Dave Zittel, Employee of the Month, August, 2008

Dave Zittel, meteorologist with the Radar Operations Center in Norman, Okla., has been named the August Employee of the Month by the NOAA National Weather Service. This national award recognizes Zittel’s outstanding technical contribution to development of a new weather radar technique that has greatly enhanced NEXRAD weather radar.

Weather forecast offices and forecast centers can now employ extended radar range to provide better severe storm coverage, while recovering large amounts of wind velocity data for improved services. He accomplished this ambitious goal through timely transition of a new radar capability implemented via upgraded NEXRAD weather radar software. Dave contributed outstanding leadership and ingenuity towards developing and testing a new technique to recover lost data while extending the range coverage for storm detection.

As a result, he established a brilliantly innovative approach to an old problem. Dave significantly improved the NEXRAD system’s ability to deliver enhanced life-saving products, enabling forecast offices and flood prediction centers to apply this new capability to reduce storm-related deaths and injuries and serve commerce.

The ROC provides centralized meteorological, computer software, maintenance and engineering support for all 158 operational NEXRAD (WSR-88D) radar systems deployed worldwide and is supported by the departments of Commerce, Transportation, and Defense.

The FEB awards are part of Public Service Recognition Week, and honor the Oklahoma Federal Employees of the Year, publicizing to the general public, as well as to the federal family, the high caliber of devoted employees in the federal service.

The FEB director presented the awards during a luncheon at the Waterford Marriott Hotel in Oklahoma City recently. “This recognition is well-deserved,” said Rich Vogt, Radar Operations Center director. “I’ve got great people doing good things for the nation’s radar program. I am proud to nominate them for these awards.”

Lt. Col. William R. George received the state of Oklahoma Employee of the Year award in the Supervisory–Dept. of Defense category. He is currently the chief of the ROC’s applications branch and the organization’s senior military officer. As the executive secretary of the NEXRAD weather radar technical advisory committee, George ensured technology transfer activities were well orchestrated through coordinated interaction with operational weather radar users, scientists, and researchers from the government and academia.

Additional ROC personnel were nominated for awards in the following categories:

• Ed Berkowitz (Supervisory, Civilian)
• Lt. Kelly Barber (Technical, Professional, Admin., DOD, GS-9 and above)
• Nancy Olson (Technical, Professional, Admin., Civilian, GS-9 and above)
• Staff Sgt. Gary SanSoucie, (Clerical, DOD)
• Cindy Laffoon (Clerical, Civilian)
• Tammy Buie (Technical, Professional & Admin., GS-8 and below)
• Staff Sgt. Robert Parrish (Technical, Professional & Admin., GS-8 and below)
• Mark Albertelly (Outstanding Customer Service)
• Tech. Sgt. Scott Kelly (Outstanding Community Service)
• Monte Keel (Outstanding Employee with a Disability)

The Radar Operations Center is responsible for modifying and enhancing the WSR-88D systems during their operational life to meet changing requirements, technology advances and improved understanding of the application of these systems to real-time weather operations. ROC also operates and maintains WSR-88D test systems for the development of hardware and software upgrades to enhance maintenance, operation and provide new functionality. The facility houses a 24-hour, 7-days a week NEXRAD help desk that assists field technicians with maintenance support. The ROC also provides or arranges for depot-level maintenance support for major repairs at the field sites that require specialized training and equipment.

The National Weather Service is an office of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, an agency of the U.S. Commerce Department. NOAA is dedicated to enhancing economic security and national safety through prediction and research of weather and climate-related events and environmental stewardship of our nation’s coastal and marine resources. Through the emerging Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS), NOAA is working with its federal partners and nearly 60 countries to develop a global monitoring network that is as integrated as the planet it observes.

On the web:
NOAA: http://www.noaa.gov
NOAA’s National Weather Service: http://www.nws.noaa.gov

The award recognized the team for “development of a national real-time radar data archival and Internet2 delivery system for university, government and private sectors.” Taking advantage of high performance networking capabilities and other recent technological advances, the team successfully transferred the technology from research into NOAA’s National Weather Service, private sector operations and research and education facilities.

Team members are: Dr. Timothy D. Crum, Tom Sandman and Philip Cragg from the NOAA’s National Weather Service; Kevin E. Kelleher from NOAA’s Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research; and Stephen A. Del Greco, NOAA’s National Environmental Satellite, Data and Information Service.

