Hey hey!
I’m preparing to develop software which uses existing real-time weather information sources to provide enhanced alerts to subscribers. I’m hoping to speak with meteorologists in the area to gain a better understanding of the status quo, which data sources should be used & what common expectations are. Please reach out to me in this thread if you are free to meet at the Space in the next week or so. Thanks!
-Daniel Love
What about someone who deals with weather emergencies like FEMA folks or state-level emergency agencies? They probably have lots of context about what kind of dangers a specific weather conditions can bring.
I don’t have super formal knowledge around any of this - but sounds like a fun project!
If you want any testers or opinions I’m happy to help. (I’ve been on the ground shortly after some natural events on volunteer and work roles)
Would this be similar to the way that CodeRED works?
That’s the first I’ve heard of that system. Yes, there are certain aspects of that system similar to what I am proposing – but I am hoping to add a little more essential info to the alerts to help people better avoid harm.
That sounds interesting. Are you familiar with how RACES and ARES groups coordinate with offices of emergency management of various cities and the National Weather Service? I used to be active with Richardson RACES.
Brady W5LH
NWS runs an excellent SKYWARN series of classes during the first quarter of each year to have spotters ready for springtime when violent weather is so common. The classes are free and have both remote and in person sessions. It’s required for spotters and many workers in emergency services. Classes are fascinating in that they teach not only what to watch for but details of how storms evolve, radar technology abilities and limitations and reporting criteria and protocols.
https://www.weather.gov/fwd/skywarnmap
I would like to hear an overview of your planned services.
I am not familiar with RACES or ARES group coordination. Thanks for the info about SKYWARN! I’ll certainly take some of their classes this spring, since I plan to travel through the Alley later this spring & want to be well-prepared.
The gist of the service proposal is not to just warn people they are in a dangerous area and to seek shelter – but to provide each person who has GPS features enabled specific intel about whether it is safe for them to travel & if so, which direction has the shortest path out of the danger zone. Such tech could eventually be integrated into GPS navigation apps (warning people about a danger zone ahead, and/or auto-routing them toward safer areas), or even into intersection traffic lights (e.g. left-turn traffic light blinks red if more dangerous conditions are that way).
Plano and Fort Worth both use CodeRED as their official system to integrate into city-wide notifications. That alone is a huge client base. I’m guessing others probably also use it. You might investigate what it takes you to be compatible with and/or build on top of CodeRED rather than competing with it directly.
I expect I would need to integrate with CodeRED, or one or more of the systems CodeRED relies on. Given the experimental nature of the proposed new system, use of it would need to be optional.
When you’ve worked through all the legal liability issues surrounding your service – you know, mistakes, waivers, duty to keep information perfectly current, etc. – post your results here. It should make interesting reading.