Advanced Perimeter Systems Blog

Science Fiction Perimeter Security

2010-02-05T03:50:00.000-08:00

Occasionally on our Perimeter Security Blog we like to take look at the more lighthearted aspects of our business and the terminology we use. Today is one such occasion ...

When people talk about perimeter security it's usually of the 'earthly' kind such as providing oil refinery perimeter protection or cellular phone mast security against theft and vandalism.

So what about perimeter security in outer space? Sounds odd? Well, it's something that our children may well have already taken onboard as being quite real thanks to science fiction movie makers like George Lucas.

In 'Attack Of The Clones' (2002) for example, there's a scene where the Jedi are outnumbered and surrounded by the forces of Count Dooku. Out of nowhere space ships appear with Yoda in the leading craft who gives the order:

"Around the survivors a perimeter create"

Another example is "Return Of The Jedi" (1983) where Admiral Akbar talks about the Death Star orbiting the Forest Moon of Endor and says:

"Once the shield is down, our cruisers will create a perimeter, while our fighters fly into the superstructure and attempt to knock out the main reactor"

You can read a whole array of quotes from these movies on the imdb.com website, as follows:

Attack Of The Clones (2002) quotes

Return Of The Jedi (1983) quotes

Nice to see modern day movies using good, formal English vocabulary!

Securing The Perimeter For Quantitative Easing

2010-01-06T07:53:00.000-08:00

One of the most featured news items in the media both last year and currently, has been the crisis in the global economy. Reports on how governments are handling the situation have become daily occurrences and 'the man in the street' has become accustomed to hearing a plethera of previously unfamiliar terms - such as Quantitative Easing.

This is where, in order to revive consumer spending and economic growth, national banks expand the amount of money circulating within their economy. In the UK for example, where interest rates are currently at their lowest in the entire 315 year history of the Bank Of England, the Bank is reported to be using the quantitative easing process to expanding the amount of money in the system by some £200 billion. However, it will done electronically, not by printing more actual paper money.

Printing great volumes of paper money has been synonomous with serious hyperinflation in the past - read Wikipedia's page on the history of hyperinflation to learn just how many countries have suffered because of this. Moreover, according to the Maastricht Treaty, EU member states are not actually allowed to finance their public deficits by printing money. Effectively, we think this is a good analogy of perimeter security in monetary form.

As for the physical kind, we once provided perimeter security using our Flexiguard™ system to protect premises where newly minted Euros were being housed for the Portuguese Mint.

With a large volume all in one location it was a prime target for theft.

Read our Euro Security Case Study.

Perimeter Security For UN Building

2009-12-23T09:26:00.000-08:00

The United Nations is recognised worldwide as perhaps the most valued of organisations - its continued efforts over many years to secure and maintain peace between all nations are undeniable. The UN has many buildings in many countries and between them they perform a wide variety of functions.

In 1994 the UN Security Council set up the ICTR - the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal For Rwanda or the Tribunal pénal international pour le Rwanda (TPIR) as it is also known. The court still operates today in Arusha, Tanzania. Due to the nature of the valuable work conducted within the court, security to protect the perimeter of the building is an important consideration. We were delighted to receive the commission in 2008 to provide this element of United Nations security.

Here is a photograph of part of the perimeter security installation which uses all 3 of our main security products Flexiguard™, Electro-Fence™ and Multisys Security™.

As we approach the end of 2009 we take this opportunity to thank all our customers for their business and support. We wish everyone a happy, healthy and fulfilling year ahead - one that is hopefully full of the peace that the UN strives so hard to preserve.

Security For The Hydrogen Car?

2009-12-16T08:21:00.000-08:00

As producers of perimeter security and intruder detection systems, we know there are many applications for our security products - as diverse as palace perimeters to military bases.

For many years we have provided security systems for manufacturers. Their needs have, logically, been consistent but we are now beginning to see an increased demand from this sector. This is for various reasons including soaring crime figures due to the current, worldwide economic downturn and also the fact that more sophisticated and valuable goods are being manufactured.

