If local spotter groups operate their own Nets, what does ALERT do at the NWS?

Someone has to take all the reports submitted by spotter groups throughout the state and relay that information to NWS forecasters, making sure that location and the data itself are clear. In turn--if the NWS needs additional information on weather occurring in a particular area-- someone has to be able to contact the appropriate spotter group. These are the most critical functions ALERT Liaisons provide.

Wouldn't it be better for locally operated Nets to be run directly by a station at NWS?

First, there is no practical way for every local Net to be operated from the NWS. With numerous spotter nets across the NWS' county warning area, space limitations alone would prevent so many amateurs from being in one place at the same time. If the local Nets can pass their messages to Net Controls at the NWS, the messaging process itself is faster, since the NWS Net Control doesn't have to run the actual spotter net directly. This also allows the local net's Net Control to prioritize and better control information which needs to be relayed to the NWS.

I've been told that ALERT monitors our frequency a lot. Can we assume then, that ALERT will always know about severe weather that's occurring in our area and that we don't have to actually tell them about it?

No. ALERT Liaisons are not the operators of your local net. The local net's Net Control should take steps to make sure that important information is relayed to, and acknowledged by, ALERT. This can be done by verifying with ALERT on the air (if an ALERT Liaison is on frequency) or by relaying the information to ALERT on a separate channel or mode.

We specifically advise against making any assumptions about information being received when no acknowledgement has been made.

We have an active spotter net on 2 meters. Is it possible for ALERT to just come "standby" on our frequency to take reports?

That is something ALERT tries to, but cannot always, do. If possible, we may use a remote base system to tune in your area's local 2 meter net. If severe weather is occurring in many areas, however, we may be using the remote to move from area to area. Consequently, ALERT Liaisons may not be monitoring your particular frequency all the time. In addition, due to multiple repeaters and the accompanying interference on the same band, we are unable to access some 2 meter frequencies at all.

If ALERT is not able to be with us on our 2 meter frequency, then, how can we maintain contact?

By having a Liaison on a pre-designated secondary frequency or band. The best bands for this are 440 MHz and 220 MHz. ALERT remote base systems have the capability to tune in a wide variety of frequencies on 220 and 440 MHz as well, including PL encode.

Nobody in our area has capability other than 2 meters. They feel like it would be hard to justify the expense of adding a 440 MHz or 220 MHz base or mobile radio.

The scope of emergency communications in Alabama has clearly made more use of the 220 and 440 MHz bands during recent years. While 2 meters is an excellent and widely preferred band for local area coverage, congestion has led to linking and messaging between cities (as well as administrative traffic) making much heavier use of 220 MHz and 440 MHz.

Many amateurs in Alabama have long since made the commitment to use these higher frequencies for emergency communications. They have invested thousands of dollars in repeaters and other hardware that are dedicated to operation on 220 MHz and 440 MHz, making the cost of investing in mobile and base radios to access these systems much smaller by comparison.

If we have severe weather in our area but there is no ALERT Liaison on duty at the NWS, how do we get our information to the NWS?

By using the telephone. The NWS has local numbers available in the Birmingham area and a state-wide toll-free number (1-800-856-0758) for calls from outside the local calling area. The statewide number is answered by a machine--it is intended for submission of weather reports only. However, forecasters are listening as you make your report, so it is usually logged as you are giving it even if no one picks up the telephone.

If we call in and leave a message on the NWS' answering machine instead of talking with a ham on the air, how do we know our report is ever going to be listened to?

The answering machine is located in the main forecast area where there is always a concentration of people and the speaker is always turned up. Forecasters place a high priority on listening to incoming messages, especially during severe weather.

While you may not hear anyone pick up the phone and talk with you while leaving your message, it's not unusual for a meteorologist to call back within a few minutes to ask for more information. For this reason, leaving your name and a valid contact number during your message is very important-- you may get called back! Even if you don't get called back, your message was most likely being listened to while you were leaving it.

Even though we concentrate on weather in our local county, our repeater covers into adjacent counties. If a ham from an outlying area gets on our frequency with a spotter report, should we help him, even though he/she is not in the county we deal with?

We urge you to help. The ham in that outlying area is only trying to serve his community, just as you are trying to help serve yours. He/she may be on your frequency because he has no other net he can access and is trying to get an important spotter report to the NWS.

Amateur radio is all about helping. Maintaining a territorial perspective ("that's not my area, so it's not my problem") has never helped anyone.

ALERT has 39 Alabama counties in its area of service responsibility. While we technically are not responsible for any counties in eastern Mississippi, for example, if we were asked to relay an emergency message to the NWS in Jackson, we would assist without hesitation.

How can I find out more about being a Liaison for ALERT? Are there specific requirements for being a Liaison at the NWS?

Contact ALERT's President,

ALERT requires training and certification of all Liaisons. This is done to insure continuity of operations to the spotter groups we serve and to help the Liaisons themselves be as proficient as possible in their duty performance.