“This technology transfer effort was unique because of the wide collaboration of individuals and organizations needed and because of the significant and numerous tangible benefits to business, universities, other federal agencies and foreign countries,” said retired Navy Vice Adm. Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Ph.D., undersecretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator. “This new system will facilitate ground-breaking advances by a variety of weather radar data users.”

As a result of this technology transfer effort, higher resolution and more detailed weather products will be developed, further enhancing the NWS mission of protecting lives and property. The NWS announced in April it is distributing the high-resolution/Level II data from the Next Generation Weather Radar (NEXRAD) through four Internet2 top-tier sites. These data represent the highest resolution picture of what the radar system is “seeing” in real time.

To make Level II data available in real time, the NWS expanded on an experiment known as CRAFT, the Collaborative Radar Acquisition Field Test Project. The experiment was implemented by a coalition of researchers from The University of Oklahoma’s Center for Analysis and Prediction of Storms, Internet2, the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research’s Unidata, and other organizations working with NOAA during the past several years. The new system will meet NWS requirements for archive and real-time Level II data applications.

The use of the Internet2 network infrastructure, including the high-performance Abilene backbone network, also allows NWS to deliver significantly greater amounts of high quality data to a geographically diverse group of users in real time. Data are available from the 121 NWS WSR-88D radars and three of the Department of Defense’s WSR-88D radars in the contiguous United States.

The data are sent to the NWS regional headquarters and then to the Internet2 network via the Gigapops located at North Texas, Utah Education Network and Great Plains Network.

The NWS is using the Unidata public domain Local Data Manager technology to collect and redistribute Level II data. The NWS will send copies of the Level II data to the Internet2 top-tier sites (University of Oklahoma, Purdue University, Educational Consortium of the Western Carolinas, and University of Maryland). Unidata will coordinate the further redistribution of data through the university community. The top-tier sites are available to provide the unaltered Level II data stream at the cost of dissemination.

“This project is a great example of what can be done when various branches of the government work together with the university and private sectors for a common goal,” Kelleher said.

Significant contributions to the project came from Kelvin Droegemeier from the University of Oklahoma; Linda Miller, Mohan Ramamurthy, and David Faulkner from UCAR Unidata; Guy Almes from Abilene; and Mark Benner and Karen Cooper from the Cooperative Institute for Mesoscale Meteorological Studies at the University of Oklahoma.

On the Web:
NOAA: http://www.noaa.gov
National Weather Service: http://www.nws.noaa.gov
National Climatic Data Center: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov
Radar Operations Center: http://www.roc.noaa.gov

This data represents the highest resolution picture of what the radar system is “seeing” in real time—as the antenna spins. As a result, faster, higher resolution and more detailed weather products will be developed. Researchers have already proven the value of this data in various applications. Now it will be available to everyone.

The National Weather Service (NWS) will distribute the data from the Next Generation Radar, also known as the WSR-88D, through four top-tier sites, said Tim Crum, NWS NEXRAD Operations Focal Point with the Radar Operations Center in Norman, Okla. Three of these sites—Purdue University, University of Oklahoma, and The Education and Research Consortium of the Western Carolinas—have agreed to make Level II data available to all private sector users equally on a cost-recovery basis without restriction on redistribution or use. The fourth site, the NWS Telecommunication Operations Center, will make data available through a Family of Services approach if there is interest from the commercial community.

Users are free to determine their source of Level II data, either from these four sites or from private companies and universities that will receive the data from the top-tier sites, according to Crum.

“The National Weather Service is committed to working together with academia and the private sector to develop products and services that enhance the shared goal of protecting lives and property,” said retired Air Force Brig. General David L. Johnson, director of NOAA’s National Weather Service. “Moreover, this action supports the National Research Council’s ‘Fair Weather’ recommendations to enhance the availability and dissemination of National Weather Service data.”

“Making this critical data available in real time is an important step in enhancing that partnership, and we should see a new era in weather forecasting as a result of new products and services yet to be developed using this enhanced, real time information,” Johnson added.

“The NWS is using the Unidata public domain Local Data Manager technology to collect and redistribute Level II data,” Crum explained. The NWS will send copies of the Level II data to the top-tier sites, and Unidata will coordinate the further redistribution of data through the university community. The NWS will redistribute Level II data to other federal government users from an NWS server located at the Mid Atlantic Crossroad Gigapop at the University of Maryland.