Take for instance, the car manufacturing industry. We were privileged to supply a large Flexiguard system offering perimeter security for cars produced at the Toyota plant in Burnaston (UK) - Toyota's main car factory in the whole of Europe - at the time the factory was actually built. Looking to the future, Toyota are reported to be busy working on a new generation of motor vehicle - the hydrogen car. Photo: hydrogen fuelling system

So far, Toyota have built a hydrogen version of their Highlander SUV and some experts are now saying we might see their hydrogen system come to market in a much more mangeable car in as little 4 years from now. Will Toyota be building new manufacturing plants to accommodate this? Possibly, who knows, but one thing is for sure, they will need effective perimeter security in place to protect their investment.

We found some interesting reading on hydrogen cars ...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrogen_vehicle

http://www.hydrogencarsnow.com/

Home Security Demand Increases

2009-11-20T08:23:00.000-08:00

According to top sociologists, crime has risen every time there has been an economic downturn since the late 1950's - that is half a century. So it is no surprise to read headlines such as:

"Recession fuels burglary boom - raids up by nine per cent in six months"

According to a recent article by Daily Mail Crime Editor Stephen Wright, there has been a 9.2 per cent rise in burglaries in London between April and October of this year. It is no surprise therefore that implementing more effective home security is at the forefront of many people's minds. Certainly, here at APS perimeter security we have seen strong evidence of this with increased requests for new security systems from owners of large, private properties and grounds - not just in the UK but also overseas.

Here is another headline from earlier this year courtesy of reuters.com - this time regarding the United States ...

"U.S. recession fuels crime rise, police chiefs say"

According to the article, "... criminologists, sociologists and police chiefs interviewed by Reuters ... predicted a rise in crimes as the United States sinks deeper into recession."

In the current, global economic recession we can therefore expect to see more theft with both private homes and industrial and commercial premises being targeted. Read our recent scrap metal yard security solutions post to see just one example of how we understand and solve such perimeter security requirements.

Camel Mounted Security In Egypt

2009-11-10T01:38:00.000-08:00

The posts published to date from “Andy’s Security Travelogue” have focused on his experiences whilst in the Middle East and, in particular, Iran. So we thought we would move on to another country for this post … Egypt.

Advanced Perimeter Systems Ltd is privileged to have supplied the perimeter security system for the Great Pyramids of Giza, protecting a perimeter of no less than 13.2 kilometres. You can read more about this installation on our Pyramids of Egypt post.

As Technical Director, Andy often has to attend on site prior to and during any key installation project.

Whilst on a site visit to the Great Pyramids, he was able to take some stunning photographs which he brought back to show us here at our Head Office in Stirling, Scotland. The world-famous William Wallace Monument which we are proud to have on our doorstep (and for which we have provided perimeter security!) is a stunning piece of architecture BUT it pales into the shadows when compared to the Great Pyramids. Sorry Sir William but there's little on earth that can compare!

One of the most popular photos Andy took during his trip to Giza was this one of the camel police on patrol. Think of it ... a policeman on a camel. What a wonderfully, simple yet effective way to compliment our high-tech security system!

Scrap Metal Theft – Security Solutions

2009-10-20T08:25:00.000-07:00

In recent years the value of all kinds of metals has risen, sometimes dramatically and, not surprisingly, many countries have seen a significant increase in metal theft as a result. So what security solutions exist? Well, let’s take 2 examples of metal theft – scrap metal yards and churches.

Scrap metal yards – this is the predominant target of many metal thieves. The best solution is effective perimeter security utilising a combination of an intruder deterrent as well as intruder detection system. This is where electric fencing comes in and our Electro-Fence™ is the ideal tool. It is literally protecting scrap metal yards as we write this post!

