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ITD's District 1 first in region to be named Weather-Ready Nation Ambassador

The Idaho Transportation Department's office in northern Idaho received the National Weather Service's Weather-Ready Nation Ambassador designation Jan. 27, the first transportation agency in the region to receive the special status. Those designated as ambassadors are asked to serve as change agents and leaders in their communities, providing an example of preparedness to others.

ITD's District 4 (south-central Idaho), District 5 (southeast Idaho) and District 6 (eastern Idaho) offices earned StormReady designations from the National Weather Service previously. ITD is the only state transportation agency in the nation to receive the StormReady designation.

The ambassador program is designed to recognize partners who are improving the nation's readiness, responsiveness, and overall resilience to extreme weather events. Ambassadors can encourage positive changes in their community and set an example by becoming "weather-ready." This includes making employee preparedness a priority and having a disaster plan, promoting Weather-Ready Nation key messages in all outreach activities, and providing incentives to constituents and stakeholders to also become more resilient and prepared.

The Weather-Ready Nation Ambassador initiative is an effort to formally recognize NOAA partners who are improving the nation's readiness against extreme weather, water and climate events.

"We are committed to do whatever it takes and use any program available to us to ensure that safe-driving conditions are maintained year round on our state highway system," said northern Idaho District Operations Manager Jason Minzghor. "By participating in this program, we will now be able to continue in those efforts and have one of the most accurate and well-respected agency's information assisting us — the National Weather Service."

Andy Brown, a warning coordination meteorologist from Spokane, said that "As an ambassador, you are committing to strengthen the relationship you have with the National Weather Service to empower people to be more aware and resilient to hazardous weather."

"Weather-Ready Nation status is about building community resilience in the face of increasing vulnerability to extreme weather."

For more information, here's a link to the Weather-Ready Nation website: http://www.nws.noaa.gov/com/weatherreadynation/