“High-performance networking capabilities and other recent technological advances have made it possible for the NOAA National Weather Service to archive and deliver valuable Level II data from multiple radars,” Crum said. “This new system will facilitate ground-breaking advances by a variety of radar data users.”

To make Level II data available, the NWS expanded on an experiment known as CRAFT, the Collaborative Radar Acquisition Field Test Project, which was implemented by a coalition of researchers working with NOAA during the past few years. The new system offers a viable alternative to using 8mm tapes for archiving the nation’s high-resolution radar data, cutting delivery time from months to seconds, increasing the amount of information saved and decreasing processing costs. Data will be electronically collected and transmitted in real time to NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center for archiving.

In addition, the use of the Internet2 network infrastructure, including the high-performance Abilene backbone network, allows the NWS to deliver significantly greater amounts of high quality data to a geographically diverse group of users. “Data will be available from the 121 NWS WSR-88D radars and some of the Department of Defense’s WSR-88D radars in the contiguous United States,” Crum said. The data are sent to the NWS regional headquarters and then to the Internet2 network via the Gigapops located at North Texas, Utah Education Network, and Great Plains Network. The Level II base data includes high-resolution reflectivity, velocity and spectrum width.

More information about receiving Level II data is available from each of the four top-tier sites:

• Education and Research Consortium of the Western Carolinas, Dr. Max Lennon, (828) 281-1954, maxlennon@ercwc.org
• Purdue University, Professor Matthew Huber, (765) 494-3258, huberm@purdue.edu
• University of Oklahoma, Professor Kelvin K. Droegemeier, (405) 325-0453, kkd@ou.edu
• NWS Telecommunications Operations Center, Julie Hayes, (301) 713-0864 x 120, Julie.Hayes@noaa.gov

NOAA is dedicated to enhancing economic security and national safety through the prediction and research of weather and climate-related events and providing environmental stewardship of our Nation’s coastal and marine resources.

On the Web:
NOAA: http://www.noaa.gov
National Weather Service: http://www.nws.noaa.gov
National Climatic Data Center: http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov
Radar Operations Center: http://www.roc.noaa.gov

An event to recognize all of the agencies involved in the development, testing and deployment of the radar upgrade was held in Norman this morning. Brig. Gen. Jack Kelly USAF (Ret.), director of the National Weather Service, attended and presented the plaques.

During the upgrade, a new Open Radar Product Generator (ORPG) replaced technology designed in the mid-1980s. The radar product generator is the part of NEXRAD that processes the raw data gathered by the radar, performs data quality checks, creates radar images and products for display, and sends those products to display systems such as the Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System used by NOAA’s National Weather Service.

“Ultimately, all Americans benefit from this upgrade,” said Brig. Gen. Jack Kelly USAF (Ret.), director of NOAA’s National Weather Service. “The ORPG installation, coupled with continued improvements to the hardware and software used in the NEXRAD system, will give forecasters higher resolution radar images, higher quality data and the ability to scan storms in new ways. This improves the National Weather Service’s ability to provide forecasts and warnings of severe weather.”

Additional benefits of the new ORPG system include easier field maintenance, faster technology upgrades, larger volumes of data for users, and the ability to release new software to the field more frequently.

The NEXRAD Doppler weather radar is a key component of the $4.5 billion National Weather Service modernization program. NEXRAD Doppler weather radar, in part, has helped National Weather Service forecasters double the lead time for tornado warnings to an 11-minute average in 2002. Increasing lead times for issuing warnings will potentially increase the numbers of lives saved.

The Radar Operations Center in Norman, Okla., provides centralized meteorological, software, maintenance and engineering support for all NEXRAD systems. More information about the Radar Operations Center is available online at http://www.roc.noaa.gov.

NOAA’s National Weather Service is the primary source of weather data, forecasts and warnings for the United States and its territories. The National Weather Service operates the most advanced weather and flood warning and forecast system in the world, helping to protect lives and property and enhance the national economy. To learn more about National Weather Service, please visit http://www.nws.noaa.gov.

NOAA’s Radar Operations Center recently donated about 40 computers to Douglass High School in Oklahoma City to replace some of the equipment destroyed in a fire last year. These computers have already been installed in the school. Later this year, NOAA staff, working on their own time, will install a school radio station donated by Dwight Lee of DBZ & Lee, an organization that works closely with the ROC.