In fact we just read about an interesting new development which would work well as a compliment to our system. Developed by The Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, it is a website which allows police to report a theft of metal in their local area (within the USA or Canada) and then sends out an alert to all scrap metal recycling sites within a 250 mile radius of that particular theft. This empowers the local scrap metal dealers to be aware of anyone trying to sell the stolen metal. Here is the website: scraptheftalert.com

2. Churches – whilst they have been a target for theft over many centuries, it is the lead on their roofs which has attracted increasing numbers of metal thieves in recent years. Valued in thousands rather than hundreds, lead is a tempting target and figures for the UK issued by Ecclesiastical Insurance (the biggest insurer of the UK's churches) are a frightening reflection of this - just 80 claims valued at £300,000 in 2005 compared to 2,000 claims valued at £6,000,000 plus in 2007. A 20-fold increase in 2 years!

We decided to check out Google News for reports of recent church theft in the UK and there were numerous reports including this very disturbing one about Cottingham church near Hull which has just suffered its fifth attack for lead in the past 15 months.

So what is the solution? Well, we certainly have an option … our Flexiguard™ security system. A Flexiguard cable is installed along the church roof and laid under the lead; any attempt to remove the lead triggers an alarm signal. In addition, with many churches having distinctive architecture, this type of security does not spoil the aesthetics of the building and is far better than opting to install cheap materials as a roof covering.

Andy's Security Travelogue: A Paradise Garden

2009-10-10T02:14:00.000-07:00

In our last ‘Travelogue’ post we displayed some photographs of the Citadel in Shiraz. Today we would like to go a step further and show you one of the most beautiful gardens in the Middle East – Eram Garden (Bagh-é Eram) or Garden of Paradise as it is also known.

Built during the Qajar dynasty, Eram Garden is one of the most famous and historic Persian gardens. It even has a stunning palace within it!

Owned today by Shiraz University it is a ‘must see’ for any visitor to Shiraz.

When Andy showed us these photographs we were not only surprised but intrigued and decided to look up what makes a typical “Persian Garden”.

However, it’s not that simple! As Wikipedia’s page explains, there are 6 primary styles and a variety of key elements that can be combined to make such a garden.

Elements most commonly brought together by architects are:

* effects of sunlight

* integration of special shapes and textures to harness the light

* need for shade - use of trees, walls, trellises and pavilions

*use of water and water features

To read more about these key elements go to the Wiki page on Persian Gardens.

Fascinating!

Calling All Specifiers For Perimeter Security

2009-09-29T02:17:00.000-07:00

There is increasing global concern for tighter security to protect what have become known as EKPs (Economic Key Points). The British government has identified 9 industry sectors as EKPs and these include telecommunications, energy (oil refineries, power plants) and finance – all critical to the national infrastructure. So when new EKP projects are to be constructed it is paramount that the consultants involved pay close attention to the security systems required.

They need to be:

Effective

Within the prescribed budget

Installed within the prescribed timescale

As manufacturers and developers of high security solutions for perimeter protection we are ideally placed to collaborate with the architects, specifiers and consultants assigned to this type of project. Our many years of experience enable us to remove all the hard work and deliver a detailed and costed solution. We have already conducted top level collaboration work for EKP projects in the United Kingdom and are keen to develop a similar dialogue within other countries.

Read more on our Perimeter Security Specifiers & Consultants page.

Andy's Security Travelogue: A Medieval Fortress

2009-09-19T09:49:00.000-07:00

Following on from previous posts inspired by Andy’s far flung business travels, we are delighted to share with you today some fascinating photographs he took whilst on business in Shiraz.

The Citadel of KarimKham (ارگ کريمخاني) – also known as The Arg Of Karim or KarimKhan Fortress - is a magnificent piece of Iranian 18th century architecture in the North East part of Shiraz and it makes an unforgettable impact on everyone who sees it.

It was built in the style of a medieval fortress and has 4 towers, one on each corner.

Andy was particularly struck by the intricate brick patterns on the towers as the photograph shows.

Originally built during the Zand dynasty, the Citadel is named after Karim Khan who was ruler of the country from 1760 to 1779.

Regarded by many as one of the most just and compassionate rulers in Iranian history, he used the Citadel as his home.

During its lifetime, however, the Citadel has had other uses - sometimes it was used as a prison and today it is a museum.

