OK-FIRST (OKlahoma’s First-response Information Resource System using Telecommuni-cations) currently provides over 65 communities with current and localized weather data. Representatives from local police and fire departments, sheriff’s offices, and emergency management agencies are provided with “point-and-click” access to a large suite of weather products plus instruction on how to use and apply the data.
The participants regularly access the full set of NIDS (NEXRAD Information Dissemination Service) products from 15 radars, maps and meteograms from 115 Oklahoma Mesonet stations, and derived products like the Oklahoma Fire Danger Model.
The users of OK-FIRST technology have gained access in three phases, beginning in June of 1997. Since that time, the various public-safety officials have made many local decisions based on time-sensitive information provided by the OK-FIRST system. Recent examples include early warning for the town of Wewoka of an impending tornado on 8 June 1998 that caused F2 damage on the southern portion of Wewoka. Despite the damage, no injuries were reported. Five days later, the system allowed the cities of Guthrie and Newcastle to sound their storm sirens well in advance of approaching supercells that were tornadic. Information provided by OK-FIRST also has been useful in response to hazardous material spills and for weather support of outdoor events.
The OK-FIRST system has also been instrumental in the empowerment of local officials to better organize their local weather support and warning activities. Since the installation of OK-FIRST in Garfield County, several disorganized groups from local communities have melded together to form a cohesive network of spotters for the whole county that report their observations to a central location. In turn, they receive updates via a paging system on what they call the “OK-FIRST radar”.
This manuscript will document these and other incidents where local access to modern weather information and training to properly interpret the information has been critical to local decision making