June 18, 2015

SVSU earns National Weather Service’s ‘StormReady’ status again

The National Weather Service renewed Saginaw Valley State University’s “StormReady” certification on June 16 following a site visit.

The six-year certification recognizes SVSU as prepared to handle hazardous weather.

“The ‘StormReady’ certification that SVSU recently renewed is just one of the many ways university departments work together to keep the community safe,” said Ron Trepkowski, SVSU’s chief of University Police.

“The devastation that can happen during a storm makes preparedness a must.”

The “StormReady” program encourages communities — including universities — to take a proactive approach of improving hazardous weather operations and public awareness, said Richard Pollman, warning coordination meteorologist at the National Weather Service office in White Lake.

“’StormReady’ arms communities with improved communication and safety skills needed to save lives and property — before and during the event,” he said.

Those communities certified as “StormReady” must meet certain qualifications. They must:

• Establish a 24-hour warning point and emergency operations center to receive National Weather Service information.
• Possess more than one way to receive severe weather forecasts and warnings, and more than one way to alert the public.
• Create a system that monitors weather conditions.
• Promote the importance of public readiness through community seminars.
• Develop a formal hazardous weather plan, which includes training severe weather spotters and hosting emergency exercises.

“The United States is the most severe weather-prone region of the world,” Pollman said.

“The mission of the National Weather Service is to reduce the loss of life and property from these storms, and ‘StormReady’ will help us create better prepared communities throughout the country.”