Severe weather: it's something that central Georgia is very familiar with and something that is possible year round.

Robins Air Force Base has taken steps recently to earn themselves the title of a StormReady community, making them the first military institution in Georgia to receive this designation.

According to Barry Gooden with the National Weather Service in Peachtree City, "If you are a StormReady community, you now how to respond and are ready to respond when severe weather does occur."

This is a designation that base officials are proud of and something they didn't do just for themselves.

RAFB Installation Vice Commander Colonel Patricia Ross told NewsCentral's Jeff Cox, "We are concerned about not only the base and their security and safety but that of the entire community.

The base went through an application and evaluation process to ensure the following criteria were met:

Establish a 24-hour warning point and emergency operations center
Have more than one way to receive severe weather warnings and forecasts and to alert the public

Create a system that monitors weather conditions locally

Promote the importance of public readiness through community seminars

Develop a formal hazardous weather plan, which includes training severe weather spotters and holding emergency exercises

Ross is proud to be a StormReady Community and called this achievement a once in a lifetime national weather for the flight team at Robins Air Force Base.

The goal now is to use Robins Air Force Base as an example for the rest of central Georgia.

Gooden would like to see all 96 counties in the Peachtree City forecast area become StormReady. The National Weather Service hopes that there will be more communities in central Georgia becoming StormReady now that Robins has earned the designation.

Until then, Robins and the National Weather Service will continue to celebrate their accomplishment.

Gooden called this a great opportunity for the National Weather Service and is excited to be partnered with base officials.