INDIANAPOLIS— Weather Decision Technologies, Inc., the industry leader in providing organizations with weather decision support on a global scale, has entered into a three-year agreement with the National Federation of State High School Associations as an NFHS Corporate Partner.
As a part of the agreement, Weather Decision Technologies (WDT), with offices in Norman, Oklahoma, and Houston, Texas, will be the exclusive NFHS partner for soccer, which will include coverage in the sport’s rules book, rules poster, scorebook and rules PowerPoint.
Among the many products and services offered by WDT is STRIKE, a lightning detection and alerting application currently available on iOS and Android devices. STRIKE harnesses the power of Earth Networks Total Lightning Network (ENTLN), combining it with a patented alerting engine developed by WDT to deliver instant notifications to individuals whether they are on or off the field. An alert is sent when a lightning strike is first detected within six miles of the event, and an all-clear is sent when no lightning is detected within that range for 30 minutes. These distance rules are recommended by lightning experts, as well as the NCAA, NFHS and other sports associations to minimize risk while outdoors.
For school districts and large organizations, STRIKE Plus includes a bulk app package along with WDT’s exclusive WeatherOps Commander, a complete weather-monitoring system that brings a myriad of advanced lightning-strike display and weather-alerting technologies into one concise, interactive package.
WDT is a partner and founding contributor of The Event Safety Alliance (ESA), a non-profit safety trade association dedicated to promoting the concept of “life safety first” during all phases of event production.
“We are excited about this new partnership with Weather Decision Technologies,” said Bob Gardner, NFHS executive director. “With WDT’s background in lightning detection and its accompanying app, this will offer our member state associations and the nation’s high schools some additional resources for minimizing risk of injury in high school sports. We look forward to working with WDT over the next three years.”
“Lightning is unpredictable and the key to safety is preparation and awareness,” says Mike Eilts, chief executive officer of Weather Decision Technologies. “We strive to create technology that ensures awareness resulting in saved lives and protected assets. We see this relationship as an opportunity to help protect those who serve and play under the NFHS.”