UMD Hosts Lightning Safety Awareness Workshop for Reporters

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University Of Maryland

Jun 18, 2014, 16:20 ET

(PRWEB) June 18, 2014 -- Members of the media are invited to a Lightning Safety Awareness Week workshop at the University of Maryland’s Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center (ESSIC) in College Park, Md. This workshop will provide fresh leads on stories about how researchers and organizations are building lightning-safe communities in the Mid-Atlantic region. Presenters will describe their innovative steps to help protect people and property from this all-too-common weather hazard. You will have time for interviews with the presenters and can participate in a rooftop tour of the building's lightning protection equipment.

What: On-the-record workshop for media in the D.C. and Baltimore regions with brief presentations and panel discussions that offer potential story leads related to protecting people and property from lightning. This event coincides with Lightning Safety Awareness Week (June 22-28) to maximize its impact and relevance.

Who: Participants will hear from lightning science and safety experts who work at the University of Maryland, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Lightning Protection Institute, Insurance Information Institute, Lightning Safety Alliance, Earth Networks, and Federal Alliance for Safe Homes.

When: Tuesday, June 24, 2014
10:00 am     Welcome and introduction
10:15 am     Short presentations on:
        * The “Building Lightning Safe Communities” Initiative
        * Lightning Safety at Sporting Venues
        * Lightning Losses and Insurance Costs
        * Tracking Dangerous Storms Using Lightning Observations
        * Dispelling Lightning Safety Myths
11:30 am Break; Speakers available for interviews
12:00 pm Catered lunch
12:00 pm Panel discussion – Protecting People
12:30 pm Panel discussion – Protecting Property
1:00 pm Rooftop tour (optional)
1:00 pm         One-hour continuing education course (optional)

A detailed agenda with speaker information is available at http://ter.ps/5we.

Where: University of Maryland Research Park
Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center
5825 University Research Court, Suite 4001
College Park, MD 20740-3823
Directions: http://ter.ps/5q4
Free Parking Available

Please RSVP at http://ter.ps/lightning.

Please contact Abby Robinson at abbyr(at)umd(dot)edu or 301.405.5845 if you have any questions.

Abby Robinson, University Of Maryland, http://www.cmns.umd.edu, +1 (301) 405-5845, [email protected]