Educating Emergency Managers about Weather- related Hazards Timothy Spangler The COMET ® Program 21 January 2008

COMET: What We Do  Who we are: –COMET provides education in environmental sciences. –COMET produces and delivers online professional development materials and courses that serve as resources for a variety of users.  Mission: –Serves as a premier resource to support, enhance, and stimulate the communication and application of scientific knowledge in the atmospheric and related sciences.

COMET Sponsors & Partners  NOAA:  National Weather Service  National Environmental Satellite Data Information Service  National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite Systems  National Environmental Education Foundation  Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command  Air Force Air Weather Agency  Meteorological Service of Canada  Australian Government, Bureau of Meteorology  European Meteorological Satellite Agency

Importance of Emergency Management in the U.S.  YearFatalitiesInjuries$ Damage (M) , , , , , ,839.2

Problems  Thousands of emergency managers –Do not work for a single entity  City, county, state, federal governments and private industry  Although some are professionals, many are volunteers  High turnover  Generally have little meteorology training  Classroom training is expensive and time- consuming –Therefore, distance learning is well-suited to this audience –Training is part of their culture

The COMET Hurricane Modules  Communicating Hurricane Preparedness Communicating Hurricane Preparedness –Training Emergency Managers about hurricanes, preparedness, and uncertainty.  Hurricane Strike! Hurricane Strike! –Teaching middle school children about how to prepare for hurricanes.

Community Hurricane Preparedness  Basics Basics –What is a hurricane?  Hazards Hazards –Why are they dangerous?  Forecasting Forecasting –Process and uncertainty  Decision Making Decision Making –Planning and implementation

Uncertainty and Weather Forecasts  Big issue for emergency managers –There is no deterministic forecast but rather a probability of landfall at any given location –Decisions must be made on low probabilities  Some locations need 36 hours or more

Teaching about Uncertainty and Weather Forecasts 1.Explain why weather forecasts are uncertain 2.Explain what the limitations are and how to evaluate them 3.Listen to one of their own talk about why decision makers can’t wait to make a decision 4.Test their understanding of risk  Forecasting Section Forecasting Section

Total Sessions by Topic Area

Community Hurricane Preparedness Usage in 2007 January 28th - December 31st  Module sessions - 7,144

Hurricane Strike!™  Target audience: Middle school students  Simulates a “visit” to a coastal family as a hurricane approaches –While helping the family prepare, students learn about hurricanes and safety  Includes graphics, audio, animations, games  Developed in 2002, new versions added

Hurricane Strike! ™ Versions  English: Full multimedia  English: Close-captioned, full multimedia  English: For vision-impaired students, text version  Spanish: text version

An interactive Web-based tool to teach kids about hurricane science and safety

Information for Teachers  Introduction Introduction  Lesson Overview Lesson Overview –Safety and Preparedness ContentSafety and Preparedness Content –Science ContentScience Content –WorksheetWorksheet –Tracking ChartTracking Chart  How to Use – Hurricane Strike! How to Use – Hurricane Strike!  Helping you Meet National Science Education Standards Helping you Meet National Science Education Standards  Certificate Certificate  Helping Children Cope with Trauma Helping Children Cope with Trauma  Assisting Children (and Adults) with Disabilities During a Disaster Assisting Children (and Adults) with Disabilities During a Disaster  Online Links and Resources Online Links and Resources

Hurricane Strike!

Hurricane Strike! Usage in 2007 January 28th - December 31st  Module sessions – 7,709

Important Issues in Any Distance Learning Program  Meet the learners’ needs –Write content to well-defined instructional objectives-what the learner needs to know –Provide graphics, animations, audio, etc. to support the content-not to make just enhance it  Use good instructional design –Pay attention to cognitive theory –Web design practices –Graphic design practices

Three Indicators of Good Instruction  CONNECTS the student’s real-life situation to the instruction –Relevant examples  Student PRACTICES what he/she has learned –Lectures and demonstrations aren’t enough  COACHES the student –Providing feedback is important –Cognitive apprenticeship How can you apply these principles to distance education for emergency managers?

Other COMET Emergency Manager’s Modules  A Social Science Perspective on Flood Events A Social Science Perspective on Flood Events  Anticipating Hazardous Weather and Community Risk Anticipating Hazardous Weather and Community Risk  CAMEO/HYSPLIT CAMEO/HYSPLIT  Dispersion Basics Dispersion Basics  Introduction to Fire Behavior: Influences of Topography, Fuels, and Weather on Fire Ignition and Spread Introduction to Fire Behavior: Influences of Topography, Fuels, and Weather on Fire Ignition and Spread  NWS Support During Hazardous Materials Emergencies NWS Support During Hazardous Materials Emergencies  Supporting Military Emergency Response During Hazardous Releases Supporting Military Emergency Response During Hazardous Releases  Urban Flooding: It Can Happen in a Flash! Urban Flooding: It Can Happen in a Flash!

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