City of Laramie Parks, Recreation, and Public Services Launches

ThorGuard Lightning Detection System

The City of Laramie Parks & Recreation department has rolled out a new safety feature in several City of Laramie parks and facilities: the ThorGuard lightning detection system. This system uses radar detection and measures the static energy in the air to more accurately predict the possibility of lightning, and is designed to offer a new level of public safety.

If you are in one of the parks listed below when the system detects a high potential for lightning, you will hear a 15-second, continuous siren, and an amber strobe will flash for the duration of the alert. This siren is an indication that you should seek cover immediately. Once the alert is over, three short bursts will sound from the siren and the strobe will stop flashing.

While you may have heard or seen these systems during the last few weather events, they are still being tested and fine-tuned. Currently the systems are located at: 

• The Outdoor Leisure Pool at the Recreation Center
• The Wading Pool and Sports Field at Washington Park
• The Spray Ground at Undine Park
• The Ballfields and the surrounding area at LaBonte Park
• The Softball, Soccer, and Little League Fields near Cowboy Field

The sensor for this system is on a timer, so residents do not need to worry about it sounding an alarm before 8a.m. and after 8p.m. Once the City has tested everything to make sure there are no glitches, members of the public will be able to get the ThorGuard app on their own mobile devices, so they can monitor the alerts from their phones.

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