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IN/BOX Weather, Climate Prediction Center Officially Opens FEMA Announces 2012 Individual and Community Preparedness Award Winners The NOAA Center for Weather and Climate Prediction, College Springs, MD, officially opened in October with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The 268,000-square-foot building on University of Mary- The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in October announced the recipients of its 2012 Individual and Community Preparedness Awards. The awards recognize the innovative practices and achievements of individuals; Citizen Corps Councils; and non-profit, faith-based, and private sector organizations working throughout the United States to make communities safer, stronger and better prepared to manage any disaster or emergency event. Each applicant demonstrated an ability to engage the whole community through partnerships, achievements and activities that took place from January 2011 to June 2012, according to FEMA. Other recipients participated in emergency planning activities and established creative methods to address the needs of their communities. The second annual John D. Solomon Preparedness Award was presented to Florida��s Be Ready Alliance Coordinating for Emergencies (BRACE) for collaborative work as a team of nearly 500 disaster preparedness and response organizations, engaging in efforts that reach the business community, children and youth, underserved populations, faith-based organizations, first responders, individuals with access and functional needs, and more. The award is named for the late creator of the groundbreaking blog In Case of Emergency, Read Blog: A Citizen��s Eye View of Public Preparedness. Solomon��s work in reporting, analysis, engagement and impact in preparing the public, informing professionals and effecting change in the public and private sectors ���set the standard for what it meant to be part of our nation��s emergency management team,��� stated FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate. NOAA Center for Weather and Climate Prediction, College Park, MD. Photo: University of Maryland. land grounds is the backbone of weather and climate prediction for the United States. The center is home to more than 800 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration employees who provide the nation with a broad range of environmental services from predicting the hurricane season and El Ni��o/La Ni��a to forecasting ocean currents and large-scale rain and snow storms. Billions of Earth observations from around the world flow through environmental models, developed and managed in the new building, that support the nation��s weather forecasts. Scientists also monitor hurricane and tropical cyclones worldwide and analyze fire and smoke plumes from wildfires, which NOAA satellites track. Scientists at the center also predict how hazardous materials move in the atmosphere, conduct air quality modeling, study climate variability, monitor and predict movement of volcanic ash, and research new ways to use satellite information to safeguard the environment. NOAA is developing and expanding programs for the new center to increase scientific collaboration between researchers, forecasters, University of Maryland faculty and students, and scientists across the nation and abroad. This mutual sharing of ideas and experience is aimed at advancing the field of atmospheric sciences and helping create a Weather-Ready Nation capable of anticipating and responding to extreme weather, water and climate events. 6 STORM & SECURITY PROTECTION / IBS PREVIEW 2013 Award recipients: Outstanding State Citizen Corps Council Initiatives Texas Citizen Corps (TX) Outstanding Local Citizen Corps Council Initiatives New York City Citizen Corps Council (NY) Outstanding Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Initiatives CERT Program and Volunteers, City of Newport Beach (CA) Outstanding Achievement in Youth Preparedness Chinatown Community Development Center (CA) Preparing the Whole Community American Red Cross Gateway to the Golden State (CA) Promising Partnerships Partners in Preparedness (NY) Awareness to Action American Red Cross of the Poconos (PA) Innovative Use of Technology North Dakota State University Agriculture Communication (ND) Volunteer Integration West Pierce County Fire and Rescue CERT Program (WA) The award winners�� were selected by a panel including FEMA, the International Association of Emergency Managers, Target, and the American Red Cross.