20040528: VTEC

• To: nws-changes@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
• Subject: 20040528: VTEC
• From: Linda Miller <lmiller@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
• Date: Fri, 28 May 2004 13:14:37 -0600

NOUS41 KWBC 281827
PNSWSH

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HEADQUARTERS WASHINGTON DC
230 PM EDT FRI MAY 28 2004

TO:       FAMILY OF SERVICES /FOS/ SUBSCRIBERS...NOAA WEATHER
         WIRE SERVICE /NWWS/ SUBSCRIBERS...EMERGENCY MANAGERS
         WEATHER INFORMATION NETWORK /EMWIN/ SUBSCRIBERS...
         NOAAPORT SUBSCRIBERS...OTHER NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
         /NWS/ CUSTOMERS AND PARTNERS...AND NWS EMPLOYEES

FROM:     JACK HAYES
         DIRECTOR...NWS OFFICE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

SUBJECT:  VALID TIME EVENT CODE /VTEC/ AND WATCH BY COUNTY /WBC/
         UPDATE 5/28/04

THIS MESSAGE IS PART OF A SERIES OF UPDATE MESSAGES TO INFORM NWS
PARTNERS AND CUSTOMERS OF NEW INFORMATION REGARDING THE VALID TIME EVENT
CODE /VTEC/ PLANNING...TESTING AND IMPLEMENTATION.  VTEC INFORMATION IS
POSTED ON THE NWS WEB SITE AT /USE LOWER CASE/:

              HTTP://WWW.NWS.NOAA.GOV/OS/VTEC/

THE VTEC INITIAL OPERATIONAL TEST AND EVALUATION /IOTE/ WAS CONDUCTED AT
THE NWS HEADQUARTERS FROM MID-APRIL TO MID-MAY 2004.  THE IOTE RESULTED
IN IDENTIFICATION OF SEVERAL DEFICIENCIES THAT NEED TO BE CORRECTED
BEFORE THE OPERATIONAL TEST AND EVALUATION /OTE/ BEGINS.  WE ANTICIPATE
CORRECTING THE SOFTWARE AND POSITIONING THE FIELD SITES TO PARTICIPATE
IN OTE OF BOTH VTEC AND WATCH BY COUNTY LATER THIS SUMMER. THESE DELAYS
WILL SLIGHTLY DELAY THE DECEMBER 1 2004 INITIAL OPERATIONAL
IMPLEMENTATION OF VTEC UNTIL EARLY 2005.  THERE ARE NO SIGNIFICANT
CHANGES TO THE WATCH BY COUNTY OPERATIONAL IMPLEMENTATION DATE.

A NEW SCHEDULE FOR VTEC AND WBC OPERATIONAL TEST AND EVALUATION /OTE/
AND OPERATIONAL IMPLEMENTATION IS BEING DEVELOPED.  SPECIFIC DATES WILL
BE RELEASED IN EARLY JUNE 2004.

THE VTEC WEB SITE HAS BEEN REVISED AND UPDATED TO INCLUDE THE SIGNED
VERSION OF THE NWS INSTRUCTION /NWSI/ 10-1703 DESCRIBING VTEC.  AN
OVERVIEW OF THE CHANGES MADE FROM THE APRIL 1 2004 DRAFT IS
ALSO ON THE VTEC WEB SITE.  CHANGES MADE IN THE APRIL 1 2004 DRAFT ARE
BASED LARGELY ON REVIEWERS COMMENTS.  WE APPRECIATE THE MANY COMMENTS
RECEIVED FROM INTERNAL NWS HEADQUARTERS AND REGIONAL OFFICES AND FROM
EXTERNAL CUSTOMERS AND PARTNERS.

FUTURE UPDATES TO THE VTEC WEB SITE WILL INCLUDE THE VTEC OTE PLAN AND
TEXT VERSIONS OF SAMPLE PRODUCT ISSUANCES WITH VTEC STRINGS.

BACKGROUND:
VTEC WILL ENABLE WEATHER PROVIDERS AND VENDORS TO AUTOMATE AND TAILOR
THE PRODUCT STREAM DELIVERED TO THEIR CLIENTS. VTEC WILL ALLOW CUSTOMERS
TO SELECT THE SPECIFIC MESSAGE TYPES THEY WANT TO RECEIVE.  VTEC WILL
IMPROVE AUTOMATED DISSEMINATION OF WEATHER INFORMATION TO THE PUBLIC
THROUGH A MYRIAD OF METHODS...SUCH AS PAGING SYSTEMS AND TELEVISION
MESSAGE CRAWL SYSTEMS...USED TO RELAY URGENT SEVERE WEATHER AND FLASH
FLOOD INFORMATION.  MOST EVENT-DRIVEN PRODUCTS WITH THE UNIVERSAL
GEOGRAPHIC CODE /UGC/ WILL INCLUDE VTEC.

PLEASE SEND COMMENTS ON VTEC AND THE UPCOMING VTEC IMPLEMENTATION VIA
E-MAIL TO /USE LOWER CASE/:

                   NWS.VTEC@xxxxxxxx

THIS AND OTHER NOTIFICATION MESSAGES ARE AVAILABLE ONLINE AT /USE LOWER
CASE/:

       HTTP://WWW.NWS.NOAA.GOV/OS/NOTIF.HTM

THIS AND OTHER VTEC UPDATE NOTICES ARE ALSO POSTED ON THE VTEC WEB PAGE
SHOWN AT THE TOP OF THIS MESSAGE.

THE NEXT VTEC UPDATE MESSAGE IS PLANNED FOR EARLY JUNE 2004.

$$
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