SKYWARN is a program which began in the early 1970's, intended to develop a cooperative effort between the National Weather Service and communities. The emphasis of this effort is usually focused on a storm spotter - an individual who takes a position near their community and reports wind gusts, hail size, rainfall, and cloud formations which could signal a developing severe thunderstorm or tornado. An equally important purpose SKYWARN serves is the receipt and effective distribution of National Weather Service information.

The organization of spotters and the distribution of warning information may lie with the National Weather Service or with an emergency management agency within the community. This agency could be a police or fire department. Here in St. Louis our SKYWARN operations are coordinated under the auspices of the St. Louis County Police Department Emergency Operations Center in conjuction with local National Weather Service operations.

The St. Louis Metropolitan Area SKYWARN operation is large and efficient with well over 1,000 current, trained spotters...a significant number of those being licensed amateur radio operators. SKYWARN operations are directed by a civilian employee of the St. Louis County Police Communications Department, Michael G. Redman. Mr. Redman trains and maintains a group of Lead Operators to help coordinate both the training sessions and actual watches and warnings. This is where I fit in. I was initially trained by Mr. Redman a number of years ago as a storm spotter. I am also an amateur radio operator and was interested in becoming more involved in the program. With training in disaster preparedness, damage assessment, lead operator training, and more, Mr. Redman placed me in a couple of lead operator positions over the last few years. Currently, when the need arises, I'm working out of the largest fire/ems dispatching centers in west St. Louis County.