NOUS41 KWBC 301351 PNSWSH PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT...SERVICE CHANGE NOTICE 01-48 NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WASHINGTON DC 945 AM EDT THU AUG 30 2001 TO: FAMILY SERVICE /FOS/ SUBSCRIBERS...NOAA WEATHER WIRE SERVICE /NWWS/ SUBSCRIBERS...EMERGENCY MANAGERS WEATHER INFORMATION NETWORK /EMWIN/ SUBSCRIBERS... FEDERAL AND NON-FEDERAL LAND MANAGEMENT AGENCIES... OTHER NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE /NWS/ CUSTOMERS AND PARTNERS...AND NWS EMPLOYEES FROM: JAMES E. LEE CHIEF...FIRE AND PUBLIC WEATHER SERVICES BRANCH SUBJECT: TRANSFER OF FIRE WEATHER SERVICE RESPONSIBILITY TO NWS FORECAST OFFICE IN NEW ORLEANS LOUISIANA...EFFECTIVE NOVEMBER 1 2001 EFFECTIVE THURSDAY NOVEMBER 1 2001 AT 1000 UNIVERSAL COORDINATED TIME /0500 AM CDT/...SERVICE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE PREPARATION AND ISSUANCE OF FIRE WEATHER PRODUCTS...INCLUDING FIRE WEATHER WATCHES AND RED FLAG WARNINGS...FOR LAND MANAGEMENT AGENCIES IN SOUTH MISSISSIPPI WILL BE TRANSFERRED FROM THE NWS OFFICE IN JACKSON MISSISSIPPI TO THE NWS OFFICE IN NEW ORLEANS LOUISIANA. ON THE EFFECTIVE DATE...WFO NEW ORLEANS WILL ISSUE FIRE WEATHER FORECASTS FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES: IN SOUTH MISSISSIPPI AMITE HANCOCK HARRISON JACKSON PEARL RIVER PIKE WALTHALL WILKINSON THE SERVICE TRANSFER IS CONSISTENT WITH THE OVERALL STRATEGIC PLAN OF THE NWS MODERNIZATION EFFORT AND WILL ENABLE THE NEW ORLEANS NWS OFFICE TO TAKE FULL ADVANTAGE OF ITS INCREASED TECHNOLOGICAL CAPABILITIES THEREBY PROVIDING AN ENHANCED LEVEL OF FIRE WEATHER SERVICE FOR SOUTH MISSISSIPPI AND THE FOLLOWING SPECIFIC LAND MANAGEMENT AREAS: HOMOCHITTO NATIONAL FOREST DESOTO NATIONAL FOREST ST CATHERINE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE MISSISSIPPI SANDHILL CRANE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE BOGUE CHITTO NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE GRAND BAY NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE CUSTOMERS OF NWS FIRE WEATHER PRODUCTS AND SERVICES IN THESE LAND MANAGEMENT AREAS SHOULD NOTE THAT...COINCIDENT WITH THE ASSUMPTION OF SERVICE RESPONSIBILITY BY THE NEW ORLEANS NWS OFFICE...ALL FIRE WEATHER PRODUCTS WILL BE ISSUED UNDER NEW PRODUCT IDENTIFIERS. THE IDENTIFIERS AND THEIR ASSOCIATED WMO HEADERS ARE AS FOLLOWS: WMO HEADER AWIPS ID PIL ID DESCRIPTION FNUS54 KLIX FWFNEW NEWFWFNEW ROUTINE FIRE WEATHER FORECAST FNUS84 KLIX FWMNEW NEWFWMNEW NFDRS SITE FORECAST WWUS84 KLIX RFWNEW NEWRFWNEW RED FLAG WARNING AND/OR FIRE WEATHER WATCH THE FOLLOWING IDENTIFIERS AND THEIR ASSOCIATED WMO HEADERS ARE AVAILABLE FOR USE BUT NO PRODUCTS ARE CURRENTLY IN USE AT THIS TIME: WMO HEADER AWIPS ID PIL ID DESCRIPTION FNUS74 KLIX SMFNEW NEWSMFNEW SMOKE MANAGEMENT WEATHER FORECAST FNUS64 KLIX RFDNEW NEWRFDNEW RANGELAND FIRE DANGER STATEMENT FNUS84 KLIX FWLNEW NEWFWLNEW LAND MANAGEMENT FORECAST SHUS84 KLIX FWNNEW NEWFWNNEW FIRE WEATHER NOTIFICATION MESSAGE ISSUANCE OF THESE PRODUCTS ARE BASED ON SERVICE REQUIREMENTS ESTABLISHED IN CLOSE COORDINATION WITH BOTH FEDERAL AND NON- FEDERAL LAND MANAGEMENT AGENCIES. HOWEVER...CURRENT LEGISLATIVE POLICY PROHIBITS THE NWS FROM PROVIDING NON-ROUTINE FIRE WEATHER PRODUCTS TO NON-FEDERAL LAND MANAGEMENT AGENCIES... EXCEPT IN DIRECT SUPPORT OF WILDFIRE SUPPRESSION. PLEASE NOTE...SUBSCRIBERS TO THE FAMILY OF SERVICES /FOS/...NOAA WEATHER WIRE SERVICE /NWWS/... AND THE EMERGENCY MANAGERS WEATHER INFORMATION NETWORK /EMWIN/ MUST TAKE THE APPROPRIATE ACTION TO ENSURE RECEIPT OF THESE NEW PRODUCTS USING THE NEW PRODUCT IDENTIFIERS. TO REPEAT...THE NWS OFFICE IN NEW ORLEANS LOUISIANA WILL ASSUME SERVICE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE PREPARATION AND ISSUANCE OF FIRE WEATHER PRODUCTS FOR SOUTH MISSISSIPPI BEGINNING THURSDAY NOVEMBER 1 2001 AT 1000 UNIVERSAL COORDINATED TIME...500 AM CDT. QUESTIONS REGARDING THE SERVICE TRANSFER SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO: PAUL TROTTER PAUL WITSAMAN METEOROLOGIST-IN-CHARGE REGIONAL PROGRAM MANAGER NWS FORECAST OFFICE NWS SOUTHERN REGION HQ 62300 AIRPORT ROAD 819 TAYLOR STREET ROOM 10A26 SLIDELL LA 70460-5243 FORT WORTH TX 76102 PHONE: 985-649-0357 PHONE: 817-978-1100 EXT. 116 THIS NOTICE AND OTHER SERVICE CHANGE NOTICES ARE ON THE INTERNET AT /USE LOWER CASE LETTERS/: www.nws.noaa.gov/om/notif.htm END NNNN