Interesting coincidence that our company has provided perimeter security for prisons as well as security systems for museums!

Inside the Citadel Andy took this photograph of a beautiful water feature.

Security Case Study Leads to Multiview™ Development

2009-09-09T02:11:00.000-07:00

As European leaders in the perimeter security industry, we are always pushing the boundaries and looking to new horizons with our product development programme. Multisys™ Security is a great example of this. A unique modular PC based Security Management System, it uses a common communication protocol to integrate and control the APS Electro-Fence™ controllers, Flexiguard™ analysers and other alarm devices.When we develop a new technology, the catalyst can be any one of a number of things. For example, it was a case study for a military client that spawned the idea for developing our Multiview™ security system.

During one particular perimeter security installation, the client happened to mention that what they were looking to do at some point was ideally just use one control centre for monitoring a variety of sites (i.e from one central location). Our Technical Director Andy Moon was determined to come up with a solution and the result was Multiview™, a virtual network computer system for remote monitoring.Just one of our security case studies which you can read about on aps-perimeter-security.com.

Andy's Security Travelogue - The Persian Carpet Shop

2009-07-06T04:48:00.000-07:00

"Walking In Alexander's Footsteps" described a fascinating trip to Persepolis in Iran when our Technical Director Andy Moon was in the country on business. Perimeter security takes our company's key 'boffin' to many places! The history and atmosphere of the place left its mark and Andy's keen eye for photography helped to convey that to the rest of us when he returned. The photograph of Persepolis in the afore-mentioned post is one of many that he took and today we are going to share some more with you.

The culture and scenery in Iran is something special and this first photograph is of what we would most readily refer to as a "Persian carpet shop" in Tehran. Look closely and you will see a host of beautifully handmade items, not just carpets .... jackets, other clothing, table linen and bags.

The photograph evokes a timeless atmosphere and according to Andy it was difficult to resist buying lots of what was on show!

Whilst he was there, Andy learned that the shop owner had originally lived in Tabriz in Northern Iran - deemed as the 'home' of Persian carpet making. Years before, he had decided to travel the long distance down to Tehran to try and sell just one carpet. He sold it, returned to Tabriz for 2 more carpets, returned to Tehran, sold those and so it went on - until he realised that having his own shop in Tehran would be the best way to run his business!

The second photograph in this post is of the mausoleum of the celebrated Iranian poet Saadi, born in Shiraz and whose life straddled the 12th and 13th centuries.

Andy took the photograph at sunset hence the lighting and said it was one of the most beautiful buildings in Shiraz. A timely coincidence is that only a few months ago in March 2009, US President Barack Obama quoted an extract from one of Saadi's writings as part of a New year greeting to the people of Iran. The President said:

"There are those who insist that we be defined by our differences ... but let us remember the words that were written by the poet Saadi, so many years ago: 'The children of Adam are limbs to each other, having been created of one essence' ...."

Powerful and emotive words written centuries ago by a clearly great writer.

We all love to see these pictures whenever Andy returns from a trip because providing perimeter security systems is a serious business involving close liaison with people in positions of responsibility and we feel it helps if we can understand more of their background and culture. We knew little of Iranian culture before Andy started his 'travelogue' and thanks to our Perimeter Security Blog we have a great catalyst for him to continue!

Slalom Success With Security Backing

2009-06-19T01:55:00.000-07:00

As we have reported before in our "Perimeter Security Sponsorship Helps 2012 Olympic Bid" post, we are delighted to be giving support to C.R. CATS - young members of the Scottish Kayak Performance Squad.

Training to be able to compete on a world platform is no easy task and the squad is keen to reach Olympic level competition within the foreseeable future. It could even be as early as the 2012 London Olympics though the team is so young that 2016 is perhaps a more realistic target. Whichever it turns out to be, things are certainly 'on the up' with a fantastic result recently for 2 of the team's members Alistair Moon and Simon Grant.

