88th Annual Meeting (20-24 January 2008)

Wednesday, 23 January 2008
Developing a multi-agency Heat/Health Warning System (HHWS) to provide consistent information to diverse customers
Exhibit Hall B (Ernest N. Morial Convention Center)
Julie Adolphson, NOAA, Pleasant Hill, MO; and L. Kalkstein, S. Fortin, and A. Bailey
Over the last nearly two decades, the public health agencies have employed unique criteria and education programs to inform the citizens in the Kansas City, Missouri metropolitan area with life-saving recommendations during extreme heat events. The National Weather Service has also educated these customers through various outreach activities. most recently including the development and testing of a tailored Heat/Health Warning System (HHWS) and the experimental implementation of a new “Heat Stress Index (HSI).” This paper will describe interactions between the above-mentioned agencies and illustrate the improvement in the education and actions of the citizens of Kansas City. Missouri through increased coordination between the organizations; we will also detail the on-going progress of a tailored Heat/Health Warning System (HHWS). Background on the current and proposed systems will be provided, and methods of education and interaction will also be discussed as well as future plans to improve the service provided to the citizens of Kansas City, Missouri and surrounding areas.

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