Airmen brief base children about severe weather safety Published April 21, 2015 By Tech. Sgt. James Bolinger 71st Flying Training Wing Public Affairs VANCE AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- Although March was a relatively quiet month for Oklahomans in regards to severe weather, the annual severe weather season in "Tornado Alley" lasts until August. In an effort to boost the preparedness of local families, two meteorologists from the 71st Operations Support Squadron's Weather Flight visited Eisenhower Elementary March 23 to brief children there about tornado safety. The purpose for this visit was to educate the children on severe storm safety and get them to share it with their families, said Capt. Blake Hamilton, the 71st Operations Support Squadron, Weather Flight commander. Ideally, the students take what they learned and share it with their parents. Then together, they can create a family plan for severe weather. Each child also received a packet of information that they were able to share with their families, he said. Staff Sgt. Ebony Simmons, a 71st Operations Support Squadron, Weather Flight forecaster, has been teaching youth about the dangers of severe weather for several years, although this was her first time teaching it at Vance. "I focused on three areas during my briefing," she said. "The first was facts about what types of severe weather we experience in Oklahoma to include: thunderstorms, hail and tornados." The second area briefed was how to find a safe room, said Simmons. The best room in a home that has no basement for shelter is one with no windows and is located in the center of the house. The last area the Airmen focused on was what items the children should have in their safe rooms and why those items are important, she said. "I feel instructing youth on base is important, because we as the Vance Weather Flight have a responsibility to educate individuals about how to be safe and protect their families during severe storms," said Simmons.