Blog Post

ETCOG Becomes Weather-Ready Nation Ambassador for National Weather Service

East Texas Public Safety • Jun 09, 2021
What is Weather-Ready Nation?
The Weather-Ready Nation (WRN) Ambassador™ is an initiative of the U.S. Department of Commerce and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to strengthen partnerships with external organizations toward building community resilience in the face of increasing vulnerability to extreme weather and water events.
As part of the WRN initiative, NOAA partners with emergency management officials, businesses, and the media to motivate individuals and communities to prepare for a potential weather disaster. 

What do Weather-Ready Nation Ambassadors Do?
WRN Ambassadors will serve as change agents and leaders in their community. They will inspire others to be better informed and prepared, thus helping to minimize, mitigate, or avoid the impacts of natural disasters. WRN Ambassadors can encourage these changes in their community in several ways, including:
  • Setting an example by becoming “weather-ready” yourself (e.g., making employee preparedness a priority and having a disaster plan).
  • Promoting Weather-Ready Nation key messages in your outreach activities.
  • Providing incentives to your constituents and stakeholders to become more resilient,
  • Sharing success stories with NOAA.

What Does a Weather-Ready Nation Look Like?
A Weather-Ready Nation takes well-informed communities, businesses and individuals that are ready, responsive and resilient to extreme events. Key actions include: 
  • Know your risk by discovering the weather risks where you live and closely following National Weather Service forecasts and warnings.
  • Act by creating a family emergency plan and kit and making sure you can receive emergency messages (e.g., NOAA Weather Radio, wireless emergency alerts). 
  • Be an example by using social media to share important hazard information.

Ultimately, a Weather-Ready Nation empowers everyone to make life-saving decisions that also prevent devastating economic losses. It is all of us working together to become a nation known for its resiliency in the face of deadly weather events. To learn more about the Weather-Ready Nation initiative or becoming a WRN Ambassador, visit the WRN website at www.noaa.gov/wrn or e-mail NOAA’s Weather-Ready Nation team at wrn.feedback@noaa.gov.

For more resource and notifications, follow our social media pages.
Large black and white trailer used for emergency management

Regional Exercise to Test Interoperability Communications Among First Responders in East Texas

By East Texas Council of Governments • 30 Apr, 2024
Texas first responders are gearing up for a communication training that will address communications interoperability during emergencies. Coordinated by the East Texas Council of Governments and the Texas Department of Public Safety – Texas Division of Emergency Management, this workshop marks a collaborative effort to bolster emergency communication systems and emphasize the importance of seamless communications in crisis situations. Over three days, from May 17th to May 19th, participants from various sectors will engage in radio communication tests, workshops on technological advancements, and discussion on the future of emergency communications. The exercise will kick off at the Tyler Junior College West Campus before transitioning to operational platforms for real-world testing. Interested participants are encouraged to register for the event at www.preparingtexas.org and search for “Regional Communications” in the main search bar to join the collective effort to enhance public safety communication across Texas and the East Texas region.
female dispatcher looking at 911 address map

ETCOG Adds Cherokee County to 911 Addressing Program

By East Texas Council of Governments • 03 Jan, 2024
The East Texas Council of Governments (ETCOG) has extended its 9-1-1 addressing program to Cherokee County, enhancing emergency response capabilities for the region.
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