Tuesday, September 10th

• G0365- Partnerships for Creating and Maintaining Spotter Groups - 8 hour workshop

  
  This workshop emphasizes the valuable service that spotter groups provide to protect lives during

  hazardous weather and flooding. This activity is intended to promote the creation and enhancement

  of spotter groups across the country. It includes a wide variety of tools and approaches to help make

  spotter groups a key part of effective community warning systems.

• Describe the importance of spotters as an integral part of emergency management. 
• Explain the need for spotters to complement NWS technology. 
• List factors leading to the success of a local spotter program.
• Describe advantages and disadvantages of several different ways that spotter groups could be organized. 
• Explain specific actions that can be taken to increase an emergency manager’s involvement in operating a spotter group.
• List operational considerations for spotter group planning.
• Explain methods for recruiting potential spotters. 
• List best practices for conducting the first group meeting for new spotters.
• Describe the training that should be provided for each local group.
• List methods for maintaining interest among members of a spotter group.
• Formulate ideas for creating or improving spotter groups in the local community.

This workshop will be delivered jointly by emergency management and National Weather Service (NWS) staff.

• Emergency Management 102  - 7 hour course
  
  

  The South Dakota Office of Emergency Management (SDOEM) created a training for emergency managers at the state, local, and tribal levels to give them a better understanding of the concepts of the profession. The class is also pertinent to county commissioners, elected officials, organization volunteers, and first responders. This class helps to describe the important role of the emergency manager in communities.

  The training is designed to explore the role of the emergency manager within communities, as well as, the importance of before, during, and after an incident with local response agencies within each jurisdiction.

  All four phases of Emergency Management (Preparedness, Response, Recovery, and Mitigation) and the activities of each phase are discussed to keep all of our communities safe.