# Presentation: 536904

## OFCM--Restructuring for the 21st Century

- Presented to the
- Federal Committee for Meteorological Services and Supporting Research
- September 22, 1998

## Overview

- Agency Review
- 21st Century Priority Areas
- Revised Committee Structure
- Implementation Plan
- Natural Disaster Reduction--Example
- Upcoming Activities
- Conclusions/Recommendations

## Agency Review

- Agency/Customer Outreach
- Identify priority areas, issues, and problems within each agency.
- Pulse each agency for ideas to improve the effectiveness of interagency coordination and cooperation.
-  Consolidate the agencies’ inputs.

## 21st Century Priority Areas

- Environmental Services and Supporting Research
- Environmental Monitoring and Prediction
- Technology Innovation
- Computing, Communications, & Information

## Environmental Services& Supporting Research 21st Century Priorities

## Environmental Monitoringand Prediction21st Century Priorities

## Technology Innovation21st Century Priorities

## Computing, Communicationsand Information21st Century Priorities

## Streamlining the Federal Coordination Process

- Program Council structure remains unchanged
- Revised existing committee (4) and working group (19) infrastructure
- Current infrastructure does not mesh well with the agencies’ perspectives and priorities
- Joint action groups will replace many working groups
- JAGs will focus on specific, time-critical issues
- Current infrastructure has six (6) committees and nine (9) working groups

## OFCM Organization Chart

## Implementation Plan 

- Name Committee and Working Group Chairpersons (Oct 98)
- Assemble Committees and Working Groups     (Nov 98)
- Develop Terms of Reference (Dec 98)
- Begin the planning effort.  The goal--a high level, interagency strategic plan

## Implementation Plan (2)

- Identify the high payoff, crosscutting issues on which to focus efforts:
- Examples of current efforts:
- Aviation weather
- Space Weather
- Y2K
- Radio spectrum issues
- Natural Disaster Reduction--a top priority

## Implementation Plan (3)

- Examples of other future efforts:
-  Coordinating the transition of research to operations
- Transportation needs (surface and waterways)
- Information dissemination technologies
- Urban meteorology (Air quality/pollutants and  their effects on human health)
- Marine Coastal and Ocean Environments
- Climate (Seasonal/long term variations and long term data sets )
- HPCC (DOE’s Accelerated Climate Prediction Initiative)

## Technology Transition

- Target research-developed technology for transition to operations; e.g., wind profilers, TOGA TAO array, TRMM, COSMIC
- Assess the agencies’ mission needs, define requirements, and develop transition strategy
- Identify responsible lead agency to coordinate funding of the operational implementation
- Prepare crosscut study which outlines recommendations and conclusions

## Surface Transportation

- Issue:  Weather support is minimal
- Unmet needs include support to:
- Travelers
- Road maintenance/State DOT decision makers
- Trucking/Railway/Bus Industries
- Transportation safety
- Need to work directly with the FHWA, State DOTs, and other transportation entities to define requirements and develop tailored decision aids

## Information Dissemination Technologies

- Explore using state-of-art and future technologies to ensure the delivery of products to key decision makers, like emergency managers, and to ensure the public is properly informed.
- Criteria:
- Point specific
- Self-activating
- Accessible and affordable
- 24/7 availability

## Information DisseminationTechnologies (2)

- Examples:
- Emergency Alerting System
- NOAA Weather Radio
- TV/Radio
- Sirens/Air-Raid Sirens
- Alert Tones
- Internet (Current +                 Next generation)

- Reverse 911
- Automated Alert Notification System
- The Communicator
- One-touch mapping
- Weather pagers
- Signals to PCs

## Urban Meteorology

- Principal focus has been on air quality dispersion models and related research
- Need advisory criteria that relate meteorological terms (like air quality and heat index) to effects on human health
- According to the CDC, educating the public and implementing preventive strategies is critical
- Innovative information dissemination technologies will play a key role

## Marine Coastal and Ocean Environments

- Expand the OFCM’s role in this arena
- First step:  Define the observation needs for both the marine coastal and deep ocean environments
- Projects like the Global Ocean Observing System, the Coast Guard’s Deep Water Project, PORTS, and the NRC report on data buoys need to be evaluated
*Ocean Partnerships: A Vision for the Future *and* Year of the Ocean* activities call for improved  research, partnerships, education, and exploration

## Natural Disaster Reduction

## “Hurricane Bonnie Example”

## Slide 22

## Slide 23

## “Built Environment Example”

## Natural Disaster Reduction--A Crosscut View

## Natural Disaster Reduction

- Under FCMSSR’s and ICMSSR’s direction, the Committee for Environmental Services, Operations, and Research Needs will direct the strategic planning effort
- Working Group for Natural Disaster Reduction will serve as the committee’s executive agent for implementation

## Key Linkages

- FEMA’s National Mitigation Strategy
- Project Impact
- CENR/Subcommittee for Natural Disaster Reduction
- Natural Disaster Reduction Initiatives
- Interagency Working Group for USWRP (NOAA/NASA/NSF/Navy)
- Modernization of Environmental Services (NOAA/DOD)

## Examples of Current Shortfalls(Source:  National Tornado Forum)

- Watch/Warning message must be clear and consistent
- Relevant to the local community
- Criteria need to be reevaluated
- Message must get to the public
- Capitalize on state-of-the-art information dissemination technologies, like NOAA Weather Radio and Reverse 911
- Partner with state/local governments and the private sector to fill information voids

## Current Shortfalls (2)

- The public needs to be educated on the nature of the threat and how to respond appropriately
- Research is needed on the human response to natural disasters
- The societal and economic value of the product/services provided needs to be determined

## Natural Disaster ReductionGoals

- Improve interagency working relationships
- Leverage the innovations, technologies, capabilities, and resources of other agencies
- Establish better partnership alliances among the agencies, the academic community, and the private sector

## Natural Disaster ReductionGoals (2)

- Coordinate the transition of research to operations and target future research at operational needs
- Enhance public outreach and raise the public’s awareness and literacy of the environment and its effects
- Work to develop a sustainable environment

## Upcoming Activities

- 53rd Interdepartmental Hurricane Conference
- February 8-12, 1999
- Expand the scope and participation
- Natural disaster reduction will be the central theme
- Breakout sessions will be used to address key operational issues

## Upcoming Activities (2)

- Aviation Weather Program Council       (Nov 98)
- Committee for Operational Processing Centers
- Hosted by NAVOCEANO (November 4-5, 1998)
- ICMSSR (Nov 98)
- Space Weather Program Council (Jan 99)

## Conclusions/Recommendations

- OFCM is necessary for effective interagency coordination and cooperation.
- To take on these significant interagency strategic planning initiatives, the OFCM needs additional resources and personnel.
- FCMSSR’s commitment to and support of the interagency coordination process is critical to the success of the OFCM.