(l-r): Commissioner John Kefalas; Kohl Parrot and Shayle Sabo, EMS Coordinators; Greg
Hanson, NWS; Lori Hodges, EMS Director; & Commissioner Tom Donnelly.
Larimer County has been designated as a participant in StromReady Program by the National Weather Service, (NWS). The Larimer County Commissioners at their meeting in February received an award as a member of NWS’s StormReady Program.
StormReady further enhances Larimer County’s preparedness through a 24-hour warning point and emergency operations center; creation of more than one way to receive severe weather forecasts, and formation of a system to monitor weather conditions. “This solidifies the relationship between the weather service and our emergency management partners,” said Greg Hanson, Warning Coordination Meteorologist with the NWS.
Under the program, residents can receive weather-related information in multiple ways. The StormReady Program also allows the development of a formal hazardous weather plan, training severe weather spotters and regular emergency exercises. “We are the first region in the Colorado to get the StromReady designation,” said Lori Hodges, Larimer County Director of Emergency Management, “since the majority of our hazards are weather-based, our partnership with the National Weather Service is vital.” The StormReady recognition is valid for 3 years, until December 2021.