MERIDIAN Archer 1200 Vehicle Mitigation Barriers Added to This Year’s Jackson Hole Rendezvous Event
The annual open-air concert is the latest to employ increased crowd protection for public gatherings.
JACKSON HOLE, WYOMING, US, April 18, 2019 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Rendezvous Festival at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort is the latest large-scale public event to increase crowd protection with the use of certified vehicle mitigation barriers. Festival officials opted for MERIDIAN’s1 Archer 1200 relying on its certified effectiveness, portability and flexibility for free pedestrian flow.
The music festival, now in its sixth year occupies a sprawling area through downtown Jackson Town Square at the base of Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. Free to the public, the event draws thousands of concert goers to the central part of town directly adjacent to major traffic throughways.
“The festival is growing in size every year,” said 5D Shield Director of Events Ronald Delp. “With big crowds and nearby roadways, safety – specifically from car ramming- is a concern. Our number one objective is to ensure the safest environment possible.”
“This isn’t something specific to us,” Delp continued. “The entire event industry is taking a bigger look at crowd protection. We all want our guests to enjoy the event without having to worry about their safety. With this solution in place, it gives us all peace of mind.”
This increased focus on vehicle mitigation includes a departure from more primitive solutions like concrete and plastic water barriers. Event planners are looking toward solutions that are purpose-built and tested to address vehicle attacks.
“Communities cannot continue to rely on ad-hoc equipment that was not designed or intended to mitigate car rammings,” said MERIDIAN CEO Peter Whitford. “We developed the Archer 1200 for tested and reliable effectiveness and designed it for easy deployment.”
MERIDIAN’s Archer 1200 barriers have seen recent use for large-scale SEAR (Special Events Assessment Rating) Level 1 events like the Tournament of Roses Parade and Game as well as Super Bowl LII. The product, as well as MERIDIAN’s deployment training, was awarded SAFETY Act2 designation this year. The Congressional Act, established in the wake of 9/11, specifies Qualified Anti-Terrorism Technologies [QATTs] which receive liability protections in the event of a terrorist attack. MERIDIAN, as well as its customers, receive the protection from claims.
Malicious vehicle attacks continue to be a rising tactic with radical groups. According to Mineta Transportation Institute's National Transportation Safety and Security Center, there have been nearly 80 car-ramming attacks over the past four decades, with 30 of them happening the last two years. Just this week, authorities in the Baltimore-DC area foiled a plot by a suspected radical who had stolen a U-Haul truck with plans to run down crowds at an airport or tourist location.
"I was just going to keep driving and driving and driving," suspect Rondell Henry told investigators, according to court records. "I wasn't going to stop."
For more information about Meridian Rapid Defense Group (a Pasadena-based company) or the Archer 1200 Vehicle Barrier, visit www.betterbarriers.com.
Syd Smith
Meridian Rapid Defense Group
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1 https://www.betterbarriers.com
2 https://www.safetyact.gov