Alistair and Simon are both primarily K1 paddlers but with a mere 5 weeks training they took on the challenge of entering the C2 international selection races for the Great Britain Canoe Junior Slalom Team - essentially the creme de la creme of young racers in the sport of C2 who will represent Great Britain in international competition. Note: for anyone unfamiliar with K1 and C2 they are quite different sports and people usually specialise in one or the other. The result? Alistair and Simon were officially selected for the Junior C2 Reserve Boat. Fantastic!

Adam Marshall, Alistair and Adam's coach described the race result ...

"The guys they were against are C1 or C2 paddlers who are all on the English programmes, some fully funded ... So for Scotland to have 2 lads that just jumped in a boat 5 weeks before the race and pull a reserve place is outstanding. Just to add to that, GB's number 2 boat finished behind them ... U23 team is not out of sight for them and who knows Grant/Moon 2016......"

Our congratulations to the boys and we look forward to more exciting news in the future!

007 Electric Fencing Flaw

2009-05-28T09:16:00.000-07:00

It's true to say that movies reflect just about all aspects of everyday life but it would not perhaps seem obvious for electric fencing to be scripted in. However, the James Bond film 'Goldfinger' did just that.

Anyone familiar with this classic movie will know that the essence of the story is about Auric Goldfinger (the villain) wanting to break into Fort Knox to get access to the gold reserves held there. Whilst explaining his 'Operation Grand Slam' to a group of American gangsters, Goldfinger mentions that whilst his aerial display team spray nerve gas over the site, his men will blow up the perimeter fencing and cut through the door with the laser cutter.

However, when it comes to the actual scene where they execute the plan, they arrive at the supposed gates of Fort Knox and the shot of their arrival shows metal gates with fencing at the side ... but with not a hint of any electric fencing in sight! Chances are of course that most people will not notice this oversight - though someone within the film's continuity department should have - but here at Advanced Perimeter Systems Ltd we know an electric fence when we seen one!

This is one of our photos that shows what electric fencing looks like in reality.

So if you are ever watching a movie in which electric fencing is mentioned, now you know what to look out for!

Wildlife Security

2009-05-15T01:47:00.000-07:00

Most perimeter security applications on a large scale - for example where several kilometres of perimeter fencing are required - provide security for buildings and ancient monuments. The Great Pyramids of Giza in Egypt provide a good example where we were privileged to supply extensive perimeter security protection.

However, there are times when living things need a perimeter security solution such as animals in wildlife parks and zoos. In such instances the protection is for both the animals and for their visitors.

Zoos
We were called in to help provide security for some very rare parrots at Edinburgh Zoo. Providing perimeter security for a parrot cage may not sound the most prestigious of security contracts but it was a challenge we were proud to rise to. Protecting the parrots against thieves had been a problem in the past but once our security system was installed, they were safe again.
Read our previous Parrot Perimeter Security blog post.

Wildlife Parks
Our Flexiguard™ system was installed on the perimeter fencing around a wildlife park in the North East of England. There had previously been problems with attempted animal and bird theft as well as general vandalism where animals were let loose. Again, once our perimeter security system was installed, the problems ceased.
Read more on our Wildlife Park Perimeters page.

Multiview - The Apex Of Perimeter Security Monitoring

2009-05-01T16:55:00.000-07:00

At this year’s IFSEC Exhibition which takes place at the NEC Birmingham between May 11-14, we will be exhibiting on our new stand this year, (Stand G6 located in Hall 3A) and as usual we will be only too happy to demonstrate our security systems and welcome all enquiries about our perimeter security products.

IFSEC is the world’s single most important security trade fair attracting company representatives from many countries so it is the perfect place to launch new security equipment. We have done exactly this in previous years with products that have included our innovative perimeter management system Multisys™ Security.

Our Research and Development team headed by Technical Director Andy Moon, have been hard at work on yet another new piece of advanced security technology - Multiview™. This is what we will be launching at IFSEC 2009.

So what is Multiview™? Well, it works in conjunction with our Multisys™ Security, essentially providing the facility to remotely monitor the security of different site perimeters via LAN or WAN from one, single location, thus increasing security management efficiency whilst reducing manpower and management costs. In fact using the internet you can control multiple remote sites worldwide. Sounds exciting? You bet!

