About the Role
Assist in damage reports and helps with NWS surveys.
Rather by car, foot, or drone footage by air, the Disaster Response Team goes out in field to report Storm damage and helps National Weather Service out with surveys in a straight line wind event or tornado event. Also helps with a hail event and floods.
These are members who has access to closed off zones or nearby closed zones to assist weather damage. Non-closed zones must be treated the same way as if it was closed off.
Qualifications:
-Must be at least 18 years old
-Free training is provided with FEMA Courses 100, 200, 700, and 800
-drones are recommended
Safety measures:
- FEMA paperwork completion must be provided to access closed off zones
- steel toe shoes (required)
- reflective safety vest (required)
- watch your surroundings (always)
- a helmet (recommended)
- construction safety gloves (recommended)
-flashlight high beam (required at night)
- vehicle with a 360 view of amber white lights (required)
-Non-closed zones must be treated the same way as if it was closed off.
Requirements
-We want to make sure everyone gets the proper training they need for their position. Based on the team member position, will determine what training they need. All trainings that are marked as required in our training module, must be done with a timely manor of 2 months or if you are a Floater, you would have 3 months time to complete the trainings. Yes, you may get additional time if needed, but you must communicate with a PCSIT Leadership Team Member to get additional time.
-All members within the team must be at least 16 years of age to join our team.
-Anyone who is in high school or in college must not have a grade lower than a C- in any of their classes. In addition, homework must be completed before participating.
-16 and 17 year olds must have a certified PCSIT member (ride along) with them when Storm Spotting. 16 and 17 year olds are not allowed to storm spot alone.
-During active events across NW Indiana or NE Illinois region, we will attend some of those events. Like for this year, it would be the popcorn fest in Valparaiso, Indiana,that we will be attending. We also have our own meet and greet we do yearly which usually happens in the summer time.
-In regards to participation, it is based on your position within the team, it is based on the PCSIT Monthly meetings, this will also include your trainings, and it is based on a team effort.
-In regards to communications, we have a messenger group chat we communicate on and we have a zello channel we communicate on which is mostly used for our members when reporting out in field and radar tech use. Communications are basic with no 10 codes or color codes. We also do not use unit numbers. This makes the communications much easier. Communications is key!
-We do have meetings once a month both in person and online. We have them because it helps with goals, helps with going over questions or concerns, going over events or meet and greet, discuss the last out in field experience, going over guidance and learnings, safety, changes made, etc.Â
About the Company
Porter County Storm Intercept Team PCSIT is a local weather team that covers NW Indiana Region and its surrounding areas. Our mission is to help save life and property by reporting severe weather criteria by via: phone, Spotter network, Facebook, or Twitter(x), to National Weather Service (NWS) to help get the warnings out quicker to alert the public as well as to keep the community informed and aware of weather events happening in the area by reporting weather and road conditions via by posting and live streaming the events, as you can stay up-to-date with live reports. We also provide reports of weather damage by ground and by air (drone footage) to assist with National Weather Service and damage surveys. We also help keep the community updated on the latest forecast information to help prepare the community ahead of time before weather hits the area.