Since severe

weather can pop up out of nowhere, being prepared can make a huge difference

in reducing the danger to local residents.

And through

a new program called StormReady, Fayette can boast it is better prepared

than most other counties in Georgia. Fayette is just one of six counties

in Georgia to be certified through the StormReady program, which evaluates

a number of criteria to determine severe weather preparedness.

That means

keeping tabs on how Fayette officials monitor area weather, how they communicate

emergency warnings and how various agencies drill themselves to be prepared

to work together in the event of a severe-weather emergency, said Capt.

Pete Nelms of the Fayette County Department of Fire and Emergency Services.

Although Fayette

County's current severe weather program is hailed as being excellent,

there are still some improvements that can be made, Nelms said.

"It's

a real good opportunity to take a hard look at our program and meet the

benchmarks that the National Weather Service and the Georgia Emergency

Management Agency have established," Nelms said.

Each of the

six counties chosen for the StormReady designation were graded by on-site

visits and not judged solely on the paperwork they sent in, Nelms pointed

out.

Lars Rothfusz,

meteorologist in charge of the Peachtree City NWS Weather Forecast Office,

said the goal of the program is to greatly reduce the risk of sudden storms

catching emergency officials by surprise.

Fayette and

the other counties cited in the StormReady program generally were very

prepared for severe weather emergencies anyway, Rothfusz said. But the

StormReady process caused them to "take it up a notch," he said.

The StormReady

program calls for Fayette's severe weather program to be re-evaluated

two years from now, Rothfusz added.

"That

way, as technology improves, we'll raise the bar a little higher so the

programs can steadily improve," he said.

Fayette is

one of just 128 counties in the nation to qualify for the StormReady designation,

Nelms said.

A satellite

receiver at the 911 center is used to keep a 24-hour watch on weather

patterns. If necessary, 911 staff can send out a voice alert or tone through

the county's new alarm system, which covers portions of the county considered

to be at a higher risk when severe weather strikes. If severe weather

threatens other areas, fire trucks at nearby stations will pull out of

their bays and a 30-second alarm will be sounded, Nelms said.

And thanks

to several grants, the department has been able to place weather alert

radios in every public building, not just in the county but in Fayette's

cities as well, Nelms said. That includes each school in Fayette along

with many private child care facilities, he added.

The StormReady

program also monitors how the public is educated about severe weather

preparedness. For example, local emergency officials went door-to-door

in manufactured home communities to notify them about what actions to

take if the severe weather alarms are activated.

The StormReady

designation is a nice way of recognizing the efforts of local officials

to be prepared for severe weather emergencies, Rothfusz said.

"Fayette

County is at the top of the game and among the best in the state in terms

of being prepared for severe weather situations," he said.

"While

the weather is beyond our control, the StormReady program serves as another

tool to help us better prepare in dealing with whatever Mother Nature

sends our way," said GEMA Director Gary W. McConnell. "These

counties should be commended for taking proactive measures to protect

their citizens."

For information

on severe weather and the StormReady program visit the NWS Web site at

www.nws.noaa.gov/stormready or the GEMA site at www.gema.state.ga.us .

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