What we DO have in our control is our willingness to learn and improve our services, and our ability to engage and collaborate with our core partners and stakeholders (both public and private sector) in North Texas. This process must push forward as a priority for all of us. It must start now.

How we execute these responsibilities is modulated by the evolutions that are occurring in our field, e.g., changes in the science, in how information is disseminated, and in our administrative structures, resources and policies. These complicate the responses we make to the events of July 4th. /5

The NWS, where I derive my paycheck and livelihood, can’t directly compel anyone at any of these levels to make a warning-based decision. However…we have important roles and responsibilities in terms of influencing and hopefully catalyzing the right actions at each level. /4

3) With local government; 4) With state government; and 5) With the federal government, including the NWS.

Collective success or failure of the warning process depends on the weakest link in this chain. /3

Ownership of a “warning-based decision” rests at 5 different societal levels (and maybe more): 1) With the individual (or for kids, their caregivers); 2) With individual private/public-sector organizations/entities & their responsible parties; /2