Beaches in Brick Township will have two lightning detectors
installed this summer after a 19- year-old lifeguard in South Seaside Park was
killed last August when a lightning strike hit the stand from a storm miles
away.
The devices detect lightning and beep -- alerting to get to a safe place even if skies don't
look threatening.
“With this, it takes the human error out of it, and it will
detect lightning by a discharge,” says Dan Santaniello, superintendent of Brick
Township Recreation. “It's not going by strictly radar.”
The devices will warn about the danger using sensors and a
horn. Two detectors made by Strike Force will go on wooden posts at
Brick Beach 1 and at Brick Beach 3.
“We can detect it up to 20 miles,” says Santaniello. “The alarms
will go off, sirens will go off, we'll get right to it with our guards clearing
the beach."
These are the same type of detectors used at golf courses and
other outdoor venues. The sirens will only be in operation from 9:30 a.m. until
5:30 p.m., but a strobe light will flash outside of beach hours, warning people
in the area of potential danger.