[Skywarn] Rules-Regulations

[J Wozniak]

Thank you to all of those who have responded with email regarding my previous post (6-23-2013). I have not responded to those emails or the group due to my video card going "ca-put" on me the day after said post. Please allow me to correct a thing or two and expand on the topic. 
When I referred to "citizens" I was implying to those "truckers" and "commuters" that are licensed amateur radio operators, and not the general public per say who may monitor our frequency on scanners. I am concerned with and only with amateur radio operators and those amateur radio operators who are trained spotters. Please accept my apology for the misunderstanding.

As Kevin, KD4UYR we also receive reports from trained amateur radio operator spotters and all of those reports are immediately relayed into the NWS/WCM. The only information that we transmit are those watches/warnings that are issued by the NWS for those radio operators/spotters and do not report existing conditions like the broadcast media nor relay reports from the them even though a select few radio operators try to call them in(there is always some apples in the bunch). We only transmit weather information (watches, warnings, statements, etc.) that have been disseminated publicly by the NWS. We too repeat the exact wording as those reports and do not add to them. I receive these reports directly from the NWS via computer from wr.mobilealerts at noaa.gov. We will also transmit road closures due to flooding, damage, etc. but only those that have been confirmed by local authorities (police, fire dept, etc). I also have high res radar but the information
 that I receive from them is also to know where the storms are going, when they will get to our county, and inform the higher ups at the EOC of what to expect. (Our current repeater also has automatic transmission function which reads out watches and warnings for other counties as they are received from the NWS and reads them word for word.) We basically do the exact same thing as Kevin. We have been doing this since the beginning of the program in 1975 and there was never a problem with what we did until now.

This brings me to what Joe, KF5S points out. St. Louis County SKYWARN was using the 146.940 (SLSRC)repeater as our primary and the 147.360 (Monsanto) as our backup. Due to problems with a repeater in High Ridge, MO which was interfering with the 146.940 SLSRC repeater during severe weather nets, and the 146.940 repeater repeatedly breaking down at least once a year (sometimes 3 or 4 times)since 2008, in addition to lack of technical support of repairing it lead us to change over to our secondary repeater (147.360 Monsanto)as the "new" primary repeater and making the old 146.940 repeater as our backup. The 147.360 Monsanto repeater has better coverage, its signal reaches further, and has much better technical support. We figured that the NWS would be happy with this switch to a better repeater. Monsanto also offers a "mobile amateur communications van" for those emergencies for any county who requests their help. The NWS has never had a call-in frequency
 and would monitor St. Charles 145.330 repeater and only take reports from surrounding counties that have no SKYWARN program. Since our change in repeaters, now the NWS WCM has began to take direct call-ins with the 146.940 SLSRC repeater and is now imposing new rules on us? I do not understand. (I hope I am not confusing everyone). 

Our St. Louis County SKYWARN program consists of all amateur radio volunteers like me. ARES, RACES, and SKYWARN have recently merged into one institution instead of three separate ones (more power in numbers you know), and we do not belong to any one radio club/organization (I personally belong to the Mississippi Valley DX Contest Club which is not involved here, and no others). ARES covers the Red Cross, hospitals, Salvation Army, etc. RACES is strictly for the EOC in case the county systems go down. SKYWARN is specifically to help the NWS and relay damage reports to the EOC and to give them a "heads-up" to what severe weather is coming. I took over SKYWARN because I believe in the program, I believe it saves lives. I believe that it helps the community if not the entire metropolitan region as a whole. I did not accept the position for "social status" and "I do not want to get involved in the politics," but I think that this is what its all about.
 Please comment as you see fit. 

Joe Wozniak, KD0EFW/WB0AAF
St. Louis County ARES/RACES/SKYWARN