Emergency Managers and Broadcast Meteorologists

My presentation will focus on the current relationship between Emergency Managers and Broadcast Meteorologists and how that relationship can be strengthened into a mutually beneficial partnership between the two fields. As part of my graduate research for my M.S. in Emergency Management from Millersville University of Pennsylvania, I conducted a survey of 115 current Broadcast Meteorologists across 40 states. The survey included questions about the relationship between Broadcast Meteorologists and Emergency Managers at the county and state levels, and what we can do as a community to attempt to strengthen that relationship. The survey also gave respondents a chance to offer any additional insight on ways to improve the relationship between the two entities and describe the positive interactions they have experienced when working with Emergency Managers. Although our goals of keeping people safe and protecting lives and property are the same, our fields run parallel to one another or communication is done through a third-party like the National Weather Service via NWS Chat. This presentation will offer insight directly from those in the Broadcast Meteorology field about the steps we can take to form a better partnership with one another.