WeatherCall and the NSBA

National School Board Association Conference, WeatherCall Services, and School Safety

NSBA Conference Logo April 4-7, 2014 school board members from districts around the country will gather in New Orleans for the annual conference of the National School Board Association. WeatherCall Services, a “trusted core partner” of the National Weather Service (NWS), and “Weather Ready Nation Ambassador” organization is taking a leading role at the conference by teaching a course about weather risk planning at one of the Study Hall Sessions on Sunday afternoon, April 6th and sponsoring a site visit to the local NWS office in Slidell, LA. An advanced notification technology, WeatherCall for Schools will be introduced at the conference.

While tornadoes grab the headlines, virtually every school in the nation has had to deal with thunderstorms and lightning. A NOAA weather radio is a broad-brushed SPC School Damage

component of a multi-layered solution schools should have in place to better utilize advances in severe weather warning technology now used by NWS. Layers Save Lives™

The NSBA's magazine, American School Board Journal recently invited WeatherCall to submit an article about severe weather planning following another devastating year of tornado damage to schools in Oklahoma. The article titled 'Bad Weather Warnings for Schools' describes how a school system can strengthen its plans before severe weather strikes again in the form of tornadoes, damaging winds, large hail, and deadly lightning strikes. It was co-authored by Valerie Ritterbusch, President/Meteorologist, Bob Goldhammer, Certified Emergency Manager/Certified Business Continuity Professional/Operations Manager, and Brad Huffines, National Notification Consultant and Chief Meteorologist for WeatherCall Services.

One of the best tools available for making school severe weather safety decisions also happens to be one of the least expensive. When the NWS issues a tornado, severe thunderstorm or flash flood warning, or lightning strikes within 6 miles of a school's registered location, WeatherCall for Schools uses a combination of phone calls, SMS-text messages, and emails to proactively and rapidly deliver warning information. This address-specific system virtually eliminates false alarms and the hunt for additional information. Immediately delivered is:

• Exactly what NWS has determined about the danger in text form.
• School-centric maps displaying the warning "box".
• Weather radar animation.

Priced at $45/yr, it is a total severe weather and lightning notification solution at a price every K-12 public and private school can hopefully afford. While every school Schools Warning Example A

in America is supposed to have a working NOAA weather radio, that is just one single layer of notification, specific to a county, not a school's address. All the real-time situational information necessary for swiftly and confidently making sheltering decisions is contained in one communication from WeatherCall for Schools when literally, seconds may count.

Another topic of interest is our WeatherCall for Fundraising program. Tired of managing cookie dough, wrapping paper, and butter braid sales? Here's an alternative for raising money which could literally save someone's life! Drive your school districts' severe weather safety initiative home to your student's families while raising money for your not-for-profit organizations.

If you are attending the NSBA Conference in New Orleans, please stop by our booth, number 1346 and talk to us about how to help improve your severe weather decision-making challenges. You may also want to attend the Study Hall Session workshop being presented by Bob Goldhammer and Brad Huffines. Bob is a Certified Emergency Manager and subject matter expert in developing and exercising safety and operations continuity plans. Brad is a subject matter expert in meteorology, emergency information dissemination, and effective use of social media during disasters. We promise you will walk away with a greater understanding of both your challenges as well as new solutions.

If you have any questions in advance, please feel free to contact us:

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SUNDAY, APRIL 6, 2014 at the NSBJ Annual Conference

Session: Study Hall 5-G - School Severe Weather Safety

Type: Study Hall

Time: 2:45 PM - 3:15 PM

Location: Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, Hall E

SUNDAY, APRIL 7, 2014

Field Trip: Weather as a Lesson: NOAA Tour

Tour the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), a federal agency focused on the condition of the oceans and the atmosphere, and discover the multitude of resources they have developed to support K–12 education. Plus, hear a presentation by school leaders about the technology policies and practices they put in place to successfully weather storms that have struck their districts.

Lunch and transportation provided.

WeatherCall and the NSBA

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