New Milford Installing Field Lighting, Lightning Detection Coming Soon

The new lighting system is in the process of being installed in the fields behind Borough Hall. The New Milford governing body passed an ordinance appropriating $325,000 towards the project. 

Borough officials said that $125,000 of funding for this project will come through grants. 

According to John Bigger, Recreation Director, the lighting is a welcomed addition to the fields. 

"These fields are in constant demand," Bigger said. "Between softball, soccer, and little league, there's always something going on."

Bigger also said that the lightning detection system will be installed in the borough and Board of Ed fields shortly. The cost of implementing this system is being shared with the Borough of River Edge, as well as the Boards of Education of both River Edge and New Milford. 

With three deaths due to lightning in 2012 in New Jersey, including the death of a 71-year old man on a soccer field in Demarest, more and more north Jersey towns have begun to install lighting detection systems to protect athletes and spectators. Many of the systems come equipped with alarms that will sound when a storm gets within a certain distance of the field.

Without the detection system in place, many youth coaches rely on phone app programs such as Weatherbug that will tell you the distance lightning is from your current location and issue alarms when it gets within a certain radius.   
 
According to Borough officials, the lightning detection systems will be installed in the following locations: the fields behind borough hall, the field at the public library, New Milford High School field, DEO Middle School Field, Berkley and Gibbs Elementary Schools, Prospect Avenue Park and Warren Street Park.

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