Local members of the Amateur Radio Emergency Services are preparing for what could be an active storm season and are offering training Thursday evening at Sentinel Career and Technology Center.
According to a release from ARES, the training is free and open to everyone. It begins at 6:30 p.m.
ARES is part of Skywarn, a network of volunteer storm spotters trained by the National Weather Service. When severe weather threatens, Skywarn spotters take to the field with two-way radios that put them in direct contact with the National Weather Service.
"Although technology has brought storm predicting a long way, nothing beats a pair of boots on the ground when it comes to weather observations," said Brent Stover, ARES Northwest Ohio Section Manager. "NWS forecasters in Cleveland can see a potential storm building, but it often comes down to what the trained Skywarn spotters see and relay to them."
Those interested in the training session must be at Sentinel 30 minutes before class to register, according to the release.
For more information on ARES, Skywarn or how to become an amateur radio operator, contact Stover at wd8pnz@arrl.net.
