A temporary fencing solution that could save up to 90% of police time is the sole double award winner at the Counter Terror Expo Excellence Awards 2013, announced by Lord West of Spithead, former Chief of the Naval Staff and Minister for Security and Counter-Terrorism, at a VIP lunch at Kensington Olympia.
The Rapid Deployable System (RDS), the product of a partnership between Zaun and Highway Care Security Solutions, won two of the 13 categories – Best Physical Security Innovation and Best Security Partnership Initiative to Protect Events and Crowded Places – a feat not achieved by any other company or product.
Another Zaun collaboration, its MultiFence, which it developed with Hardstaff Barriers to providing temporary and permanent Hostile Vehicle Mitigation (HVM) at London 2012 Olympics venues, was alone in being Highly Commended in both categories too.
Paul Painter, director of finance and sales at Zaun, said: “These awards mean so much to every member of the Highway Care, Hardstaff and Zaun team who have worked tirelessly to develop, trial and manufacture these solutions for the protection and security of the public.
“While RDS has received positive feedback from the police, it is hugely exciting to win these awards, confirming the importance of RDS in the wider fight against terrorism.”
RDS beat off 16 other finalists for their categories to land the two awards at the decision of an eminent panel of eight judges from the private and public security industry sectors and security publishing.
They included Kerry Underhill, Security Commercial Lead at the Olympic Delivery Authority; John Frost, head of business continuity, retail services and programme delivery at Marks & Spencer Group; Gary Locker, contingency planning business continuity and business support manager, security & contingency planning, City of London Corporation; and Colin Petter OBE, recently retired Home Office civil servant in protective security of infrastructure and crowded places.
RDS uniquely provides HVM up to 30mph (48kph) in a rapidly-deployed temporary fencing solution with no below-ground foundations – a solution generally offered only by permanent fixed installations.
Police forces estimate it will save them up to 90% (source: Sussex Police deployment at Liberal Democrat Party Annual Conference 2012) of the cost of police time when securing major events and reducing on-site disruption.
The Home Office has added 5.5km of RDS PAS68 fencing to the National Barrier Asset, including vehicular and pedestrian access portals, turnstiles and gates, initially for use at the 2012 autumn conference season for the main political parties in conjunction with the three constabularies of Sussex, Greater Manchester and West Midlands.
Inspector Steve Worth, Specialist Operations Branch, Conference Planning Unit, Greater Manchester Police, said: “The product has numerous advantages over other products deployed previously: its speed of deployment, the flexibility of use in differing street scenes and terrains and the ability to integrate gates fully and turnstile options are worthy of note.
“Significantly though, the reduction in the numbers of guard force required and potential for enhancements using technical solutions make RDS an attractive proposition when delivering secure events to ever-decreasing funding streams.
“The RDS is now firmly the preferred product about the delivery of Security Operations for Party Political Party Conferences delivered by Greater Manchester Police, fully supported by The Home Office”.
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