High school gets lightning alarm
No place is absolutely safe from the dangers of lightning, but Warren County High School’s campus will be a little safer for outdoor activities this fall.
The high school is in the process of installing a lightning detection system, which will give the earliest warning possible to the threat of severe weather in the area.
Skyscan is the world’s leader in lightning detection, which can detect any electromagnetic emissions within a 40 mile radius. Each time the system detects a lightning strike it emits an audible warning tone, and will register the distance of the lightning strike on its range indicator.
The Warren County School system purchased the Skyscan system last month and it’s being installed between the football practice field and the soccer field.
With its warning tone and range indicator the system will give early detection to all of the athletic fields on the WCHS campus.
‘With so many athletic events going on here during the fall and spring this will be a very valuable tool to keep everyone safe from the dangers of bad weather,’ said WCHS athletic trainer Tim McIntosh.
‘During the spring and summer everyone out here on the fields is very vulnerable to lightning strikes. The school has taken great steps to ensure everyone’s safety.’
The cost of the high-tech system was $3,500, a bargain when talking about the safety of athletes and fans. A similar system may be installed at Nunley Stadium this fall for football games and spring sports.
‘I believe this is a positive step considering all the bad weather the county has experienced. Lightning is definitely a safety issue and I believe we have addressed that,’ said Director of Schools Dr. Jerry Hale.
‘The expense is well worth it, if we can keep just one person from being injured by lightning. With this early warning system we can get people off the fields and make sure they stay in a safe place until the severe weather has passed. Hopefully we can purchase one for Nunley Stadium. With the football games drawing such a large crowd we need to get people out of the stadium as quickly as possible, and that’s exactly what this system will allow us to do.’
The Skyscan system is also available in several different hand held models, which might be looked into for the county schools during outdoor activities.