Thunder won’t be the only thing that Lawrence Parks and Recreation officials will be listening for during this summer storm season.

Now, thanks to a gift by the Douglas County Emergency Management Agency, they’ll be listening for the shrill beep of portable weather radios.

The county agency on Thursday donated 24 radios for use by Parks and Recreation staff members who oversee the city’s summer day-camp programs.

“This should be helpful because if you hear thunder and see lighting you’re already at risk,” said Bill Brubaker, operations manager for the county agency. “I think this will help those people out at remote sites or playgrounds feel a little more secure.”

Lindsey Moore, a 16-year-old camp worker, said the radios would be much nicer than having to rely solely on her ability to judge the danger that lurks in the clouds.

“With all the little kids, you want to err on the side of caution,” Moore said.

The radios are about the size of a transistor radio and produce a warning beep when the National Weather Service in Topeka issues a weather advisory for Douglas County. The radios also can be programmed to be sent advisories for adjacent counties, so Parks and Recreation supervisors can be aware of what weather may be coming their way.

Unified Day Camp counselors for Lawrence Parks and Recreation Megan McCrary, left, and Aimee Riegel, get instructions from operations manager Bill Brubaker on how to use a weather radio Wednesday afternoon at Holcom Sports Complex.

The radios technically are called all-hazard radios because they can be used to broadcast more than just weather information. Amber Alerts, which are used for missing children, are automatically broadcast on the radio. The radios also can be used to send information about chemical spills or other emergency events that Douglas County Emergency Management crews are responding to.

Brubaker said the radios cost about $50 apiece and were becoming more available at traditional electronic retailers.

Lawrence supervisors at the baseball and softball fields have used the portable radios in previous years.

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But this is the first time that all the day-camp locations have had the devices.

Annette Deghand, special population supervisor for the city, estimated that about 600 children, largely ages 5 through 12, will participate in the city’s summer day-camp programs.

The training for the 27 Parks and Recreation workers on Thursday included more than weather training.

Instructors with the Lawrence-Douglas County Health Department gave lessons on hygiene, state social service workers discussed how to report suspected child abuse, and officers from the Lawrence Police Department discussed ways to spot and prevent crime.