The University of Colorado Colorado Springs was recognized by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Thursday for its efforts to prepare for natural disasters.
Officials from the NOAA National Weather Service office in Pueblo presented emergency management and public safety officials with a certificate and signs on Thursday designating the university as “Storm Ready.” UCCS is the first university in Colorado and one of only 100 colleges or universities in the nation to earn the designation.
Jennifer Stark, meteorologist in charge, and Tom Magnuson, warning coordination meteorologist, presented Steve Linhart, director of emergency management, Department of Public Safety, and Tim Stoecklein, assistant director of emergency management, Department of
Public Safety, with signs, a certificate, and a letter of recognition during an Emergency Preparedness Advisory Committee meeting in the Department of Public Safety.
The Storm Ready Program gives communities the skills and education needed to survive severe weather – before and during the event,” Stark said. “Storm Ready helps community leaders and emergency managers strengthen their local hazardous weather operations by ensuring that they have the tools needed to receive life-saving National Weather Service Warnings in the quickest time possible.”
In El Paso County, tools include a 24-Hour Warning Point and Emergency Operations Center, a NOAA All Hazards Weather Radio transmitter, real-time access to National Weather Service forecasts and radar information and a local Emergency Alert System Plan. Written plans include using SKYWARN weather spotters to report severe weather.
“The use of these tools ensures that UCCS’s Emergency Management Department and people on the campus of UCCS can quickly receive and can distribute our National Weather Service warnings,” Stark said. “This fast action will allow people to take proactive measures to protect themselves from harm, before the severe weather strikes.”
To learn more about NOAA’s National Weather Service, please visit http://www.weather.gov.
— Photo by Tom Hutton
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