In addition, another NOAA organization, the Storm Prediction Center, donated 20 surplus computers to Oklahoma emergency management agencies in need of the equipment for official use. This contribution will allow the older and slower systems, which SPC replaced, to serve and protect 20 different Oklahoma counties. An idea of the SPC, this effort was made possible through collaboration with the National Weather Service Norman Forecast Office and the Oklahoma Emergency Managers Association.

“I can’t think of a better way to extend the productive life of old computers,” said Joe Schaefer, director of NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center. “The benefits to our local communities make these projects worth every effort.”

The NEXRAD Employees Association was created in 1990 and each year conducts several events benefiting more than 150 military, government and contract employees who work at the Radar Operations Center in Norman. The ROC serves as the national headquarters for weather radar operational support for the Departments of Commerce (National Weather Service), Defense and Transportation (Federal Aviation Administration).

Proceeds from the association’s last three golf tournaments have been dedicated toward providing comforts for Rosewood Manor residents. In past years, Santa and his elves have visited the facility, bearing a clothing gift, clock radio or calendar, and a personalized greeting card for each of the more than 130 residents. This year, the patients’ needs were better met by replacing an old 25-inch tabletop TV in the community room with a new larger screen version delivered just before Thanksgiving Day.

The task order was awarded to RS Information Systems, Inc., a minority-owned business based in McLean, Va., which will provide such services as technical writing, software and systems engineering, office automation and microcomputer support and engineering drawing support. The company is establishing an office in Norman. A total of 41 professional and technical employees are already onsite from the previous contract. Under the new contract, seven more people will be added immediately and an additional eight or nine employees will be added in the next year, according to Jim Belville, Director of the NEXRAD Operational Support Facility.

RS Information Systems, Inc. was chosen through a new program called COMMITS, the COMMerce Information Technology Solutions program (pronounced “comets”), which is the first Government Wide Agency Contract reserved for small business and the first information technology (IT) IDIQ multiple award contract set aside exclusively for small, small disadvantaged, 8(a) and women-owned small businesses.

COMMITS fully implements the tenants of acquisition reform and assists small businesses in competing and utilizing these new practices in a paper-light technology based competitive environment. It is the Commerce Department’s first true solutions-based acquisition program. Vendors are free to propose the most advantageous solution to each task order requirement, and neither the Government nor the contractor are constrained by pre-existing labor categories or products.

“Using COMMITS was advantageous for us because we were able to use a streamlined acquisition approach and award the task order in less than 90 days,” Belville said. “Also, the small businesses competing for the work were some of the best in the nation.”

COMMITS used past performance as the principal selection criteria for vendors, which resulted in the best small business IT talent in the nation being made available to solve IT problems. The program is a supporting strategy for implementing the Department of Commerce’s mission, as stated in its strategic plan (1997-2002), to promote job creation, economic growth, sustainable development and improve living standards for all Americans by working in partnership with business.

Rodney P. Hunt is President and CEO and Scott Amey is vice president of RSIS. The company, which Hunt started in 1992, currently has more than 640 professional staff members who support more than 100 government and commercial customers while generating more than $80 million in revenue. Hunt received the State Blue Chip Enterprise Award this year and the Small Business Person of the Year Award for the Washington, D.C. district in 1999. In 1998 he was named one of the 25 most promising and interesting entrepreneurs in the country.

The NEXRAD Operational Support Facility provides centralized radar meteorological, computer software, maintenance, and engineering support for all 158 NEXRAD (WSR-88D) radar systems deployed worldwide. In addition, the OSF is responsible for developing operator training for all the NWS forecasters and other radar operators from the Departments of Defense and Transportation. The facility also houses a 24 hour, 7 days a week help desk that assists radar sites with technical support more than 12,000 times each year. This group has been recognized by the federal government for its excellence in service.

More information about the organizations and programs mentioned in the news release is available online:
NEXRAD Operational Support Facility: http://www.osf.noaa.gov
COMMITS program: http://www.commits.doc.gov
RS Information Systems, Inc.: http://www.rsis.com

The annual tribute recognizes public administrators in Oklahoma whose careers exhibit the highest standards of excellence, dedication and accomplishment. The award is sponsored by the Oklahoma Chapter of the American Society for Public Administration, a nationwide nonprofit educational and professional organization.

Dan Frashier was recognized for his outstanding achievements in optimizing technical support systems at the NEXRAD facility in Norman. He was nominated in the category of Technical, Professional, and Administrative, GS-9 and above. Rich Rasmussen was recognized for his outstanding achievements in the area of Community Service. Richard J. Vogt was also nominated in the supervisory/managerial category.

