Vanderbilt will host a SKYWARN storm spotter training session at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 5. The session is open to all faculty, staff, students and members of the local community. It will be held in Room 103 of Wilson Hall, located at 111 21st Ave. S.
SKYWARN is a program of the National Weather Service to train volunteer weather spotters. Storm spotters come from many walks of life and include fire fighters, law enforcement and amateur radio operators. SKYWARN spotters coordinate with local emergency management officials and send reports of weather-based phenomena to the NWS.
In addition to serving as a community’s first line of defense against dangerous storms, spotters provide important information to forecasters who make critical warning decisions. Spotters give the NWS vital on-the-ground data, which aids the NWS in its primary missions of saving lives and protecting property.
Every two years, Vanderbilt hosts SKYWARN spotter training in collaboration with the local branch of NWS. This free training satisfies one of the requirements of Vanderbilt’s StormReady University designation, which the university was awarded in 2006.
“Vanderbilt University was the first university in the state of Tennessee to achieve the StormReady University designation from the National Weather Service,” said Johnny Vanderpool, emergency preparedness coordinator. “It is part of our overall severe weather preparedness plan at Vanderbilt.”
NWS storm spotter training classes are free, open to the public, and last about two hours. No prior training is necessary, and no pre-registration is required.
Contact: Johnny Vanderpool, (615) 343-4804
johnny.vanderpool@vanderbilt.edu