Representatives from virtually all of the consumer electronics companies that use NOAA/ National Weather Service information in their products and services attended a first-time organizational meeting at the U.S. Department of Commerce, here, during late January.
The new group, with the working title All Hazards Communications Association, will meet via conference call during this month to decide, among other things, whether the group wants to become part of the Consumer Electronics Association.
CE companies that attended were: Cobra Electronics, Cue Corporation, Grundig Radio, Kenwood Communications, Midland Radio, Motorola, Oregon Scientific, Page Update (Weather Alert 2000), RadioShack, Sharecom, Topaz3 (Maxon), Uniden, Whistler Group and SIMA Products (FirstAlert).
The meeting, which was highlighted by a discussion with the newly appointed NOAA chief of staff Scott Rayder, discussed upgrading the profile and the mission of NOAA Weather Radio as a National Emergency Alert public broadcast network. Numerous NOAA and National Weather Service managers also attended the meeting for organizational and technical input.
The electronics companies and NOAA (the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) resolved to work together to revitalize the NOAA Weather Radio network immediately.
The association will seek to include interested related companies as it becomes formally organized. Contact Jesse Rotman by phone at 847-948-5948 or e-mail at [email protected].
