Allen County Storm Spotter Education

Notice! We're sorry, but we cannot guarantee seats to those who have not registered in advance. While it is possible that we will have some unexpected "no shows" that will make seats available for unregistered guests, that's just a possibility. If you don't (or are not able to) pre-register and come anyway, please be prepared for the possibility that you will have not seat.

Thanks to the Allen County Office of Homeland Security, which graciously agreed to become a co-host of this event, the theater at the Allen County Public Library is now available to us. Our meeting will occur on lower level 2 of the main library, in the theater. This means there will be no desks or tables to write on, but we'll be able to accommodate far more people!

Anyone can help protect their community from weather threats like tornadoes. In just a couple of hours, you can learn how severe weather forms, how to distinguish truly threatening weather from scary-looking but harmless clouds, and how to report severe weather so the rest of your community can be adequately warned.

The Allen County chapter of the Amateur Radio Emergency Service invites all interested persons to attend this meeting, You don't have to be a ham radio operator and you don't need any prior knowledge of meteorology or communications.

Scheduled speakers include ABC21 WPTA Weekend Morning Meteorologist Caleb Chevalier, WANE 15 Chief Meteorologist Nicholas Ferreri, WFFT FOX 55 weekend Meteorologist Caleb Saylor, Fort Wayne's NBC Weekend Meteorologist Jon Wilson, Allen County Office of Homeland Security director Bernie Beier, Consolidated Communications Partnership (911/public safety dispatch) deputy director John Chavez, Allen County ARES team leader Jim Moehring and Allen County SKYWARN ham radio net manager Jay Farlow.

Although representatives of the National Weather Service (NWS) are not available for this meeting, we will follow the NWS SKYWARN curriculum with enhancements specific to Allen County. NWS does not plan to teach a spotter class in Allen County until autumn of 2019.

This meeting will be valuable to anyone who is interested in severe weather, including those who have previously received storm spotter training. The vocabulary of the presentations will likely be beyond the understanding of most children younger than 13. Also, the presentation mode will be mostly lecture and PowerPoint slides, with relatively little video. Please take this information into consideration to decide whether this event is appropriate for younger weather enthusiasts.

FAQs

Are there ID or minimum age requirements to enter the event?

No ID is required. The vocabulary of the presentations will likely be beyond the understanding of most children younger than 13. Also, the presentation mode will be mostly lecture and PowerPoint slides, with relatively little video. Please take this information into consideration to decide whether this event is appropriate for younger weather enthusiasts.

What are my transportation/parking options for getting to and from the event?

Surface parking is available near the library. Parking is also available underneath the library. Enter underground parking from Wayne Street. Parking in ACPL lots is free for library card holders (you must bring your library card!) and $1/hour for others. More information about parking is available on the library's website.

How can I contact the organizer with any questions?

Send email to Jay Farlow, arsw9lw@gmail.com

Do I have to bring my printed ticket to the event?

You are not required to bring your ticket, but check-in will go much faster if you do, because we will be able to scan the bar code on your ticket. Because we expect a large crowd (>160!), please bring your ticket to make check-in as fast as possible.

Can I update my registration information?

Yes, you may update your registration information by following these instructions.

Is my registration fee or ticket transferrable?

We will send certificates of attendance to people who attend. These certificates will bear the names on the tickets. If you wish to give your ticket to someone else, please update your registration information with the other person's name and emil address, so the certificate bears the appropriate name and is sent to the appropriate email address.

Is it ok if the name on my ticket or registration doesn't match the person who attends?

We will send certificates of attendance to people who attend. These certificates will bear the names on the tickets. If you wish to give your ticket to someone else, please update your registration information with the other person's name and emil address, so the certificate bears the appropriate name and is sent to the appropriate email address.