The Advanced Warning Operations Course (AWOC)

One of the most important duties for a National Weather Service (NWS) forecaster is to deliver timely and accurate warnings during extreme weather events. Over the past several years, the Warning Decision Training Branch (WDTB) has facilitated numerous Warning Decision Making workshops. These workshops focused on the science, technology, and human factors of the warning decision making process. Attendees to these workshops often delivered short seminars back at their local office, but time constraints only allowed them to cover a small subset of the workshop materials. WDTB has converted much of this material to distance learning allowing all NWS forecasters (meteorologist and hydrologist) to participate in a more comprehensive experience. Although this course is for NWS forecasters, much of the web-based training will be available on the internet for public use.

The Advanced Warning Operations Course (AWOC) will initially consist of two tracks – Core Track and Severe Weather Track. Each track contains approximately 14 hours of training material (including evaluation components). Both tracks use a combination of distance learning technologies including teletraining, web-based training, computer-based training on CD-ROM, Weather Event Simulator (WES) simulations, and printed material.

At each NWS office the course will be facilitated by an onsite facilitator. This facilitator participated in a workshop in Norman, OK in August or September 2004. The facilitator workshop developed a partnership between the WDTB and the AWOC on-site facilitator (one person from each office) who together will deliver the AWOC training. Simulations will be an integral part of AWOC. The on-site facilitator will administer the simulations, choosing from several provided by WDTB or from locally developed simulations.