Seaside Park’s Lightning Detection System to Run Year-Round, 24 Hours Per Day

A lightning detection sensor array in Brick Township, May 2023. (Photo: Shorebeat)

Seaside Park officials have worked behind the scenes with the borough’s insurance carrier to hatch a plan that will allow lightning detection systems along the ocean to work year-round, 24 hours per day.

The borough, like many island communities, adopted the use of automated lightning detection systems following the tragic death of a lifeguard in South Seaside Park during the summer of 2021. The systems were first deployed by Brick Township and later adopted by Toms River, Seaside Park and Lavallette, among other communities. In Seaside Park, however, officials almost immediately questioned the part-time functionality of the system – not due to any technical constraints, but because the borough’s insurance carrier required a written plan that demonstrates what the borough should do when lightning is detected. In other words, a cadre of public officials were to be notified and actively work to rush people off the beach when the system spurred an alert.

Borough officials pushed back, along with residents, asking why the system would be turned off late at night or during the entire post-Labor Day season, when personnel like lifeguards would not be on duty. Elected officials, led by Councilwoman Gina Condos, argued that these would be the times members of the public would be most vulnerable and would, arguably, benefit most from an automated system alerting them to the danger of lightning in the area. After more than a year of working with the Ocean County Joint Insurance Fund and borough attorney Steven Zabarsky on a revised plan, officials adopted an updated plan that will see the system remain active to protect beachgoers outside of regular “lifeguard hours” during the height of the season.

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“Once we put the lightning detection system in place, we limited the hours based on the way our lightning action plan stated,” said Condos. “Based on feedback as well as our own opinion, we wanted to increase the amount of coverage when it is active.”

The lightning detection system is physically mounted along the boardwalk and activates a strobe light when lightning is detected within a certain number of miles, depending on how the system is configured. It uses built-in sensors as well as data culled from remote sources. The system is also capable of alerting lifeguards through a mobile app and emitting a loud siren. Seaside Park’s system is also capable of being networked with detection systems from neighboring communities.

“It was not easy to get everybody aligned,” said Condos, explaining that beyond the action plan required by the insurance carrier, officials did not want residents to be disturbed by sirens in the middle of the night or, for that matter, in the middle of the winter.

The borough’s revised plan calls for a combination of strategies. During the summer season, both the strobes and sirens will be enabled from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. After 9 p.m., only the strobes will activate. From October through April, the sirens will be disabled completely. The system as a whole, however, will now run 24 hours per day, 365 days per year.

“This way it won’t prevent people from going to sleep, but if you’re out walking the boardwalk in the morning or out there fishing in the evening, you’ll be covered,” said Condos.

A lightning detection sensor array in Ortley Beach, May 2023. (Photo: Shorebeat)

The borough made it a priority to fine-tune its plan over the course of the last year, an effort largely led on a day-to-day basis by Borough Administrator Karen Kroon.

“Last year we had to install it and get it going, so we went with a plan, knowing we wanted to adjust it and make the hours longer – fine tune it this year,” said Councilman Joseph Connor. “This will be broken down to our staff this summer – lifeguards, beach control, the police – and everyone will know what we’re doing.”

Kroon said signage along the ocean will explain the system to beachgoers, and each sign will come with a QR code that can be scanned by mobile phones that will provide guidance as to what to do when the system activates.

“There was a great deal of research done through the committee,” said Mayor John Peterson, complimenting his colleagues.

Kroon said, in response to a question from a resident, that the borough may look into the possibility of activating a strobe somewhere near the bayfront as well in the future.