The Forensic Services Program Manager (FSPM) coordinates with other agencies to provide support for transportation and pipeline/hazmat accidents and incidents where weather may be a cause or contributing factor. The most frequent requests come from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). Support has also been provided to the United States Coast Guard (USCG) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in addition to providing assistance to the NWS Fire Weather program.
Litigation support frequently involves assisting federal attorneys to secure and understand weather records to be used in Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) cases. The most frequent support has been to Department of Commerce (DOC) and Department of Justice (DOJ) attorneys. The FSPM also helps coordination between NWS offices and the NOAA Office of General Counsel (OGC) when offices receive subpoenas or legal requests from the private sector.
The FSPM works with other NWS staff as well as other NOAA offices to secure observations and records that may be needed in accident investigations and litigation. This includes working with the NWS ASOS Operations and Monitoring Center (AOMC) and the NOAA National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service’s (NESDIS) National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) to archive and retrieve weather observations and information.
The poster outlines the NWS Forensic Services program organization and responsibilities, which include the following:
- How NWS staff are involved in weather-related transportation accidents and litigation.
- The main federal partners the program supports and how that support looks.
- Where the program resides within the NWS organizational structure.
- How AOMC and NCEI records are secured and used in the program.
- Indicates paper has been withdrawn from meeting
- Indicates an Award Winner