Columbia Weather Systems

Weather data is a key component of risk assessment and management from the planning/preparation stages, PPE and resource management, to decisions regarding public safety such as shelter-in-place or evacuate. Utilize weather data in these phases: Evaluate historic weather conditions for planning/preparation Assess current response conditions (normal and/or severe weather) for transport and approach Monitor for changing meteorological conditions throughout an incident An example cited by Battalion Chief Henry Costo in Fire Rescue Magazine: “ No PPE risk assessment would be complete without adequate consideration of a jurisdiction’s prevailing climate and weather conditions, as well as the potential for extremes of temperature, humidity, wind, rain, storms, flooding, snow accumulations, ice, etc. Keep in mind that many jurisdictions experience significant weather variations even within their own boundaries—such as the beaches vs. inland areas of San Diego and Los Angeles cou...

As we saw this past summer, hot, dry, and windy weather conditions are factors that directly affect fire risk and behavior.  Having the ability to compile real-time, location-specific met data is imperative for safe and effective firefighting. Weather monitoring at an incident assists in multiple areas such as risk management, prediction, safety, plume modeling, and reporting. Over the coming weeks, we will highlight weather monitoring in these five areas of emergency response. Make sure to look out for our first post!

The new MagellanMX™ Weather Station user guide is now available! This visual overview includes details on available monitoring options, installation, and operation. MagellanMX Weather Stations combine a multi-parameter weather sensor with an internal compass and GPS, making it especially suited for mobile and vehicle-mount applications. Click Here to View User Guide

Precipitation in its various forms can have significant impact on a range of operations, making it crucial to have a reliable source for current weather conditions. The new Pulsar 100™ Weather Station from Columbia Weather Systems offers the latest technology in rich precipitation data.   The 24-GHz Doppler radar precipitation-only monitoring system was developed in response to the requirements of Ferrari for vehicle testing, and “will be useful for applications that require fast response, high resolution, and precipitation types,” according to Nader Khoury, CWS president. “The Pulsar 100 is a powerful sensor with the latest technology that gives us rich data for multiple types of precipitation.” The Pulsar 100 sensor distinguishes precipitation types such as rain, freezing rain, hail, snow and sleet. It is maintenance-free, making it useful in areas that are difficult to access. The low-energy sensor detects precipitation from the first drop, enabling users to make imme...