19990216: Transfer to Houston-Fire Wx

• To: nws-changes@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
• Subject: 19990216: Transfer to Houston-Fire Wx
• From: Linda Miller <lmiller@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
• Date: Tue, 16 Feb 1999 08:13:58 -0700 (MST)

ZCZC WSHPNSWSH ALL
TTAA00 KWSH DDHHMM

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT...SERVICE CHANGE NOTICE 99-22
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HEADQUARTERS WASHINGTON DC
200 PM EST FRI FEB 12 1999

TO:            FAMILY OF SERVICE /FOS/ SUBSCRIBERS...EMERGENCY
               MANAGERS WEATHER INFORMATION NETWORK /EMWIN/
               SUBSCRIBERS... FEDERAL AND NON-FEDERAL LAND
               MANAGEMENT AGENCIES...AND NWS EMPLOYEES

FROM:          THERESE Z. PIERCE CHIEF...INTEGRATED         
               HYDROMETEOROLOGICAL SERVICES CORE
               NWS OFFICE OF METEOROLOGY

SUBJECT:       TRANSFER OF FIRE WEATHER SERVICE RESPONSIBILITY TO
               THE HOUSTON TX NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE...
               EFFECTIVE MARCH 15 1999

EFFECTIVE MONDAY MARCH 15 1999 AT 1200 UNIVERSAL COORDINATED TIME
(600 AM CST)... SERVICE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE PREPARATION AND
ISSUANCE OF FIRE WEATHER PRODUCTS...INCLUDING RED FLAG WATCHES
AND WARNINGS...FOR LAND MANAGEMENT AGENCIES IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS
WILL BE TRANSFERRED TO THE NWS OFFICE IN DICKINSON
(HOUSTON/GALVESTON) TEXAS.  

THE SERVICE TRANSFER IS CONSISTENT WITH THE OVERALL STRATEGIC
PLAN OF THE NWS MODERNIZATION EFFORT AND WILL ENABLE THE
HOUSTON/GALVESTON NWS OFFICE TO TAKE FULL ADVANTAGE OF ITS
INCREASED TECHNOLOGICAL CAPABILITIES THEREBY PROVIDING AN
ENHANCED LEVEL OF FIRE WEATHER SERVICE FOR SOUTHEAST TEXAS AND
THE FOLLOWING SPECIFIC LAND MANAGEMENT AREAS:

          DAVY CROCKETT NATIONAL FOREST
          SAM HOUSTON NATIONAL FOREST
            
CUSTOMERS OF NWS FIRE WEATHER PRODUCTS AND SERVICES IN THESE LAND
MANAGEMENT AREAS SHOULD NOTE THAT...COINCIDENT WITH THE
ASSUMPTION OF SERVICE RESPONSIBILITY BY THE HOUSTON/GALVESTON NWS
OFFICE...ALL PRODUCTS WILL BE ISSUED UNDER NEW PRODUCT
IDENTIFIERS.  THE IDENTIFIERS AND THEIR ASSOCIATED WMO HEADERS 
ARE AS FOLLOWS:

          SATFWFHGX FNUS54    ROUTINE FIRE WEATHER FORECAST
          SATFWLHGX FNUS84    LAND MANAGEMENT FORECAST
          SATFWMHGX FNUS84    MISCELLANEOUS FORE WEATHER PRODUCT
          SATFWNHGX SHUS84    FIRE WEATHER NOTIFICATION MESSAGE
          SATFWOHGX SHUS64    FIRE WEATHER OBSERVATIONS
          SATFWSHGX FNUS74    FIRE WEATHER SUPPRESSION FORECAST
          SATRFDHGX FNUS64    RANGELAND FIRE DANGER FORECAST
          SATRFWHGX WWUS84    RED FLAG WARNING
          SATSMFHGX FNUS74    SMOKE MANAGEMENT WEATHER FORECAST

THE ISSUANCE OF THESE PRODUCTS ARE BASED ON SERVICE REQUIREMENTS
ESTABLISHED IN CLOSE COORDINATION WITH BOTH FEDERAL AND NON-
FEDERAL LAND MANAGEMENT AGENCIES.   HOWEVER...CURRENT LEGISLATIVE
POLICY PROHIBITS THE NWS FROM PROVIDING NON-ROUTINE FIRE WEATHER
PRODUCTS TO NON-FEDERAL LAND MANAGEMENT AGENCIES... EXCEPT IN
DIRECT SUPPORT OF WILDFIRE SUPPRESSION.

PLEASE NOTE...SUBSCRIBERS TO THE FAMILY OF SERVICES (FOS) AND THE
EMERGENCY MANAGERS WEATHER INFORMATION NETWORK (EMWIN) MUST TAKE
THE APPROPRIATE ACTION TO ENSURE RECEIPT OF THESE NEW PRODUCTS. 

TO REPEAT...THE NWS OFFICE IN DICKINSON (HOUSTON/GALVESTON) TEXAS
WILL ASSUME SERVICE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE PREPARATION AND
ISSUANCE OF FIRE WEATHER PRODUCTS FOR SOUTHEAST TEXAS BEGINNING
MONDAY MARCH 15 1999 AT 1200 UNIVERSAL COORDINATED TIME (600 AM
CST).

QUESTIONS REGARDING THE SERVICE TRANSFER SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO:

     BILL READ                     JUDSON LADD
     METEOROLOGIST-IN-CHARGE       REGIONAL PROGRAM MANAGER
     NWS OFFICE                    NWS SOUTHERN REGION HQ
     1620 GILL ROAD                819 TAYLOR STREET ROOM 10A26
     DICKINSON TEXAS 77539         FORT WORTH TEXAS 76102

     TELEPHONE:281-337-5074        TELEPHONE:817-978-2652 EXT.109
END
NNNN