Tuesday, December 10, 2024
Gatesville Independent School District recently announced its latest weather safety upgrade with the addition of a Perry Weather monitoring and alert system.
Located at the Tommy Davidson Field at McKamie Stadium, the new weather and siren system provides current temperature, Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) and wind speed, and it monitors incoming rain as well as lightning and severe weather conditions.
“In the event of excessive heat conditions, a lightning or severe weather delay, the siren system will provide our outdoor facilities with a message for athlete and spectator safety,” Athletic Director Rickey Phillips said.
Phillips mentioned that the warnings can be heard as far away as the baseball field, the cross country/walking path, and the tennis and softball complex.
All coaches, sponsors of extracurricular groups that practice outdoors, and several district administrators will now have access to the Perry Weather app to utilize at their campuses as well.
According to Phillips, there have been two to three weather-related incidents in the past three seasons where teams and spectators had to be sheltered during Gatesville ISD hosted athletic events.
“Student and spectator safety is always a big concern when it comes to severe weather,” he said. “This new system will be beneficial in helping us achieve that goal.”
