[Skywarn] Pilger, Nebraska tornado photo: Why stormchasing has become unethical. [WARNING: DKIM validation failed]

Fri Jun 20 23:45:48 EDT 2014

It's not just going to take the veterans to get some sanity back 
though. It will also take those of us younger/newer folks who view the 
opportunity to serve our communities in this capacity very seriously. 
The Trimmer Types (those who are well educated but oh so stupid none the 
less), and the Trimmer Wannabes are always going to be there. Ideally 
though, if local groups of Skywarn Spotters can get together and bring 
some sensibility back, a lot easier it would be for us to say "They're 
not operating under the Skywarn program, aren't affiliated with a 
Skywarn Chapter, and are operating outside of safety procedures."

Ultimately this is why I personally feel perhaps leaving the 
professional videography and photography equipment at home would help. 
That thousand-yard stare is more likely to occur when a bunch of people 
jump out of cars with cameras and start gawking around the place. If a 
team of Skywarn spotters rolled up on a destroyed home, jumped out in 
sturdy boots and appropriate attire for performing even basic SAR, 
immediately looked for ways to help, the response would be different. If 
people want to play Emergency Responder, OK, but only as a professional 
volunteer USAR/SAR team that also happens to spot storms.

I know people disagreed with my chaser/spotter differences, but it 
comes from my experience seeing those who identify themselves as chasers 
being those who travel thousands of miles to get close to the storms, 
ultimately to get "that video/photo" that will cover the 
gas/food/lodging expenses and then some. Those that I've talked to who 
identify themselves as spotters are more local, and are more likely to 
be carrying a hand-held wind gauge than a camera, and are there to keep 
people safe as their only goal. It may not be a fair distinction or 
always accurate, but I think people have to honestly ask themselves: why 
am I here? If it's to capture photos and video to sell, with public 
safety as a "oh, yeah, by the way, I have WFOs on speed dial or on ham 
radio", personally I think we could do without that crowd.

I harp a lot on video and photography because I honestly think this is 
the root of the evil. Sure, some people are looking for an adrenaline 
rush, but I think a lot fewer would invest stupid-amounts of money in 
lifted rigs with radio and sat-data, light bars, and more if they 
weren't expecting to sell exclusive video to NBC for a few grand. The 
money incentive of weather and storm photo- and videography is enough to 
move people from reasonable responsibility to epic stupidity. It's also 
likely what motivates enough newer spotters to take stupid risks, travel 
half-way across the country for the chance to become a legend getting 
that video. That and folks like Trimmer making it seem like it's safe as 
long as you're a 1/8 mile away from the base.

Strengthening local Skywarn groups, actually getting together, meeting, 
putting new spotters with responsible veterans, assigning realistic 
roles for a planned spotting/chase day, and doing it all in a much more 
coordinated manner would go a long way to helping the situation. 
Although, considering out here in Colorado we don't have that level of 
organization (and I don't think there are very many people even on 
distros like this), I'm wishing in one hand and... yeah.

---
REV. BRADLY L. MCGARR
CompTIA Security+ Certified Technician
CompTIA A+ Certified Technician
Microsoft Certified Professional - Microsoft Technology Associate
CIW Web Foundations Associate

Phone: 720.340.2327

A Founding Member of Societas Eruditorum North America
Where Technology and Science Meet The Greater Good
https://www.eruditorum-na.net

