Department of Commerce, NOAA, 200 World Trade Center, Room 209, Norfolk, VA 23510-1624

D -- DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF REPORTING SYSTEM FOR WEATHER OBSERVATIONS DUE 050199 POC Lynne Phipps, Contract Specialist (757) 441-6881, Melvyn DesJarlais, Contracting Officer, (757) 441-6647 WEB: Request for Information, http://www.easc.noaa.gov. E-MAIL: Lynne Phipps, Lynn.B.Phipps@noaa.gov. THE PURPOSE of this Request for Information (RFI) is to determine the current state of the art and availability of technologies which industry could offer to accomplish the design and implementation of reporting system for weather observations utilizing the typical household telephone and telephonic techniques. This RFI is not a Request for Proposals (RFP) but rather is an exploratory request to determine the availability of approaches to quickly accomplish the goal of developing, testing, and implementing a reporting system in the shortest period of time (less than 12 months, preferably 6-8 months) within limited annual budget resources. Addressing creative financing options is encouraged, such as the acceptability of using future annual operating and maintenance cost savings as a means of paying for the new system, i.e. stretching out payments beyond the completion of work. Please identify any participation in streamlined pre-priced contract vehicles, such as GSA and ID/IQ programs (GWACs). This RFI is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government to issue a solicitation or ultimately award a contract. Responses will not be considered as proposals nor will any award be made as a result of this RFI. Any costs incurred as a result of responding to this RFI shall be borne by the respondent and cannot be charged to the Government for reimbursement. All information in this RFI represents an overview of the anticipated project, and is subject to change, and is in no way binding on the Government. The Government will acknowledge receipt of submissions but will not provide any feedback. The National Weather Service (NWS) manages a network of about 11,450 volunteers who record and report a finite number of weather parameters for each calendar day (24 hour period). These observers are trained by NWS personnel and uniformly record and report in a defined standard format. All the sites record and report daily precipitation data and many also report the daily maximum and minimum temperature of the day. Several hundred of these sites also record and report some additional features, such as soil moisture, evaporation rate (to include wind speed), snow depth, and snow fall. These observations are reported as numbers and the units are standardized, usually in degree Fahrenheit (in the future perhaps Celsius) and inches of rain/snow (in the future perhaps Centimeters). There is a short text remarks section which may be used to further describe the weather. Common terms, such as hail, fog, sleet with start and end times and perhaps distance in Feet (in the future perhaps Meters), are used in the text remarks section. These 11,450 sites, referred to as the Cooperative (COOP) Observing Network, are geographically located throughout every region of the U.S.(number of sites in each state varies), as well as Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, and several in other Pacific U.S. Territories/Trusts locations. Each site has a unique Station Identification Number assigned to it which is part of an existing electronic data base which defines the type data reported, station name and geographic location (city, state), and other information. The total number of sites is a dynamic number and varies on a monthly basis (the list changes monthly by as few as a dozen to as many as 50 or more) due to old sites being temporarily and permanently closed and new sites opened. The actual observations reported by each site are well defined and consists of at least precipitation and in most cases the maximum and minimum temperature for each 24 hour period (calendar day). Currently, the daily observations are recorded on a paper form for the entire data (calendar) month. The paper form is mailed to the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC), Asheville, NC and typically arrive within two to four weeks after the end of the data month. The forms must be visually reviewed for readability, completeness, and possible errors. Then the data is manually keyed into an electronic file. This preliminary monthly file for the entire network is ready for electronic access by customers about 45 days after the data month. The preliminary file is then processed through a sophisticated, highly automated quality control (QC) system which produces the final quality archive files about 70 days after the end of the data month. These files are then made available for access via the Worldwide Web and Internet. Electronic access at a central location to these data, particularly precipitation values, in as near real time as possible has become a central demand of the customers. Many customers from around the country and the world would use these data in near term weather forecasts, warnings, and watches, particularly updating flood forecasts, as well as in other economic business enterprises. Reporting these data as soon as possible after the end of the calendar day is a requirement to achieve the goal of near real time data access. The observer, when on vacation or travel, has another person record the data. Therefore, reporting these data for each of several calendar days is a key element of the reporting capability being investigated. Up front basic quality control checks during the reporting process are required to ensure the data reported are reasonable. Daily worldwide electronic access to the preliminary data is required. The ability to electronically port the data from a file into the highly automated QC processing system is required. Updating the list of sites must be easily performed by the data base manager. These trained volunteer observers come from all walks of life, such as farmers, water treatment plants, ordinary citizens interested in the weather, etc. One technology item common to virtually all these sites is the telephone and quite a few still have Rotary vice Touch Tone. Some may be hearing impaired and use a TDD capable telephone. A computerized version of the paper form has already been developed and tested as a means of reporting the entire month's record at the end of the month. Too few observers have personal computers making a computer not the universal means (option) of reporting. It is not a desirable business cost (design, procurement, installation, and life cycle repair) to design special reporting equipment for distribution to each of these field sites. Respondents are requested to provide information using WordPerfect 6/7/8 or MS WORD files forwarded via the Internet to jjensen@ncdc.noaa.gov, or via a 3.5 inch diskette, or by mail. Faxing is also acceptable (704) 271-4022. Please limit responses to no more than ten pages. To be considered, submissions must be received at the National Climatic Data Center, 151 Patton Ave., Room 120, Asheville, NC 28801-5001 not later than 4:00 PM, May 1, 1999. Administrative questions concerning this announcement may be directed to one of the following: Lynne Phipps, e-mail, Lynn.B.Phipps@noaa.gov or Melvyn DesJarlais, Melvyn.A.DesJarlais@noaa.gov. Technical questions should be directed to John Jensen, (704) 271-4205, fax (704) 271-4022, e-mail, jjensen@ncdc.noaa.gov. Posted 03/11/99 (W-SN307261). (0070)

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