Columbia Weather Systems

If you’re thinking about a new Fire Station, early-bird registration ends tomorrow, August 31 for the FIERO Fire Station Design Symposium coming up in Raleigh, NC, September 24-26 . This article by Alan Petrillo caught our eye several times recently —  “Architect Advice for Fire Departments Designing New Stations.”  Here are the recommendations from experts in the field: Create an outline of rooms with list/description of equipment in each room Consider polished concrete floors Get input up and down chain of command, including different age groups “You want to get the input of the boots on the ground who will be using the station to be designed,” says James Zwerg, architect and facilities manager for the Phoenix (AZ) Fire Department Protection from contaminants might include a decon zone as well as transition area to limit carcinogen transfer. Isolate hot zones from living areas. Additional considerations include gender issues, Americans with Disabilities Act,

From the front page of the Oregonian 8/29, “Microclimates of Portland.”*  Influenced by both the built and natural environments, weather conditions can vary widely based on location. That’s why monitoring meteorological parameters on-site can be critical to efficiency, operations, and safety.  Weather stations from Columbia Weather Systems offer cost-effective options for local, professional weather monitoring.  * https://www.oregonlive.com/expo/news/erry-2018/08/92d2d4b48a8641/hot-or-not-research-maps-hotte.html#incart_m-rpt-2

The Cell Modem communication option with the Weather MicroServer provides a remote connection to the Internet, enabling functions such as real-time data viewing, downloading datalog files, and connection to a cloud server such as Weather Underground or the proprietary CWS Cloud Weather Server. It is used by local government agencies, landfills, and weather networks. For more details, check out the MicroServer page on our website and navigate to the “Communication” tab.

According to Tom Francis, Utilities Scientific Consultant at the  UK Met Office , "The operational and financial performance of a water company is inextricably linked to weather conditions."  Here's our infographic with 5 Reasons #SmartWater #Utilities Need a Weather Station. To expand on these ideas, see the white paper at  https://columbiaweather.com/resources/5-reasons-water-utilities/

The Air Quality Index in the Portland Area reached "Unhealthy" levels this week. With our recent expansion into Air Quality , it was fortuitous that the National Ambient Air Monitoring Conference was in Portland this year. Somewhat ironically, with the wildfires across the western United States, the air quality in the Portland metro area has been some of the worst ever. Note the chart showing particulates PM10 and PM2.5, 24-hrAvg, for the past few days from our on-site Orion AQM. The sun appears to be a deep red as fires from surrounding areas continue to burn and affect air quality. The conference drew air quality monitoring agencies and vendors from all over the country. One highlight of the conference was seeing the SciArk™ by Envirolytics which features our Magellan MX500™ Weather Station . The SciArk is “a field-deployable, alternate-fuel, EPA certified, zero emissions, solar and wind assisted mobile lab.”  Envirolytics CEO Alan Joseph shows

A few weeks ago Portland Fire and Rescue HazMat Response Team responded to a rail car leaking Toluene, a colorless, water-insoluble liquid that smells like paint thinners and can be flammable. Some nearby buildings were evacuated, while others were told to shelter in place. Highway 30 was closed for several hours. When asked whether their Orion Nomad™ Portable Weather Station was deployed, Fire Lieutenant Bryan Profit replied, “Yes – Thanks for a great product.” Portland F&R purchased weather stations in conjunction with Tualatin Valley F&R and Gresham F&R to outfit Hazmat response teams in the Portland metro area. Their weather stations include Weather Display consoles and WeatherMaster Software for integration with CAMEO/ALOHA. Hazmat team positions include Resource Technical Specialist responsible to “Provide and interpret meteorological monitoring information,” as well as the Team leader who “Ensures that current weather data and future weather prediction

The Albany-Millersburg Water Reclamation Facility was the destination for our field trip last week. About two years ago, the City of Albany Public Works Department purchased an Orion 420 Weather Station to replace aging mechanical equipment. We took advantage of their proximity to learn more about weather monitoring for water/wastewater treatment. The Weather Display is mounted on the wall along with other monitors to keep an eye on activity across the facility.  Orion all-in-one sensor with ultrasonic wind speed and direction and impact rain sensor.  Chris explains the process of wastewater treatment. Aaron monitors met data with WeatherMaster Software. Thanks to Christopher Burr and Aaron Budiselich of the Facilities Automation team, our hosts for the tour!