Southeast U.S. EMWIN Workshop 2006
October 12, 2006
with sponsorship by the
Birmingham National Weather Service Office
and the Jefferson County Emergency Management Agency

EMWIN, or the Emergency Manager's Weather Information Network, was developed by the NWS to fulfill a recognized need to provide the emergency management community with access to a set of NWS warnings, watches, forecasts and other products with minimal cost and without the need for recurring cost. Toward that end, EMWIN has evolved into a fully operational and supported NWS service.

EMWIN is a suite of data access methods which make available a live stream of weather and other critical emergency information. Each method has unique advantages. Present methods in use or under development for disseminating the basic datastream include radio, the Internet, and satellite distribution. More information on EMWIN can be found on the National Weather Service EMWIN Page.

The annual Southeast U.S. EMWIN Workshop planned this year is being sponsored jointly by the Birmingham National Weather Service Office and Jefferson County Emergency Management Agency. The workshop is intended as an opportunity for people to learn more about EMWIN and its uses as well as an opportunity for those already using EMWIN to share information.

This will be the 6th annual workshop held in Alabama for users in the Southeastern U.S. The focus will be on the operational use of EMWIN including detailed descriptions of NWS products, EMWIN software including Weather Message (WxMesg) and RealEMWIN.

The workshop planners intend to make this as user oriented as possible with the help of everyone through open discussion and the sharing of comments, ideas and questions.

When and Where (back to top)

The Southeast U.S. EMWIN Workshop will be held on Thursday, October 12th in Birmingham, AL. This will be held at the Jefferson County Emergency Management Office from 930 AM - 3 PM, in downtown Birmingham. Click here for a map or utilize Google Maps. This workshop will bring together EMWIN enthusiasts from the general public, along with users from local, state, and federal agencies. Speakers will include experts in the EMWIN field, from the local to national level. A $10 registration fee will be collected at the door, with all fees collected going to pay for the catered lunch that will be provided. Directions and local hotel information about the workshop are listed below.

If you plan on attending, please R.S.V.P. National Weather Service Warning Coordination Meteorologist (WCM) Jason B. Wright, workshop coordinator, at jason.b.wright@noaa.gov, by Tuesday, October 10th.

Jefferson County Emergency Management Agency
709 N 19th Street
Birmingham, AL 35203

Workshop Parking:
Boutwell Auditorium
Parking Deck
Corner of 8th Ave N
and 19th St N

If you are coming from the south...

1.) Take I-65 North to Exit 260B (3rd Ave North)
2.) Bear Left at 11th St N...parallel Interstate for 0.5 mile
3.) Turn Right at 8th Ave N
4.) Arrive at Boutwell Auditorium for Parking
5.) Walk South down 19th St N...South of 8th Ave N
6.) Walk in front of City Hall
7.) Jefferson County EMA on left before next parking garage
8.) Parking tickets will be validated at the workshop

If you are coming from the north...

1.) Take I-65 South to Exit 261A (I-20 E/I-59 N Exit)
2.) Take the 17th St N Exit 125A to Downtown
3.) Bear Right on 17th St N
4.) Turn left on 8th Ave N
5.) Arrive at Boutwell Auditorium for Parking
6.) Walk South down 19th St N...South of 8th Ave N
7.) Walk in front of City Hall
8.) Jefferson County EMA on left before next parking garage
9.) Parking tickets will be validated at the workshop

If you are coming from the east...

1.) Take I-59 South or I-20 West to Exit 125 (22nd St N)
2.) Take Left on 22nd St N
3.) Turn Right on 8th AveN
4.) Arrive at Boutwell Auditorium for Parking
5.) Walk South down 19th St N...South of 8th Ave N
6.) Walk in front of City Hall
7.) Jefferson County EMA on left before next parking garage
8.) Parking tickets will be validated at the workshop

If you are coming from the west...

1.) Take I-20 E or I-59 N to Exit 125A (17th St N)
2.) Bear Right on 17th St N
3.) Turn left on 8th Ave N
4.) Arrive at Boutwell Auditorium for Parking
5.) Walk South down 19th St N...South of 8th Ave N
6.) Walk in front of City Hall
7.) Jefferson County EMA on left before next parking garage
8.) Parking tickets will be validated at the workshop

Registration (back to top)

Advance registration is strongly encouraged in order to accurately estimate attendance. Please, do NOT send any money with your advance registration; the registration fee is only payable at the door and will only be used to pay for the catered lunch. Advance registration for the workshop should be made by e-mail to jason.b.wright@noaa.gov or by regular mail to the address shown at the bottom of the page.

Agenda (back to top)

The following tentative agenda has been planned for this workshop. Changes or adjustments to the agenda may be necessary as the date of the workshop gets closer. Check back frequently!

Presenters and Affiliations (back to top)

As noted in the agenda, the following people will be presenting EMWIN information at the workshop.

Mike E. Harter - Jefferson County EMA, Training & Exercise Officer

Allen Kniphfer - Jefferson County Emergency Management Director

Mark Linhares - Senior Meteorologist, NWS Birmingham, Alabama

Danny Lloyd - Weather Message Software Developer, Tallapoosa County 911 Board,
Alexander City, Alabama

Tom Moore - RACES and EMWIN Coordinator, Lee County, Alabama

Brian Peters - ABC 33/40 Meteorologist, Alabama SKYWARN Foundation

Jason B. Wright - Warning Coordination Meteorologist, NWS Birmingham, Alabama

In addition to being presenters, the folks above comprise the Southeast U.S. EMWIN Workshop Coordinating Committee for this event.

Lodging (back to top)

Sheraton Hotel
2101 Richard Arrington Jr. Blvd. North
Birmingham, AL 35203
205-324-5000

Tutwiler Hotel
2021 Park Place
Birmingham, AL 35203
205-323-2182

Correspondence (back to top)

Comments, questions, or suggestions about the Southeast U.S. EMWIN Workshop should be addressed to the address below or you can e-mail the workshop coordinator, Jason B. Wright, at jason.b.wright@noaa.gov.

National Weather Service Forecast Office
Attn: Jason B. Wright
465 Weathervane Road
Calera, AL 35040
205-664-3010 ext. 223

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