Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/263143
6 • MARCH 2014 • WORLD FENCE NEWS Be Sure To Visit Us At Booth No. 710 Issues in efficient airport perimeter security According to a report published on its web site, TMG Consulting, which provides management and con- sulting services to large and small air- ports, among other clients, recently completed a perimeter security project that was commissioned by Louis Arm- strong New Orleans International Air- port (LANOIA). TMG, headquartered in New Orleans, provided professional services to replace the airport's perimeter fencing and, with its de- signs, gave recommendations as to how the perimeter fencing could be made more secure and effective, as well as cost efficient. (Editor's note: A report on this air- port project will appear in World Fence News in the near future.) TMG noted that its recommenda- tions were specific to the LANOIA project, but the methods and analysis that created them can be applied to any facility that requires perimeter secu- rity. It also stressed that the informa- tion on the site is meant for educational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. They are still quite interesting. Among the recommendations are: • Make the entire fence eight feet tall and extend two feet into the ground where possible. • The upgrades to the perimeter fencing should better deter wildlife (LANOIA is in a naturally swampy environment) from breaching the perimeter. • Make the fence able to withstand 130-mile-per-hour winds in the event of a Category 3 hurricane. • Redefine the secure perimeter to remove areas that do not need to be in- cluded. Over time, some buildings lo- cated within the airport's perimeter became vacant or demolished. • Replace underutilized gates with fencing. • Eliminate excessive access points and increases security. • Implement better signage to the perimeter fencing to discourage acci- dental perimeter breaches. TMG cited some recognized best practices for designing efficient airport perimeters: • Taller fences, especially ones equipped with barbed wire, provide not only a greater physical barrier but also a greater psychological disincen- tive. • Fencing should protrude well into the ground to prevent trespassers and wildlife from entering the property from the bottom of the fence. This also reinforces the strength of the fence. • Limit the number of points of entry into an airport's property. The fewer gates or guarded entry points, the fewer opportunities a trespasser has to breach the restricted area. • Ground-sensor systems are pop- ular solutions to airport perimeter se- curity issues, but may not be feasible for smaller commercial airports due to cost. At the same time the firm recog- nized the challenges inherent in airport security. • Geography: Airports are gener- ally on very large, expansive plots of land. It is a daunting and expensive task to successfully maintain fenced perimeters for such large properties. • Expense: Devices such as dedi- cated sensors along perimeter fencing allow authorities to be alerted of perimeter breaches. However, these systems must be operable at all times and in all weather conditions to be ef- fective. • Insufficient regulation: Without specific guidance from the FAA and TSA, airports must work to assess and counter perimeter threats independ- ently. So far, there has been no unify- ing perimeter security regulation established for the over 450 commer- cial airports in the United States, TMG stated. TMG has over 20 years of experi- ence providing consulting services to more than 20 airports, large and small, particularly in the areas of financial analysis and capital facilities program development and financing. For more information, visit the web site www.mumphrey.com. Visit the World Fence News Crew at FENCETECH 2014! Booth No. 708! 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