As systems administrator, Frashier ensures the continuous operation and top performance of the logging, tracking, display and monitoring systems pivotal to the effectiveness of Hotline support for the Nation’s severe weather detection system. As a Senior Operations Specialist, Frashier is an expert consultant to forecasters worldwide. He is recognized as a top NEXRAD expert among his peers. His work has been individually recognized with two NOAA Special Act Awards. Frashier’s work as the Hotline’s Support Systems Administrator has brought significant recognition to the Hotline, which has won several awards, including the Commerce Secretary’s Customer Service Excellence Award and the National Weather Service Modernization Award.

“Frashier is our secret weapon in keeping the NEXRAD Hotline’s customer service superior,” said James D. Belville, director of the NEXRAD Operational Support Facility. Belville said Dan’s performance in optimizing technical support systems has made him the role model for a worldwide certification program for help desk systems engineers.

Rasmussen, a meteorologist at the NEXRAD facility, was recognized for his significant volunteer achievements. Rasmussen has been a leader in developing and participating in programs that improve the quality of life of the Operational Support Facility employees and people in the Oklahoma City and Norman communities. His community service efforts include a fund-raiser for the May 3rd tornado victims, the Salvation Army Christmas Toys for Tots Program, the Norman Day of Caring, and countless other similar programs in the local community. His volunteer work has been recognized in several news articles, including the Tinker Take Off, Norman Transcript and the Air Force Weather Observer.

“Rich’s assistance to others has brought great credit upon the Operational Support Facility, National Weather Service and the federal government,” Belville said.

Richard J. Vogt, deputy director of OSF, helps direct one of the nation’s network of Doppler weather radars, which provide a reliable form of critical radar information to meteorologists during periods of adverse weather. Doppler weather radar played a key role in the issuance of tornado warnings from the National Weather Service during the May 3, 1999 Oklahoma tornado outbreak.

The event will be facilitated by the Next Generation Weather Radar (NEXRAD) Hotline manager, Daryl Covey, with assistance from the National Performance Review. Guest speakers will include Susan Valaskovic, deputy director of the National Performance Review and Ron Muns, Help Desk Institute chairman.

Some of the common challenges faced by federal help desks include a unique fiscal cycle and changes brought about by new legislation. Topics to be covered during the forum will include an overview of current best practices and trends, measurement and management of performance, “lessons learned” in providing public and internal government support, help desk and support technology, future trends and introductions to professional help desk organizations.

The forum is not limited to computer systems help desks but is meant to address all federal help desk support, regardless of the type of system or service involved. Most, if not all federal agencies, such as the Weather Service’s Next Generation Weather Radar hotline and the White House hot lines for policy assistance, provide a wide variety of user support and real time consulting.

Federal Help Desk Forum attendees will also receive free admission to the Customer Relationship Management/Support Services Expo and special educational sessions addressing federal support issues at the CRM/Support Services Conference March 1 at the Washington, D.C. Convention Center, through the courtesy of ZD Events. For additional information on CRM/SSE, please visit www.crmss.com.

In addition, federal help desk employees are invited to take advantage of a new resource, the Federal Help Desk Registry, by registering their help desks on the World Wide Web at http://www.fedhelpdesk.osf.noaa.gov. Created and facilitated by Covey, the registry is designed to foster networking, bench marking and sharing of best practices among federal sector help desks. Membership is free and open to all federal help desks, regardless of size, location or type of support provided.

The help desk profiles collected on the Web site will be compiled and shared with all registrants for networking and professional interaction to enhance their operations, Covey said. Only federal employees are authorized to enter profiles, including those for contracted support. No individual profile or contact information will be released outside the federal sector.

The NEXRAD Hotline, which is part of the NEXRAD Operational Support facility in Norman, Okla., supported by the Departments of Commerce, Defense and Transportation, has won several awards since it was established in 1991, including a recent Vice President’s Hammer Award for Reinventing Government and a Department of Commerce Silver Medal.

Registration information for the Federal Help Desk Forum will be mailed to all members of the Federal Help Desk Registry. Online registration is available at: http://www.zdevents.com/crmss/spring2000/federal.html. For additional information or to volunteer to help with the forum, contact Covey at (405) 366-6510, ext. 1232 or dcovey@osf.noaa.gov.