ACR CAPT LAMENTS THE LACK OF A PROPER WEATHER BRIEFING PRIOR TO FLIGHT NEAR HEAVY WEATHER.

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AS I WAS PREPARING FOR DEP; I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT WX DEVELOPING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE COUNTRY. I HAD SEEN THE WX CHANNEL IN THE HOTEL ROOM SOME 1.5 HRS PRIOR; WHERE RPTS OF GRAPEFRUIT SIZE HAIL; WINDS IN EXCESS OF 80 MPH; AND TORNADOS RPTED IN KANSAS. CONCERNED ABOUT THE LEVEL OF VIOLENT WX SO EARLY IN THE DAY; I WENT TO THE GATE AND ASKED FOR THE WX TO BE PULLED UP ON THE COMPANY SITE. I WAS INFORMED BY A SOMEWHAT SARCASTIC AGENT THAT 'WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING LIKE THAT HERE.' 'YOU WILL NEED TO GO TO THE TWR FOR THAT KIND OF STUFF.' I ASKED WHERE THE TWR WAS; AND WAS INFORMED I WOULD NEED TO BE ESCORTED. A SECOND AGENT VOLUNTEERED TO TAKE ME THERE. ALONG THE WAY; SHE MENTIONED THAT 'IN 22 YRS; YOU ARE THE FIRST PERSON TO ASK FOR THIS.' I SUGGESTED THAT PERHAPS SO; BUT IT NEEDED TO BE DONE ANYWAY. UPON REACHING THE TWR; THE PERSONNEL THERE ALSO SEEMED DUMBFOUNDED AT MY REQUEST TO SEE THE WX CHARTS. I WAS TOLD THEY HAVE A REPEATER FROM THE LCL TV STATION; BUT NOTHING OF THE SORT I HAD ASKED. I THANKED THEM FOR THEIR TIME AND LEFT. RETURNING TO THE GATE; I ASKED TO SPEAK TO MY DISPATCHER; AND WAS HANDED A PHONE FROM UNDER THE PODIUM. I EXPLAINED THAT THIS WAS NOT A CONVERSATION I INTENDED TO HAVE IN FRONT OF PAX; AND WAS THERE A MORE PVT LOCATION? I WAS SENT TO THE JETWAY. I PHONED THE DISPATCHER; INFORMED HIM OF MY CONCERN AND THE DILEMMA OF NOT HAVING ADEQUATE WX BRIEFING TOOLS. I ASKED HIM FOR AN 'OLD FASHIONED WX BRIEFING.' WE DISCUSSED THE RAPIDLY GROWING INTENSE WX SYS; AND THE ROUTING PLANNED. WE ALSO DISCUSSED THE LIKELIHOOD OF MORE INTENSITY SINCE LIFTED INDEX WAS -6 AND THE SURFACE TEMPS AND HUMIDITY WERE HIGHER THAN NORM FOR THAT TIME OF DAY. I COULD DO NO MORE; THANKED HIM; AND RETURNED TO THE AIRPLANE. WX -- ESPECIALLY SEVERE WX -- IS THE SINGLE BIGGEST THREAT TO SAFETY; AND THE ONE ASPECT WE HAVE NO CTL TO CHANGE. OUR ONLY RECOURSE IS PLANNING AND AVOIDANCE. JOINT DISPATCHER/CAPT AUTH IS A CONCEPT BORN FROM THE LONG HISTORY OF WX RELATED ACCIDENTS; MANY OF WHICH STARTED WITH INADVERTENT PENETRATION OF SEVERE WX AT HIGH ALT. HOWEVER; WITHOUT THE NECESSARY TOOLS READILY AVAILABLE TO PLTS WHEN OPERATING AT OUTSTATIONS; THE FORMULA IS; FOR PRACTICAL PURPOSES; OPERATING AT ONLY 50% AND IS NON-COMPLIANT WITH FARS; AND SMACKS OF 'PLT PUSHING.' WE HAVE HAD BETTER; MORE COMPLETE INFO IN THE PAST AND MUST; IN THE INTEREST OF SAFETY; HAVE BETTER MORE COMPLETE INFO GOING FORWARD. THE CURRENT SYS IS HEAVILY DEPENDANT ON STATION PERSONNEL WHO HAVE NO REAL KNOWLEDGE OR APPRECIATION FOR THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS INFO; AND IS COMPLETELY INADEQUATE FOR OPERATING ACROSS AREAS OF THE NORTH AMERICAN CONTINENT SITUATED BTWN ESSENTIALLY 2 VERY SHALLOW OCEANS THAT HAVE HIGH EVAPORATION RATES. ACT NOW BEFORE IT IS NECESSARY TO HAVE A FULL-BLOWN INVESTIGATION BY FAA ACR DIVISION OR; GOD FORBID; AN NTSB INVESTIGATION POST ACCIDENT.