Inclement weather and how to respond

  • Published
  • By Col. Richard Murphy
  • 71st Flying Training Wing vice commander
VANCE AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --  As we enter the winter weather season, I would like to reiterate leadership expectations concerning personal responsibility. When decisions are made concerning base status, your leadership is balancing safety and mission for everyone at Vance AFB.

The key is to know where to get adverse weather information and how to respond.

When severe weather hits Vance, there are basically three possibilities concerning the base's operational status:

Early Release - when normal operations cease after a certain time on the bad-weather day.

Delayed Reporting - when non-essential Team Vance members, including military, civilian and contractor (in coordination with their company), report no earlier than a determined time.

Base closure - when only "mission-essential" report for duty. Mission-essential is determined by your supervisor.

Should weather conditions lead to any of these situations, notification will be communicated from several sources. It is everyone's responsibility, before your normal work-time, to seek out information about duty reporting. Pursue information via avenues listed below, via a sequence fitting your situation.

A call from/to your supervisor.

A call from your unit's phone tree.

Duty Reporting Line: 213-5100 for active duty and government civilians, 213-KOLD (5653) for contractors.

Vance Web site, on the far right side - www.vance.af.mil.

The Commander's Access Channel - 43 on SuddenLink cable in base housing.

Enid radio stations: KOFM 103.1 FM; KGWA AM 960; KEIF 104.7 FM; KNID 107.1 FM; KXLS 95.7 FM; KCRC AM 1390.

Oklahoma City television stations: KFOR Channel 4; KOCO Channel 5; KWTV Channel 9.

Bottomline: check the base status before you act. Communicate with your supervisor if unsure.

Above all else, be safe.