adminFeb. 9, 2011
Dennis Gagnon calls them the invisible layer.
Gagnon, the public information officer for the Kansas City Office of Emergency Management (OEM), said this “invisible layer” is vital to Kansas City.
What is this layer?
It’s the men and women who set aside time to become a trained storm spotter.
Storm spotters help fill in the information gaps during a storm or other natural disaster, he said.
“They (storm spotters) can call both the Emergency Operations Center when we’re activated for storm spotters as well as the National Weather Service when they activate storm spotters,” said Jennifer Fales, coordinator of training and outreach for Kansas City’s OEM.
Storm spotters use their knowledge to monitor storms and report what they’re seeing to Kansas City’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and the National Weather Service. Their information, paired with the EOC and National Weather Service, has saved countless lives.
For more than 60 years, storm spotters have been the nation’s first line of defense against severe storms, Fales said.
Those wanting to become a trained storm spotter are invited to attend the upcoming storm spotter training class from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Monday, Feb. 28, at the Robert J. Mohart Multipurpose FOCUS Center, 3200 Wayne Ave.
The class is free of charge and open to all ages.
A National Weather Service meteorologist will lead the class and teach attendees how to “read the sky” and discern what type of weather is headed their way. The class will also include weather safety information.
Those interested in attending are not required to RSVP, Fales said, since seating is available for up to 400 people.
For more information, contact Fales, (816) 784-9304.
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