Albion Fire-Rescue Uses AcuRite Atlas™ Professional Weather Station
Albion Fire-Rescue is a fire and EMS department located in central Maine. We respond to a variety of incidents that occur in any and all weather conditions. Firefighters and emergency responders work outside, exposed to the elements: pouring rain, blizzard conditions, scorching heat, high winds, and lightning. All these different weather conditions both hinder our operations and create hazards for our firefighters. We are primarily concerned about our responders' safety while they are working to protect and respond to our community members.
Recently we acquired an AcuRite Atlas™ wireless weather station with lightning detection through My AcuRite. This easy-to-install weather station allows us to monitor severe weather and lightning, which increase the risk for our personnel in the field. This technology from AcuRite gives our responders an awareness of current and future weather patterns, which allows us to focus our attention toward our mission.
Before receiving our AcuRite weather station, our department had no official means of getting current weather data local to our area. Knowing if lightning was quickly approaching was dependent on individuals checking the radar; no alert system existed. Over the last few years, there were many times when devastating thunderstorms occurred with no warning to our members, surprising us as we responded to multiple incidents created by the storm.
Today, our members can receive impending severe weather alerts, which better prepares us for all situations. Together with AcuRite weather monitoring equipment, we can reduce the likelihood that our responders are caught off guard from potentially dangerous weather. Team members have access to the My AcuRite app on their smartphones, and the real-time weather data observed at the fire station is available to the public through Weather Underground.
