The Broward County Public School District is the second largest in Florida and the sixth largest in the country. With more than 236 schools and technical colleges, approximately 33,000 staff members and more than 400,000 students of all ages, there are a lot of people to worry about in an emergency. Dangerous weather conditions often rush into the area without warning. A school weather station utilizes early extreme weather notifications to ensure staff, students and residents in the Florida panhandle are protected.
Safeguard Against Extreme Weather
Tornados, thunderstorms and hurricanes sweep through the region year-round. Due to large area covered by the school district, analyzing the conditions and forecasting the locations for storms is challenging. Although national and regional weather reporting can frequently predict the general areas that will be affected by the storms, they cannot identify specific neighborhoods that will be hit.
The Broward County district schools installed lightning sensors across all of their schools, facilities and related sites to keep students, parents and faculty safe. These 55 sensors are used in combination with tools that provide real-time identification of storm formations and alerts for more than 25 weather conditions. School officials, administrators and teachers receive alerts no matter where they are, 24/7.
Technology in Action
On the afternoon of February 28, 2007, just as classes were concluding, an intense, fast-moving storm swept through the area., impacting several cities. Weather alerts were activated for rain, wind and lightning strikes and all school system users were notified on their mobile devices. Meteorologists contacted school officials and recommended taking safety precautions, such as suspending outdoor activities and bringing students, staff and other personnel to designated safe locations.
When tornado warnings were issued for the region, notifications were sent to school officials, Tornado Warning Procedures were enacted, and school dismissal was postponed. The tornado ripped through the area close to several schools 13 minutes later. Thanks to the customized notifications and lightning sensor network, no one was injured. Contact us for more information on how you can prepare for dangerous weather conditions.
