News from City Hall

City Communications Office

City of Kansas City, Mo.

http://www.kcmo.org

CONTACT: Mary Charles, city communications officer, (816) 513-1356

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 12, 2010

City to offer free storm spotter training class

The City of Kansas City, Mo., Office of Emergency Management, a division of the City Manager’s Office, is partnering with the National Weather Service and the Kauffman Foundation Conference Center to host a free storm spotting class. The event is Wednesday, March 24 at 7 p.m. in the Kauffman Foundation Conference Center, 4801 Rockhill Road.

National Weather Service meteorologists will discuss how you can “read the sky” to determine what type of severe weather is coming and share important weather safety information to help protect you, your family and the community from the hazards of severe weather.

Emergency Management officials and Radio Amateur Communications Emergency Services Officers also will be on hand to discuss the local storm spotter program and other educational and volunteer opportunities.

Storm spotters play a vital role in the warning and information process by observing storms and making reports back to the City’s Emergency Operations Center and the National Weather Service.

“For more than 60 years, storm spotters have been the nation’s first line of defense against deadly storms,” said Stephen Bean, acting emergency manager for the City of Kansas City, Mo. “This partnership between volunteer storm spotters, emergency management and the National Weather Service has helped save countless lives. Being informed is a first step toward being prepared,” Bean said.

For more information about the class, contact Jennifer Fales, emergency management coordinator, (816) 784-9040.

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