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New Information
Technology to Assist Public
Safety
NORMAN: Twenty two emergency managers
from across Oklahoma plus Wichita Falls
and Fort Smith recently participated in a
unique educational outreach program at the
University of Oklahoma that will impact
citizens statewide.
The program known as OK-FIRST:
Oklahoma's First-response Information
Resource System using Telecommunications
is designed to place critical weather
information in the hands of local public
safety officials. The program also
provides training on the use of the
information and follow-up support through
refresher training workshops. All
information is available through computer
linkages between the participants and the
Oklahoma Climatological Survey at the
University of Oklahoma using resources of
Oklahoma's new OneNet system. The program
purchased computer hardware for about
one-half of the participating agencies.
OK-FIRST provides up-to-the-minute
weather data to participating agencies
from a combination 14 NEXRAD Doppler
radars located in and around the state,
the Oklahoma Mesonet a statewide network
of 114 automated observing stations, and
important details from the latest computer
forecast models of the atmosphere.
Additional information from the National
Weather Service is also available.
Delivery of information to public safety
officials through OK-FIRST will speed
responses to impending severe weather,
range fires, hazardous material spills,
and other weather-related emergencies,
which affect lives and property. As a
result, emergency managers in Oklahoma
have been equipped with new informational
technology that is second-to-none
worldwide.
OK-FIRST was funded through a $549,910
grant from the Telecommunications and
Information Infrastructure Assistance
Program, an agency in the U.S. Department
of Commerce. Matching funds for the
program were donated by the University of
Oklahoma, the Oklahoma State Regents for
Higher Education, the Oklahoma Law
Enforcement Telecommunications System, and
Unisys Weather Information Services of
Kennett Square, PA.
Participants were chosen through a
competitive process from over 65
applicants.
Participants took part in two workshops
held at the University of Oklahoma during
June. A 3-day workshop provided basic
computer training and a week-long workshop
focused on using weather information in
emergency operations. OK-FIRST will expand
this fall and next spring when two
additional groups of public safety
officials will receive training.
More Information on the OK-FIRST
project can be found on the World Wide Web
at http://okfirst.mesonet.org.
[Editor's Note: The names and
communities of the participants follow]
ADA -- John Burchett, Director,
Ada/Pontotoc County Emergency
Management
ALVA -- John Farris, Emergency
Management Director/Fire Chief, City of
Alva Emergency Management/Alva Fire
Dept.
ARDMORE -- Meganne Williamson,
Ardmore/Carter County Emergency
Management
BARTLESVILLE -- Kary Cox, Director,
Bartlesville/Washington County Emergency
Management
BLACKWELL -- Gary Robison, Emergency
Preparedness Director, City of
Blackwell
CHANDLER -- Ben Springfield, Director,
Lincoln County Civil Emergency
Management
DURANT -- Johnny Shepherd, Director,
Durant/Bryan County Civil Emergency
Management and Patrick Barkley, Asst.
Dir., Durant/Bryan County Civil Emergency
Management
ENID -- Mike Honigsberg, Director,
Garfield County Emergency Management
FORT SMITH -- Wayne Johnson, Weather
Net/Skywarn Coordinator, Fort Smith Area
Amateur Radio Club
GUYMON -- Dennis Moore, Emergency
Management Director, City of Guymon
Emergency Management
JAY -- Gary Bryant, Director, Jay
Emergency Management
KINGFISHER -- Danny Mastalka, Emergency
Management Director, Kingfisher
City/County Emergency Management
MARLOW -- Steven Dobey, Fire
Chief/Civil Emergency Manager, Marlow Fire
Department
MIAMI -- Terry Durborow, Director, City
of Miami Emergency Management
MOORE -- Gayland Kitch, Emergency
Manager, City of Moore
MUSKOGEE -- Marry Fuller, Director,
City of Muskogee Emergency Management
OKLAHOMA CITY -- David Van Nostrand,
Emergency Management Director, Oklahoma
County Emergency Management and David
Underwood, Oklahoma Department of Civil
Emergency Management
SAYRE -- Billy Bankston, Director,
Beckham County Emergency Management
SULPHUR -- Neil Mayo, Director, Sulphur
Emergency Management
WICHITA FALLS -- Tommy Keesee,
Coordinator, Wichita County Emergency
Management
WILBURTON -- Gerald Downing, Director,
Wilburton/Latimer County Emergency
Management
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