National Weather Service In Ellsworth Solicits Bid for Thousands of Rounds of Ammo

My guess is this country's government agencies are preparing to continue to stay in operation the day after someone[s] sets off a nuke in the country, when law enforcement agencies will be 'busy' if that is right word.

It's for self-defense.

In our day and age, people could be p!$$ed off about the fact that they just shoveled 14" of partly cloudy from their driveway and might take things into their own hands.

Then again, those destinations aren't where the weather stations are. Given the locations, my bet is that they're afraid of all the fishermen they're about to put on the beach.

They couldn't pacify Iraq with 150,000 plus troops on the ground, sounds like a waste of money, probably part of a stimulus package.

I wonder what to make of it when branches of the federal government, such as NOAA, the Dept of Education, and others, agencies that really have no roll in law enforcement........proceed to arm up!

What is it that they say when government becomes scared of its citizens?

Can a "National Weather Service SWAT team be far behind?

WC

MANY federal agencies have SWAT teams. I have occasion to visit one range where ICE practices. They go through a LOT of ammo.

12 hours after being on AMG, the Drudge Report starts carrying the story. That is three stories in the past five years that started on AMG and ended up on the Drudge Report afterwards. Apollo had one.

Geeze, the National Weather service orders pallets of ammo, meanwhile the Maine AG shoots off a BB gunat the company picnic, and Bill Nemitz feels he has to write a column about it.

From NOAA Press Release:

"Due to a clerical error in the federal business vendor process, a solicitation for ammunition and targets for the NOAA Fisheries
Office of Law Enforcement mistakenly identified NOAA’s National Weather Service as the requesting office. The error is being fixed and will soon appear correctly in the electronic federal bidding system. The ammunition is standard issue for many law enforcement agencies and it will be used by 63 NOAA enforcement personnel in their firearms qualifications and training. NOAA officers and agents enforce the nation’s ocean and fishing laws to ensure a level playing field for fishermen and to protect marine species like whales, dolphins and turtles"

1. "NOAA officers and agents enforce the nation’s ocean and fishing laws to ensure a level playing field for fishermen . . "

I recall an episode of 'The Deadliest Catch' that would suggest the fishermen are better armed.

2. " . . and to protect marine species like whales, dolphins and turtles"

They're using handguns to repel the Japanese fishing fleet?

Ahh RRRRRRRRRRR

They are waiting to show up at me boat.

Too bad the morning radio team on 101.3 made fun of the guy who first called in to mention this story this morning...might wanna rethink calling someone a whacko so quickly...

I was willing to believe they were going to use the ammo for cloud seeding.

Why is it that when the Military maintains underground fallout shelters it’s considered strategic, but when some average Joe decides to build an underground shelter in his back yard he is considered paranoid or crazy?

There is a double standard that applies to anyone wanting to be prepared for a worst case situations. It’s ok for government elites to be well prepared for the worst possible situation, but the average citizen is somehow considered abnormal for thinking along the same lines.

The same seems to hold true with weapons and ammunition stashes.

In a absolute worst case situation the Weather Service would be critical in forecasting wind direction and factors that could have a drastic impact on radiation. Call it crazy talk if you wish, but Pentagon workers get paid handsomely to have round table talks about this type of planning.

Why is it that when the Military maintains underground fallout shelters it’s considered strategic, but when some average Joe decides to build an underground shelter in his back yard he is considered paranoid or crazy?

Perhaps because the government doesn't want citizens protecting themselves, they want citizens to look to the government to provide protection.

The government is incapable of protecting the population based on logistics. In 1936 the British Department of Homeland Security established a committee to study the possibilities of air strikes on the nation. One of the plans was to issue Anderson Shelters to the poor and the rest of the population could purchase a shelter to use in case of air raids. Along came the September of 1940 and the German Lufwaffe launched the Blitz, bombing London nightly. As it turns out the Anderson Shelters where only used by less then 4% of the population. They where essentially useless and people risked staying in their homes. Most people evacuated the city, but those who stayed behind lived with nightly air raids, mass destruction, enormous civilian casualties, and terror. The amazing part was some people became so accustomed to the bombings that they began to attend movies at night, watching cinema as the bombs rained down on the city. Winston Churchill was in his fortified bunker planning the defense of the nation.

I'm sure you're aware of this, Steve, but London had a system of bomb shelters built long before the war. They were the tunnels of the Underground (the subway -- in England a subway is a pedestrian walkway underneath a road) and some of them were very deep, safe from any bomb. Not everyone could get to them in every raid, but thousands could, and did, find safety there.

https://www.fbo.gov/index?s=opportunity&mode=form&tab=core&id=bfd95987a1...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capital-weather-gang/post/national-w...