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Classes Offered

 

OK-First Certification Class

The OK-First Certification Class is 4-day class held at the National Weather Center in Norman. Two Certification classes are offered each year with classes occurring during late winter and late summer. Class space is limited with selections made via a competitive application process. Applications are available several months before classes are held.

The purpose of the Certification Class is to certify new agencies (establish an agency’s “Certified Participant”), transition agencies to a new Certified Participant, or to train additional staff from an agency (“4-day Assistants”).

Certification classes feature a mix of presentations taught by OK-First staff and experts at the National Weather Center, hands-on data interpretation labs, and visits to various offices at the National Weather Center.

Class objectives are to:

  • Introduce participants to the Oklahoma Mesonet, OK-First, National Weather Service, and the broader weather enterprise.
  • Educate participants on basic weather fundamentals.
  • Educate participants on the ingredients needed for severe storms, winter storms, and heavy rainfall as well as products to prepare for and monitor them.
  • Establish a strong working knowledge of basic radar principles, limitations, products, and applications.
  • Integrate knowledge of weather observations and radar during severe storm, winter storm, heavy rainfall, and tornado outbreak events.
  • Build user proficiency to confidently use the OK-First website and tools.

The Oklahoma Mesonet is able to provide a limited number of attendees with travel support to the class (per diem, hotel, and mileage). Agencies must request support in their application and must be located 60 or more miles away from Norman to be eligible.

The OK-First Certification Class is worth 24 hours of CLEET credit for participating officers. Agencies with Certified Participants that plan to retire or transition to a new employment opportunity are encouraged to contact OK-First staff about pending agency changes. Sending a replacement to the OK-First Certification class prior to transition will help agencies avoid a gap in data access.

OK-First Assistants Class

The OK-First Assistants Class is a 2-day class held in Norman at the National Weather Center as well as in select locations throughout Oklahoma. Three to four Assistants classes are offered each year with classes occurring during late winter and late summer. Class space is limited with selections made via a competitive application process. Applications are available several months before classes are held.

The purpose of the Assistants Class is to provide basic training to additional staff at an OK-First certified agency. The class provides a portion of the materials taught at the Certification Class.

Class objectives are to:

  • Educate participants on basic weather fundamentals.
  • Educate participants on the ingredients needed for severe storms as well as products to prepare for and monitor them.
  • Establish a strong working knowledge of basic radar principles, limitations, products, and applications.
  • Integrate knowledge of weather observations and radar during severe storm events.
  • Build user proficiency to confidently use the OK-First website and tools.

The OK-First Assistants Class is worth 12 hours of CLEET credit for participating officers.

OK-First Re-certification Class

The OK-First Re-certification Class is a 1-day refresher class held at locations across Oklahoma. Approximately 10 classes are held each year with classes occurring during late winter and late summer. Class space is limited with Certified Participants receiving first priority and Assistant Participants receiving second priority. Applications are available several months before classes are held.

The purpose of the OK-First Re-certification Class is to provide OK-First participants with continuing education opportunities. Unlike the OK-First Certification and Assistants classes, training content in Re-certification classes change from year to year and can include topics such as: training on new tools/websites, re-visiting fundamental topics, training on new weather data/radar products, applying concepts to recent weather events, and more.

Certified OK-First participants are required to take OK-First Re-certification classes no less than once every 18 months to keep their agency certification active. Failure to comply with this training requirement will result in de-activation of accounts associated with that agency.

OK-First Re-certification Classes are worth 6 hours of CLEET credit for participating officers. 

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