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PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT...SERVICE CHANGE NOTICE 99-22
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HEADQUARTERS WASHINGTON DC
200 PM EST FRI FEB 12 1999
TO: FAMILY OF SERVICE /FOS/ SUBSCRIBERS...EMERGENCY
MANAGERS WEATHER INFORMATION NETWORK /EMWIN/
SUBSCRIBERS... FEDERAL AND NON-FEDERAL LAND
MANAGEMENT AGENCIES...AND NWS EMPLOYEES
FROM: THERESE Z. PIERCE CHIEF...INTEGRATED
HYDROMETEOROLOGICAL SERVICES CORE
NWS OFFICE OF METEOROLOGY
SUBJECT: TRANSFER OF FIRE WEATHER SERVICE RESPONSIBILITY TO
THE HOUSTON TX NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE...
EFFECTIVE MARCH 15 1999
EFFECTIVE MONDAY MARCH 15 1999 AT 1200 UNIVERSAL COORDINATED TIME
(600 AM CST)... SERVICE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE PREPARATION AND
ISSUANCE OF FIRE WEATHER PRODUCTS...INCLUDING RED FLAG WATCHES
AND WARNINGS...FOR LAND MANAGEMENT AGENCIES IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS
WILL BE TRANSFERRED TO THE NWS OFFICE IN DICKINSON
(HOUSTON/GALVESTON) TEXAS.
THE SERVICE TRANSFER IS CONSISTENT WITH THE OVERALL STRATEGIC
PLAN OF THE NWS MODERNIZATION EFFORT AND WILL ENABLE THE
HOUSTON/GALVESTON NWS OFFICE TO TAKE FULL ADVANTAGE OF ITS
INCREASED TECHNOLOGICAL CAPABILITIES THEREBY PROVIDING AN
ENHANCED LEVEL OF FIRE WEATHER SERVICE FOR SOUTHEAST TEXAS AND
THE FOLLOWING SPECIFIC LAND MANAGEMENT AREAS:
DAVY CROCKETT NATIONAL FOREST
SAM HOUSTON NATIONAL FOREST
CUSTOMERS OF NWS FIRE WEATHER PRODUCTS AND SERVICES IN THESE LAND
MANAGEMENT AREAS SHOULD NOTE THAT...COINCIDENT WITH THE
ASSUMPTION OF SERVICE RESPONSIBILITY BY THE HOUSTON/GALVESTON NWS
OFFICE...ALL PRODUCTS WILL BE ISSUED UNDER NEW PRODUCT
IDENTIFIERS. THE IDENTIFIERS AND THEIR ASSOCIATED WMO HEADERS
ARE AS FOLLOWS:
SATFWFHGX FNUS54 ROUTINE FIRE WEATHER FORECAST
SATFWLHGX FNUS84 LAND MANAGEMENT FORECAST
SATFWMHGX FNUS84 MISCELLANEOUS FORE WEATHER PRODUCT
SATFWNHGX SHUS84 FIRE WEATHER NOTIFICATION MESSAGE
SATFWOHGX SHUS64 FIRE WEATHER OBSERVATIONS
SATFWSHGX FNUS74 FIRE WEATHER SUPPRESSION FORECAST
SATRFDHGX FNUS64 RANGELAND FIRE DANGER FORECAST
SATRFWHGX WWUS84 RED FLAG WARNING
SATSMFHGX FNUS74 SMOKE MANAGEMENT WEATHER FORECAST
THE ISSUANCE OF THESE PRODUCTS ARE BASED ON SERVICE REQUIREMENTS
ESTABLISHED IN CLOSE COORDINATION WITH BOTH FEDERAL AND NON-
FEDERAL LAND MANAGEMENT AGENCIES. HOWEVER...CURRENT LEGISLATIVE
POLICY PROHIBITS THE NWS FROM PROVIDING NON-ROUTINE FIRE WEATHER
PRODUCTS TO NON-FEDERAL LAND MANAGEMENT AGENCIES... EXCEPT IN
DIRECT SUPPORT OF WILDFIRE SUPPRESSION.
PLEASE NOTE...SUBSCRIBERS TO THE FAMILY OF SERVICES (FOS) AND THE
EMERGENCY MANAGERS WEATHER INFORMATION NETWORK (EMWIN) MUST TAKE
THE APPROPRIATE ACTION TO ENSURE RECEIPT OF THESE NEW PRODUCTS.
TO REPEAT...THE NWS OFFICE IN DICKINSON (HOUSTON/GALVESTON) TEXAS
WILL ASSUME SERVICE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE PREPARATION AND
ISSUANCE OF FIRE WEATHER PRODUCTS FOR SOUTHEAST TEXAS BEGINNING
MONDAY MARCH 15 1999 AT 1200 UNIVERSAL COORDINATED TIME (600 AM
CST).
QUESTIONS REGARDING THE SERVICE TRANSFER SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO:
BILL READ JUDSON LADD
METEOROLOGIST-IN-CHARGE REGIONAL PROGRAM MANAGER
NWS OFFICE NWS SOUTHERN REGION HQ
1620 GILL ROAD 819 TAYLOR STREET ROOM 10A26
DICKINSON TEXAS 77539 FORT WORTH TEXAS 76102
TELEPHONE:281-337-5074 TELEPHONE:817-978-2652 EXT.109
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