On 06/20/2014 8:54 pm, Jay Cafasso wrote:
> In my opinion these extreme chasers are the problem, why? They are
> unfortunately viewed as the communities role models, which again, in 
> my
> opinion, is bull-sheet-rock and "extremely" dangerous. I call them 
> the
> "Trimmer Types".
>
> Reed Timmer who is very well educated, leads the pack racing around 
> with
> that marketing stunt he calls the Dominator. Why am I so critical? 
> The
> question I ask is, for what purpose does he chase? Trimmer is not 
> Wurman,
> Trimmer is about fame and fortune not science. I see him as the PT 
> Barnum
> of chasers and the new breed of spotter/chaser thinks he's a gas and 
> its
> now a gas to punch the core with a 8000lb modified pick up truck. As 
> one of
> his fan wrote when Trimmer reversed course from a twister, "Reed why 
> are
> you backing away?" So why did he? Well, he's not a box of chocolates 
> that's
> why and he is educated enough to know when to call the ball. The only
> Russell Stovers out there are the ones watching and mimicking his 
> actions
> and are dumber than a that box of Russell Stovers not to know when to 
> call
> the ball. That's the dangerous part and its showing itself 'live' on
> video...
>
> Take for example the Washington, Illinois storm and the chaser who 
> took his
> six year old son out for a family chase and had the twister drop down 
> on
> them. Guy should have been arrested for child endangerment. The boy 
> is
> caught on video screaming, " were going to die"! Or how about the 
> homeowner
> who is video taping the storm while its eating his house with him and 
> his
> family in it. This is coming from where? Whom is teaching this 
> behavior?
>
> As a retired responder who does not consider himself a veteran storm
> chaser, since most of my chases have been responses to the storms
> aftermath. I see things from a different perspective while I did not 
> chase
> for fun thought many storm systems are plainly amazing and beautiful 
> until
> they eat a town or city. Then you get to see the lethality of that 
> once
> beautiful storm system. You also then get to see that 1000yds stare 
> from
> the victims as well and the pain of death.
>
> Its not a game...as many vets know...
>
> Let me give you an example of another dangerous perspective with 
> chasers
> like Timmer. At Mayflower, AR 10ft long Concrete Jersey Barriers were
> overturned by that twister. Those barriers weighted some 4000lbs and 
> the
> structural engineers estimated winds at around 188mph struck at 
> ground
> level to overturn them. Now the vertical profile of those barrier is 
> much
> different than the Dominator. Reed is a smart guy though and knows 
> the
> limitations of that vehicle, while the twister he did punch was on 
> its down
> cycle with winds lowered when he entered.. I would love to have the 
> wind
> impact gang at Texas Tech put that vehicle through its paces.
>
> However, Trimmer types are not the only problem. Chasers and spotters 
> have
> created their own social groups mimicking emergency management 
> agencies.
> Just visit Zello... Chief One, Deputy Chief, Incident Commander, 
> radar
> specialist etc... Then we have fragmented Skywarn groups that have 
> more
> drama associated with them than Act II of a Shakespearian play and
> Shakespeare himself could not dream much of this drama up.
>
> Yes there are some very excellent Skywarn groups out there along with 
> some
> great spotters and chasers who preform a great service, but they are 
> not
> the majority anymore today, unfortunately. We then have a under 
> funded
> emergency management system trying to re-engineer itself from the Bin 
> Laden
> witch hunt back to disasters.
>
> What we have is a fragmented mess... and I know that many WCM's and 
> EM's
> are all not happy campers..
>
> Its going to take the veteran spotter/chaser community to regain 
> control,
> coordinate between agencies and put things back in order before state
> legislators do it for all of us. No easy task I might add...and of 
> course
> this is my opinion...
>
> Jay Cafasso
> 12559 N400E
> Wheatfield, IN 46392 USA
> Cell: 479.866.9579 Fax: 651-691-2608
> Home GPS - Lat 41.19509, Long -86.96737
>
> www.facebook.com/jay.cafasso.7
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>
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>
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> http://windhazard.davidoprevatt.com/blog/
>
> "The last temptation is the greatest treason: To do the right deed 
> for the
> wrong reason."   Murder in the Cathedral - St. Thomas Becket.
>
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> Weather Service "used with permission".
> On Jun 20, 2014 7:59 PM, "Lloyd Colston" <kc5fm at juno.com> wrote:
>
>> On Fri, Jun 20, 2014 at 9:29 AM, Standorroh <standorroh at gmail.com> 
>> wrote:
>>
>> > In his article he also personally attacked Reed Timmer.  
>> Evidently, he
>> has
>> > never seem him break off chasing to help in rescue efforts.
>>
>>
>> Mr. Timmer got hammered on the WX-Chase list ...
>> https://lists.illinois.edu/lists/info/wx-chase ... because of it 
>> too.
>>
>> He broke off the chase to "help" and showed video of his efforts ... 
>> in
>> cutoffs and flip-flops ... standard equipment for trained Community
>> Emergency Response Team folks ... NOT.
>>
>> There's plenty of blame to spread around ... media for encouraging
>> untrained people ... chasers for modeling unsafe behavior ... 
>> Emergency
>> Managers for failing to adopt Skywarn as the LOCAL program it was 
>> designed
>> to be.
>>
>> When one points one finger, there's three pointing back.
>>
>> Lets learn from the mistakes of others and do better.  After all, I 
>> won't
>> live long enough to make all the mistakes all by myself.
>>
>>
>> --
>> Lloyd Colston   director
>> Altus Emergency Management
>> Altus, OK      http://www.cityofaltus.org
>> Phone:  580.482.8333
>> Fax:  580.482.4738
>>
>> "I'ts better to be informed than it is to be afraid."
>>
>> http://twitter.com/altusready
>> http://altusem.blogspot.com
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