Modern Storm Chaser Ethics 9.5.08 @ 07:18PM ET

An explosion of interest in storm chasing is occurring after media attention and popular films such as "Twister" present the public with thrill seeking death-defying stunts and special effects. This article discusses the argument over self policing versus rules and regulations for the storm chasing community. Ben develops a "common good baseline" for storm chasers in an effort to strengthen, grow, and educate the community.

Modern Storm Chasing Ethics
By Ben Alonzo

Introduction

During a period of technological explosion primarily between 1988 and 1999, a new era of storm chasing was born. Early chasers were rare in numbers as most of them were operating for work either following storms for research or studying storm paths to protect property. One early example, although considered to be more of a storm spotting role, were power plants and military bases who dispatched individuals to "watch" for approaching dangers such as the much feared monster tornado. Such an observation could be vital to warn employees of immediate threats. This for work and research chasing was not the end, but an early beginning to modern storm chasing.

Early storm chasers lacked a durable communication method or access to weather data while in the field. Although it was possible to retrieve data while mobile, it was very costly, inefficient, and sparsely available. Though the lack of technology existed, early chasers enjoyed wide open spaces without the modern frenzy that occurs today. With such a recent explosion of interest in storm chasing, attention to responsibility and productivity must be examined. Several questions rise such as where is storm chasing headed? What are common guidelines that should be followed? What is responsible and what is productive for the common good? Each of these questions can be answered with an objective approach.

Common Good

Any organized group of people must have a focus or collective goal(s). Without a focus, the organization will fail by lacking guidelines, procedures, and responsibility. Guidelines can be similar to a mission statement. These offer a simple set of milestones members strive to achieve for a common good. Your author believes that the storm chasing community has become so large that a baseline must be established to ensure some level of quality and productivity. This baseline must define common procedures, responsibility, as well as goals. Such a baseline will very boldly differentiate productive chasers from reckless thrill seekers. It will also help new or existing chasers to become more aware, responsible, and productive. How can we get to this point? First, we must understand where we are now in order to move forward.

The Good, Bad, and Ugly

Recent films have excited interest in storm chasing. With the release of titles such as "Twister" and many others - we experienced an explosion of "chasers" coming out to capture severe weather or get media attention. We must understand that there are many different types of storm chasers. Although it is true, sometimes the media calls anyone who is out during a severe storm a "chaser" it is merely a verb. Chasers come in all flavors whether it be thrill seekers, lone-chasers, researchers for a legitimate project, business, or college activity, paid journalists, individuals acting of legitimate employment duties (operational meteorology, etc), and other legitimate emergency officials.

Not everyone has a common good approach to chasing. Over the past three years while studying recorded severe weather events, a significant amount of individual "chasers" where observed laughing while peoples homes were destroyed, trespassing, unnecessarily speeding, entering damage zones without intention to put the camera down and help or even being authorized to be there (putting themselves and other in further danger), fighting with other chasers, refusing orders from officials, not wearing seatbelts, illegally using emergency lights or sirens, and worse. Everyone must get past any argument that this is a fact in order to progress. Let there be no doubt about this as your author challenges any reader to research the videos widely available on Youtube or public accounts of incidents involving "chasers" to verify this behavior is a real threat to the community. How do we work on this problem? Elimination of the problems can only start by identifying the problems as was done in the above examples, developing a baseline, and following those standards. Let us examine the baseline.

A "Common Good" Baseline

Without any definitive framework, there is no place to start changing the community by example. Each of us grew up learning some basic rules or concepts that help us function in life. Probably the most important concepts were following the rules and being respectful of others. We demonstrated this by using "please" and "thank you" for example. However, it meant more than that. It was a respect for life, laws, officials, friends, family, etc. You may have been told "respect goes a long way." This statement is actually very true. To a certain extent it must be said that there are different levels of respect. For example you may greet the President of The United States differently then you would your next door neighbor. That's because such a position is worth the extra respect (regardless of your political views). Just the same as someone such as a Doctor would be introduced "Dr." at a speaking engagement. You get the general idea. The same can be applied to storm chasing. There are experienced and inexperienced chasers. Some have really contributed to science and education, and others have just made a name for themselves by taking unnecessary risks. Simply put its common good productive chasers versus name and thrill seekers who are the ones taking unnecessary risks or demonstrating unacceptable behavior.

