Oklahoma Weather Tracking Licensure Legislation

[gdlewen]

Rep. Fetgatter posted this on his Facebook page:

Scott Fetgatter

My crazy world! Me: Run a bill requested by storm chasers. Storm chasers and meteorologists: ( some really well know) Oh no they are going to kill people and then spread bad information to...

www.facebook.com

I’m not buying it. Sorry. It’s curious he didn’t feel like he could identify the chasers who asked for this bill that focused on media outlets and universities.

 

[Warren Faidley]

I’m not buying it. Sorry. It’s curious he didn’t feel like he could identify the chasers who asked for this bill that focused on media outlets and universities.

You nailed. Hopefully, we will soon know who the clowns are that requested this special treatment.

 

[Brett Roberts]

Rep. Fetgatter posted this on his Facebook page:

Scott Fetgatter

My crazy world! Me: Run a bill requested by storm chasers. Storm chasers and meteorologists: ( some really well know) Oh no they are going to kill people and then spread bad information to...

www.facebook.com

This really smells like a case of both sides talking past each other, among other issues. Plus, his co-sponsor (I assume the Senate version proposed by Mann was coordinated with Fetgatter's version, at minimum?) is describing the intent differently to local media, so maybe he should focus on that first instead of the understandable concern on our end.

Anyway, among the comments Fettgager made:

Scott Fetgatter
Professional storm chasers need access to storm damaged areas so they can pass through to stay up with the storm. Seconds mean the difference between life and death in tornado season.

This is slam dunk confirmation of what I've suspected all these years living in OK: most of the non-weather world here truly see Castor et. al. as EMs saving lives. Heroic on par with a firefighter, full stop. I've heard of police escorting them as they tear down non-interstate highways doing 100+. Fetgatter's comments suggest that his intention with the bill is to codify that type of practice into law.

In reality, most of us know that: (a) OKC media are probably the most reckless and belligerent single chaser cohort on the road anywhere in the U.S., and (b) they're just profit-driven yahoos with no discernible extra claim to public safety vs. the rest of us.

Unfortunately, judging by countless social media comments from the public over the years, I don't think Fetgatter is necessarily "corrupt," cynically shilling for OKC media, or anything like that. Rather, I think he and the public at large are disposed to elevate the status of anyone they see regularly on the almighty TV tenfold above their actual importance and competence. Apparently that includes conferring some sort of implicit public servant/EM status where needed to rationalize their starstruck-ed-ness.

 

[Warren Faidley]

This really smells like a case of both sides talking past each other, among other issues. Plus, his co-sponsor (I assume the Senate version proposed by Mann was coordinated with Fetgatter's version, at minimum?) is describing the intent differently to local media, so maybe he should focus on that first instead of the understandable concern on our end.

Anyway, among the comments Fettgager made:

This is slam dunk confirmation of what I've suspected all these years living in OK: most of the non-weather world here truly see Castor et. al. as EMs saving lives. Heroic on par with a firefighter, full stop. I've heard of police escorting them as they tear down non-interstate highways doing 100+. Fetgatter's comments suggest that his intention with the bill is to codify that type of practice into law.

In reality, most of us know that: (a) OKC media are probably the most reckless and belligerent single chaser cohort on the road anywhere in the U.S., and (b) they're just profit-driven yahoos with no discernible extra claim to public safety vs. the rest of us.

Unfortunately, judging by countless social media comments from the public over the years, I don't think Fetgatter is necessarily "corrupt," cynically shilling for OKC media, or anything like that. Rather, I think he and the public at large are disposed to elevate the status of anyone they see regularly on the almighty TV tenfold above their actual importance and competence. Apparently that includes conferring some sort of implicit public servant/EM status where needed to rationalize their starstruck-ed-ness.

Very well stated. Someone bewitched Rep. Fettgager into considering this and moving forward. He obviously does not follow ST and the many reports of reckless behavior. (What a great argument for ST's existence). I cringe thinking what would happen if some of the clowns out there had immunity to run with red lights and sirens. The chasers who proposed this are done career-wise.

