Training for New Net Control Operators

Minimum Requirements

The minimum requirements to qualify as a Net Control Operator, as well as the minimum Station Requirements, are listed in the SKYWARN Operations Manual. If you meet these requirements, you may qualify to become a SKYWARN Net Control Operator upon completion of our training process. Briefly, some key requirements to become a SKYWARN NCO:

• Technician class amateur radio license or higher.
• You must have a well-engineered, reliable amateur station capable of accessing the primary and backup SKYWARN repeater(s) in your area.
• You must have emergency power - either battery, generator, or alternative energy source.
• You must have a high-speed Internet connection and it's extremely important that you are comfortable enough with the operation of a computer to be able to quickly and accurately log information being received over the air.

Net Control Operator training is valid for a maximum of three years. Beyond the initial training, the re-certification requirements are as follows:

• Re-Certification is required annually (first quarter of each year) unless minimum participation requirements are met. Currently, one report logged per calendar year will exempt a team member from annual re-certification.
• Re-Certification is required once every three years regardless of activity level.
• Annual re-certification may be required regardless of activity level in the event of individual performance concerns, at the discretion of the SKYWARN Area Manager.

Training Process & Course Materials

The materials used in our NCO Training program are provided here for your reference. Existing NCO's are encouraged to periodically review these materials as a refresher, but this does not relieve existing team members of the 3-year re-certification requirement.

The training process for new NCO's is as follows:

1. Ensure you meet the minimum requirements listed above.
2. Read and understand the SKYWARN NCO Realistic Job Preview before registering for a class.
3. Read and understand the SKYWARN Net Control Operator Training Manual (1-2 hours)
4. Review sample EMWIN Warnings and SPC Convective Outlooks
5. Review Basic Spotter's Field Guide (1 hour)
6. Browse through the SKYWARN Operations Manual, specifically sections relating to net procedures and the Net Control Operator Job Description. (1-2 hours)
7. Register and complete a New NCO Training classroom session. (3-4 hours).

Additionally, all team members must maintain valid Spotter training for the duration of their participation with our team. See Spotter Training Requirements for NCO's for more information.

Net Control Operator training is in the form of a live classroom training session running between 3 and 4 hours depending on the number of participants. The training session briefly reviews the information in the Training Manual and Ops Manual, with an opportunity for Q&A. Take notes as you read through the material and come prepared with questions! The class will focus on operation of the NCO Dashboard and net procedures. There will be practice nets and all class participants will be expected to participate and log some reports.

Additional one-on-one training will be available after the class as time permits, and SKYWARN Area Managers will work personally with individual team members to fully develop each new team member's comfort level with our systems and processes. Questions?

You may contact the Leadership Team via e-mail with any questions, comments, or concerns regarding the training and the topics covered in the written materials, or with questions about the training sessions.