To find out more visit us at our IFSEC stand G6 in Hall 3A. We look forward to seeing you there.

Aircraft Engine Security & Hunting Security

2009-04-15T01:08:00.000-07:00

Being a manufacturer of perimeter security systems means we often make site visits to our clients for discussion of new security equipment requirements and installations.

Our Technical Director Andy Moon recently paid a visit to one of our security systems clients who operates from a base near Prestwick Airport in Scotland. This particular client specialises in aircraft engine repairs and Advanced Perimeter Systems Ltd had provided perimeter security for the premises with our Flexiguard system.

All went well with the discussions and whilst there, Andy had the opportunity to watch some serious pilot training taking place at the nearby airport. He was able to watch one plane flying in a loop, landing and then taking off again, only to repeat the routine several times over. Fascinating how rigorous the training really is when viewed at close quarters.

Also whilst there he noticed an unusual monument close to the premises. On enquiring as to its history, he was told it dated back many years to when local men went hunting and the women would go along to watch – but from a high, safe and secure place. Security of a medieval kind perhaps!

Photo by Andy Moon

Note the perimeter fencing in the background!

Perimeter Security Sponsorship Helps 2012 Olympic Bid

2009-03-26T01:49:00.000-07:00

As most people know, the next Olympic Games will be held in London in 2012. Hopefully it will be an occasion for celebration for everyone involved but particularly for the people of Great Britain and especially the British Olympic team athletes.

As a company we have already been involved in the 2012 Olympics.

First of all, we have supplied our Flexiguard for perimeter security of the control centre on the London Victoria Underground Line. Read more about this in our London Transport Perimeter Security case study.

Secondly, we have sponsored and continue to sponsor C.R. CATS - a group of young people who are members of the Scottish Kayak Performance Squad currently being training to compete at international level. Naturally, their ambition is to compete at Olympic level and it may well happen with the 2012 London Olympics. We certainly hope so as there are some outstanding young canoeists amongst them who deserve recognition of their talent and dedication.

One of them is 17 year old canoeist Alistair Moon who has already become the C2 British Junior Champion and has won several sporting awards including the CSIS Young Sportsperson Of The Year Award. Alistair regularly races against the likes of Olympic silver medalist, Campbell Walsh in the K1 class so he is clearly keeping the right kind of company to one day win Olympic Gold.

Photo:
Some of the Scottish Kayak Performance Squad during a training session

Sitting On The Fence

2009-01-04T15:19:00.000-08:00

One of our perimeter security systems is called Flexiguard™ which can detect intruders before they enter a property and then give the alarm receiving centre an early warning of attack. Usually mounted on fencing of some kind, it has been installed in countless industrial and commercial facilities around the world including prisons, storage depots and even national monuments such as the Pyramids of Giza.

Perhaps not surprising then that we receive enquiries from people who think we are fencing specialists! It may seem a bit of a generalisation but it’s a mistake easily made. When you look at perimeter fencing, chances are you won’t notice the technology installed within/around it, at least not at first glance. So we are used to clarifying this and generally say ‘no, we do not manufacture fencing – we sit on the fence instead!’. This is what Flexiguard™ does – it literally sits on the fence and turns it into effective perimeter security.

So whilst the phrase ‘sitting on the fence’ might for some people mean having a non-committal approach, it could not be further from the truth for us here at Advanced Perimeter Systems Ltd. Our commitment to effective security could not be stronger.

Over A Barrel With Lager Security

2008-12-15T14:16:00.000-08:00

Here’s a story any lager drinker will appreciate.

It’s not every day that we get to visit an alcohol producer but we were delighted to be of help when Carlsberg Tetley asked us for a security solution to protect their lager kegs on one of their large UK sites.

Being quite a size and made from aluminium, the kegs had become a target for thieves because of their open market value. Carlsberg put their ideas to us as to how they felt the best security could be achieved but when we decided to take a closer look for ourselves, we came up with an alternative, more effective and less costly solution using our Electro-Fence™ system. The result was an installation of our electric fencing system on all their sites throughout the UK.

