Spotter Training...

As we look forward to the spring season, it is that time again to prepare for those storms that often threaten our area. The city and various response organizations are constantly preparing should a tornado strike our area. We rely on our city spotters, the NWS, media, HAM radio operators, and our volunteer spotters to make sure we have accurate information in the event we have to activate our warning systems in place.

Would you like to become a certified storm spotter? The Amarillo NWS is offering several courses throughout the Texas Panhandle to let you do just that. Check out their current schedule to see which courses are open to the public at: http://www.srh.noaa.gov/ama/spotter_training_sched/index.htm

If you live in the Amarillo area, the Amarillo/Potter/Randall Office of Emergency Management (OEM) oversees a volunteer auxiliary to the Amarillo Emergency Service (AES) created in January 2000 due to a need for more spotters in the field before potential severe weather events. AES auxiliary and regular members are deployed to locations around the area and relay storm and damage reports to our EOC during Weather Watch. If you would like to become a part of the AES group, please contact our OEM office for an application and additional training opportunities.