NOUS41 KWBC 171240 PNSWSH Public Information Statement National Weather Service Headquarters, Silver Spring Maryland 742 AM EST Fri Feb 17 2011 To: Subscribers: -Family of Services -NOAA Weather Wire Service -Emergency Managers Weather Information Network -NOAAPORT Other NWS Partners and NWS Employees From: Neal Dipasquale, Acting Director, Field Systems Operations Center AWIPS Support Branch Subject: Weather Radio Improvement Project (WRIP) Operational Test and Evaluation (OTandE) Will start February 20, 2012 The new WRIP system is an effort by the NWS to modernize the current National Weather Radio (NWR) and NOAA Weather Wire Service (NWWS) dissemination systems. WRIP will replace the Console Replacement System (CRS), which is reaching its end of life due to parts obsolescence. The WRIP system will enable NWR and NWWS dissemination systems, facilities, and processes to be merged into a single infrastructure to provide a timely, robust, cost-effective, and scalable network. Additionally, the WRIP system will provide the interface to Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and other emergency management agencies for dissemination of localized and national emergency voice alerts to specific stations. The WRIP OTandE will be conducted in two phases. Phase I will begin with the OTandE site installations and site acceptance testing at each site starting February 22, 2012. The OTandE will be conducted at the following NWS Weather Forecast Offices (in order of installation): -WFO El Paso, TX(EPZ) -WFO Blacksburg, VA(RNK) and WFO Omaha, NE(OAX) (concurrently installed) -WFO Anchorage, AK(AFC)and Honolulu, HI(HFO)(concurrently installed) -WFO Portland, OR(PQR) OTandE phase I will conclude on April 5, 2012. OTandE Phase II will begin shortly thereafter following a test readiness review meeting. During the OTandE, NWWS monitoring will be performed with specific NWWS users and at the following national centers: -Storm Prediction Center(SPC) -National Hurricane Center(NHC) -West Coast/Alaska Tsunami Warning Center(ATWC) -Pacific Tsunami Warning Center(PWTC) For the duration of the OTandE, the test sites will monitor and verify that actual weather messages are successfully scheduled in WRIP and broadcast to NWR and that NWWS messages are transmitted to the master ground station for dissemination. The selected OTandE sites and NWWS users will report any problems with the message transmission. If you have any questions or comments, please contact: Warning Coordination Meteorologist National Weather Service Forecast Office Portland Oregon 503-326-2340 tyree.wilde@noaa.gov John Fausett Warning Coordination Meteorologist National Weather Service Forecast Office El Paso Texas 575-589-4088 x 223 john.fausett@noaa.gov Phil Hysell Warning Coordination Meteorologist National Weather Service Forecast Office Roanoke Virginia 540-552-0084 phil.hysell@noaa.gov Brian Smith Warning Coordination Meteorologist National Weather Service Forecast Office Omaha Nebraska 402-359-2394 brian.smith@noaa.gov Sam Albanese Warning Coordination Meteorologist National Weather Service Forecast Office Anchorage Alaska 907-266-5117 sam.albanese@noaa.gov Michael Cantin Warning Coordination Meteorologist National Weather Service Forecast Office Honolulu Hawaii 808-973-5272 michael.cantin@noaa.gov Bobby Martinez John Simensky WRIP Program Manager Weather Radio Improvement Project Silver Spring Maryland Silver Spring Maryland 301-713-3391 x 166 301-713-0090 x 150 bobby.martinez@noaa.gov john.simensky@noaa.gov National Public Information Statements are online at: http://www.nws.noaa.gov/os/notif.htm $$