Each chaser must decide what route they will go. Will you be responsible and respectful or not? Respect comes from education, skills, and experience. Common good is a great concept that can be redefined for storm chasers as being responsible, productive for society, demonstrating common sense, being respectful, and last but not least respecting nature. Respecting nature means understanding human limitations, exercising personal safety while observing nature, being concerned for the safety of others, and learning from each experience you encounter. We must agree that if a chaser does not demonstrate respect, responsibility, or concern for safety, he or she is a negative liability serving no legitimate purpose, intention, or public cause. Once we reach this consensus we can build this baseline.

Building the Baseline

Learning comes from studying and experience - it doesn't happen overnight. Those chasers who are in positions of experience or education should teach the "common good" baseline. This is a framework for not only making a productive spotter or chaser, but is similar to life concepts. A "common good" baseline can be applied to nearly every aspect of life. Your role is to motivate your community (or yourself), show by example, and learn from your own experiences. The first step has been taken by defining a movement here of calling everyone to action, describing the baseline, and proposing changes. The next step is for the community to respond.

Community Involvement

If the storm chasing community is to stay positive and productive it absolutely must take action now. Every individual chaser must decide to adopt a reasonable version of the common good baseline described here. Individuals, agencies, and businesses can define their own operating procedures, but the foundation must be the same. The foundation must include respect, responsibility, and safety at the forefront. There is no problem with media attention but the environment must conform to the foundation. The aim here is to bring the community into a positive light by showing its members are widely utilizing a modern baseline for the common good in the 21st century.

There were early versions of "storm chaser ethics." For the most part they were not expanded on, morphed to complement technology or modern society in general. Any guideline must be appropriate for the time, place, and situation. We cannot bring this change without a call to individual action and involvement.

Excellent opportunities are present for teachers, National Weather Service officials, emergency managers, and business leaders. You can demonstrate your utilization of this storm chaser baseline by making your employees and volunteers aware. Present the materials to them, answer questions, encourage compliance. Individuals can also become involved by joining a volunteer group and applying this baseline to their participation. If we can get a significant number or solid majority following the guidelines described here, we will gain positive light, respect, productivity, and quality. This should be a mutual effort from top to bottom. Finally, this must involve some specific quality theme.

Quality of Chasing and Storm Spotting

Any business owner will tell you they prefer quality employees over anything else. The same rule can be applied to volunteers for any cause. Quality is self explanatory but can also be expanded on here. How can one demonstrate quality? First, be using a baseline as your foundation for chasing. Second, specifically by showing respect for laws, officials, other experienced chasers, wearing a seatbelt, driving safely, abstaining from excessive cursing, respecting those who experience disasters, giving back to your community, getting licenses or certifications that will give you credentials, showing a positive demeanor during media exposure, and educating others when appropriate given the opportunity. Third, it is always good to further your education whether it is college, technical school, attending a National Weather Service training event, etc. These are three ways individuals may affect the quality of storm chasers and spotters in a positive way. Higher quality also means more reliable communication, organization, and mutual respect.

Conclusion

A large storm chasing community continues to grow exponentially as the United States experiences most of the world's severe weather due to its geography. Because of the growth in interest, hundreds, if not thousands of individuals are labeled as "chasers" each year. Both their positive effects, and more prevalently, their negative effects are featured by the media and on popular sites such as Youtube. In order to bring our community into a positive light, grow it with quality individuals, and make it more productive, we must adopt "modern storm chaser ethics". In this baseline the concept of "common good storm chasing" will achieve that goal. However, it will take an effort across the board to get there. This means The National Weather Service, Federal Emergency Management Agency, ham radio groups, other organizations, and individual chasers must implement and utilize this baseline. By applying this approach as detailed above, we will each do our part to strengthen, grow, and educate our community with respect, responsibility, as well as safety first 21st century storm chasing.

Thanks,

Ben A/StormSector

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