The National Weather Service and AWS Convergence Technologies, Inc. enter a renewed public/private partnership. WeatherBug has partnered with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce, and the National Weather Service (NWS) in an important Homeland Security initiative. The partnership will greatly expand the use of WeatherBug’s live weather data in an effort to aid our communities’ Homeland Security efforts.
The leading benefit to this strong partnership is to have the data to better respond to Homeland Security incidents or disasters.
In August 2002, WeatherBug formed an exclusive partnership with NOAA’s National Weather Service to provide weather information during disasters and Homeland Security incidents, assisting our nation’s ongoing security efforts against terrorism. The leaders of NWS and AWS Convergence Technologies, Inc. (AWS/WeatherBug) signed a new memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the organizations to more effectively incorporate data from the world’s largest weather station network into NWS operations.
Real-time weather information such as wind speed/direction and surface temperatures can help shape all of these key decisions. When local officials know more about the movement of hazards in the air, such as smoke or dangerous chemicals, they can make more informed decisions that can save lives.
When disaster strikes, local officials may have only minutes to make critical decisions that can save lives and property. Instant access to accurate, live and local weather can speed decision-making and improve response in the following ways:
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NWS and WeatherBug join together and sign new MOU on December 21, 2006
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The WeatherBug Network enables first responders in your community to quickly and effectively respond to natural disasters and Homeland Security incidents
“AWS has consistently looked for ways to work with government for the good of the American people. By employing AWS data, NOAA's National Weather Service has improved its products and services. Their civic-minded approach to safeguarding lives and property has been an inspiration for others in the field.”
- Retired Air Force Brig. Gen. David L. Johnson, Director of NOAA's National Weather Service