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Lightning Alert System and Safety

LIGHTNING & THUNDERSTORM WEATHER PROTOCOL
  • GREEN Light = SAFE
  • WHITE Light (Flashing) = NOT SAFE
The parks listed at the end of this safety message are equipped with a lightning detection system.
When Lightning Is Detected
If lightning is within a 5-mile radius, the system will:
Activate a flashing white light
Sound an audible alarm
At the first sound of the alarm:
ALL activities must stop immediately
Everyone must leave fields, courts, playgrounds, and outdoor spaces
Go directly to a safe shelter or vehicle
Small outdoor buildings (dugouts, sheds, gazebos) are NOT SAFE
During the Warning

The white light continues flashing for 30 minutes after the last strike

Fields remain closed until system resets

No one may return until alarm sounds again and light is green

No play resumes before the system signals are all clear

Who Must Follow These Rules?

All players, parents, coaches, officials, and spectators

Applies to ALL Borough fields, courts, playgrounds, and outdoor facilities

There are NO false alarms – the system must always be followed

Recommended Safety Tools

Keep a reliable weather app available at games and practices

(e.g., WeatherBug, Spark, Weather Underground, and National Weather Service).

If Someone Is Struck by Lightning

Call 911 immediately

Victims do not carry an electrical charge – it is safe to help them

Provide CPR or AED if needed

Keep monitoring until medical help arrives

Move victim to a safe indoor location if possible

If a siren sounds & a strobe light is on, lightning is in the area. Take appropriate action to ensure your safety! The strobe light remains on during the detection. When the siren sounds & the strobe light is off, it is then safe to return to the park area.
Weather conditions change momentarily. This system is not a total protection plan. Please use common sense.
Park Locations with Lightning Systems:
Municipal Park Complex - DeKorte Drive A. Soccer/Lacrosse Fields B. Baseball Fields
Tommy John Softball Field - DeKorte Drive
Pulis Turf Complex - Pulis Ave
*Protocol applies to all Franklin Lakes Parks and Recreation*
For further info on our lightning system visit www.wxline.com
Lightning Safety
According to the National Weather Service (NWS), lightning strikes the United States about 25 million times each year. While lightning mostly occurs during the summer months, it can happen at any time of the year.
Talk with your family about staying safe during thunderstorms. Here are just a few lightning safety tips that the NWS offers if you are indoors:
  • Stay off corded phones. You can use cellular or cordless phones.
  • Don't touch electrical equipment such as computers, TVs, or cords. You can use the remote control safely.
  • Stay away from windows and doors that might have small leaks around the sides to let in lightning, and stay off porches.
According to the NWS, if you are outside during a storm it is important to get inside a small building or vehicle. You are NOT safe outdoors, but if you absolutely cannot get to safety, follow these tips to slightly lessen the threat of being struck by lightning:
  • Avoid open fields, the top of a hill, or a ridge top.
  • Stay away from tall, isolated trees or other tall objects. If you're in a forest, stay near a lower stand of trees.
  • If you're in a group, spread out to avoid the current traveling between group members.