 

[John Farley]

Some of the above posts would make good comments on Fetgatter's Facebook page.

 

[JamesCaruso]

He (Senator Mann) will of course, back off when he sees the current backlash

I don’t think so. We are too small of a group to constitute a meaningful “backlash.” Chasers are a small group as it is, let alone most of us don’t even live in OK.

 

[Warren Faidley]

I wonder if we will see Fetgatter or Mann in a chase vehicle this year?

 

[gdlewen]

Unfortunately, judging by countless social media comments from the public over the years, I don't think Fetgatter is necessarily "corrupt," cynically shilling for OKC media, or anything like that.

I agree that Fetgatter is probably not corrupt. He was probably approached with a proposal that made sense on the face of things, probably with bill language already written. He read it and it sounded sensible--I think many chasers probably read it and thought "OK I get it." He's probably not a chaser himself, so I doubt he played this out in his head to ask what might be the "unintended consequences" of the bill.

Some very bad bills have slipped passed the OK Legislature because the language looked innocuous; luckily the Governor vetoed the bills and pulled their little bums out of the fire.

 

[Warren Faidley]

I don’t think so. We are too small of a group to constitute a meaningful “backlash.” Chasers are a small group as it is, let alone most of us don’t even live in OK.

But he would take notice if people started to chime-in about potential road blocks or impassable emergency vehicles stopped on highways, exposing entire lines of citizens to hazardous or deadly weather.

 

[Warren Faidley]

I had a response from a LEO on X who said the state would never allow civilians to run code three. This makes sense given the responsibility, training and liability involved.

Another interesting point, I find the timing of this bill rather ingenious. It will be considered right in the middle of chase season, allowing those who proposed it to use chaser convergence as an argument.

 

[Sean Ramsey]

Fetgatter's post and responses tell me that he doesn't have any negative intentions outwardly. However, Mann's interview responses show how a bill like this can be used outside of its original intent and it hasn't even hit the floor yet. This is the rub.

In addition, the possibility of legal issues if someone impedes the progress of a TV Chaser really grinds my gears. Imagine if a TV Chaser in a big pickup truck was in the 4 mile line in Hinton and everyone was required to pull off the road for them. If it doesn't happen, guess what the next step would be?

 

[Dan Robinson]

If the goal was just to grant TV chasers responder privileges, aren't there are easier ways to accomplish that? Couldn't they just go through an EMT/fire/law enforcement training, join an existing first responder agency/department and/or be 'deputized' on a temporary or permanent basis? Kind of like how LEOs can act as trained spotters - the same in reverse? That would also solve the insurance/training issues.

 

[Warren Faidley]

If the goal was just to grant TV chasers responder privileges, aren't there are easier ways to accomplish that? Couldn't they just go through an EMT/fire/law enforcement training, join an existing first responder agency/department and/or be 'deputized' on a temporary or permanent basis? Kind of like how LEOs can act as trained spotters - the same in reverse? That would also solve the insurance/training issues.

I don't believe this bill is about "first responders."

I should also say that in my 35+ years of chasing, I have never witnessed a single situation where having emergency lights on a media, YouTube entertainer or research truck would have saved lives.

 

[Dan Robinson]

I don't believe this bill is about "first responders."

I should also say that in my 35+ years of chasing, I have never witnessed a single situation where having emergency lights on a media, YouTube entertainer or research truck would have saved lives.

Yes that was my point - why would they need a new law passed if there were already established pathways to accomplish what the current language in the bill wants to do?

 

[gdlewen]

Yes that was my point - why would they need a new law passed if there were already established pathways to accomplish what the current language in the bill wants to do?

I think you are right and there are easier ways to provide emergency response credentials to media/university chasers that don't require a new state law. Another reason why our collective spider senses are tingling.