Grand Haven State Park just got a major safety upgrade, as officials cut the ribbon on a state-of-the-art beach warning system designed to keep sunseekers informed and safe. The $570,000 project, partially funded through a generous $200,000 grant from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, plants 12 electronic, web-enabled towers across the sandy shores and promenade walkways, according to WPBN/WGTU's report.
The new towers are interactive lifesavers. Eight orange towers on the beach come with a visual warning system, an homage to traditional beach flags, and also house life-saving rings – a dual approach to emergency response. If a ring is pulled, it automatically alerts 911 and park rangers, a feature that was highlighted by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources in their press release.
The remaining four towers are blue and stationed along park walkways, each equipped with an emergency phone, video surveillance, and loudspeakers for immediate assistance. Park visitors can’t miss the eye-catching blue towers, or their potential to connect them directly with Ottawa County's finest in a pinch. "The blue light towers are equipped with a higher-power loudspeaker, video monitoring system and a direct line to the Ottawa County 911 center. The loudspeaker system will work in conjunction with the prerecorded messages of the orange beach towers and allow park staff to broadcast live messages," the DNR explained.
In harnessing both visual cues and technological interactivity, Grand Haven State Park aims to proactively reduce beach-related incidents. Ron Olson, chief of the DNR Parks and Recreation Division, mentioned in the same release that the towers will disseminate real-time warnings to beachgoers, underscoring the role of the new system in enhancing beach safety protocols. Despite the impressive tech, traditional flagpoles will remain a fixture on the beach, reserved as a backup in case technology falls short due to power outages, or, other unforeseen circumstances.
The installations were crafted by SwimSmart, a Michigan-based company with a mission focused on preventing water emergencies and deaths. “This partnership with the Michigan DNR brings us one step closer to realizing our mission of preventing the next water emergency from happening,” Jacob Soter, CEO of SwimSmart stated. With Great Lakes conditions known for rapid changes and deceptive currents, Grand Haven stands as the first park to integrate this level of technological support, certainly making a splash as beach season approaches.
