that our home station PC and radio equipment is tested, working, and is ready in case we have an event where we can serve the NWS remotely. We have the technology.
We are checking on having a permanent chat for ALERT operators only, to coordinate when needed. We can also create temporary chats in NWSchat, so I would suggest calling it K4NWSCHAT if a temporary room is needed.
However, let’s please remember that we can also use the Weather.IM BMXSPOTTERCHAT option as well, which allows us to communicate with other Skywarn spotters and those who are unable to be approved for NWSchat access.
Don’t forget, we also have DMR, which can be used to help bring us together, as well as other ham radio technology.
Stay tuned to the CDC and other agencies for continued information, and remember, there’s nothing wrong with having a healthy suspicion for unsolicited emails (phishing/malware links) or social media posts about COVID-19 which are clickbait.
No need to panic, but now it’s the best time to be educated and prepared, rather than fearful. We pray for all those impacted by COVID-19, and hope that we all stay healthy and well.
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