So when you are quietly sipping a lager this Christmas, you might just stop to think of how a good perimeter security system ensures you don’t go thirsty. Cheers!

PS. If you don’t drink lager but prefer whisky instead … well, the same applies because we secure distilleries too, but that’s a story for another day!

Security Training & The Wallace Broadsword

2008-12-01T14:43:00.001-08:00

As we have reported before in our blog, our provision of perimeter security systems often necessitates trips to visit clients in far flung places around the world. A good example is the story of how our Technical Director Andy Moon was able to take in the sights of the wonderful, ancient ruins of Persepolis during a business trip to Iran.

However, there are times when our clients actually pay us a visit perhaps for specialised technician training prior to a new system installation. On such occasions we welcome the opportunity to show and share with our clients some of the notable, local places in our part of the world. Being based in Stirling, Scotland, there is a wealth of history on our doorstep. The Wallace Monument is only a short distance from our offices and as our regular blog readers will know from our Security For William Wallace post we were privileged to be asked to supply the security system to protect the monument’s nighttime floodlighting against theft and vandalism. The Wallace Monument is a magnificent and unique piece of architecture and overlooks the area where the Battle of Stirling Bridge took place in 1297 – one of William Wallace’s great victories over the English. It’s no surprise therefore that, due mainly to the success of the blockbuster movie ‘Braveheart’, almost all our visitors see the monument before leaving Stirling.

Not so long ago, some clients from the USA paid us a visit. Breaking off from training sessions, they thoroughly enjoyed their visit to the Wallace Monument, especially when they came face to face with Wallace’s huge broadsword. Protected inside a special cabinet within the monument, it holds a unique place in Scottish history and never fails to leave an indelible mark in the minds of those who see it. The sword’s total length is around 66 inches with the blade approx 52 inches long. Experts have calculated that in order to wield it properly William Wallace must have been at least 6ft 6 inches tall – a giant of a man in stature as well as courage and conviction.

No matter how exotic a place one of our clients might have travelled from, if they get to see the broadsword you can bet they will leave Stirling with a very special memory. Read more about the William Wallace broadsword.

Walking In Alexander's Footsteps

2008-11-10T08:49:00.000-08:00

Making site visits is part and parcel of our perimeter security business. Our Technical Director Andy Moon makes many such visits both prior to and after installation of our security systems and because we supply clients in a wide range countries, he travels extensively overseas. When he returns he usually has a host of photographs he's taken and in amongst the ones of technical interest we usually find a batch of wonderful shots relating to the country's scenery and local culture.

The success of our perimeter security blog and the interest shown from readers all over the world prompted us to ask Andy if he would consider sharing some of these wonderful photographs via the blog - and he has agreed. So here is the first one.

A trip to Iran to check on the progress of a installation for a client offered the opportunity of travelling into the south of the country and, more specifically, to Persepolis where Andy took time out to visit the ruins of the Palace of Xerxes. According to history, it was damaged and virtually destroyed by soldiers of Alexander The Great in 330 AD. Having reach Persepolis (the capital of the Achaemenid Empire at the time), Alexander made the decision that as he was not yet established as the country's ruler he could not risk leaving treasures behind that could be recaptured by his enemies. It is believed by some people that the Palace of Xerxes was targeted for such severe damage because Alexander's soldiers had not forgotten the destruction of Athens in 480 BC so wanted to reek revenge.

Photograph of Persepolis taken by Andy Moon

Despite the severe damage, the palace ruins as they can be seen today are nevertheless magnificent and testimony to the culture and engineering prowess of the people of that time.

We will bring you more photographs and stories from Andy's visit to Persepolis later on in our serious of blog posts. So please bookmark and revisit soon!

Police Security Of A Different Kind

2008-10-29T07:39:00.000-07:00

The police are often called in to provide security - and for a wide variety of situations. For instance, there might be a heavy, extra wide goods load moving along a motorway that requires a police escort such as we saw the other day when driving down from Stirling to Cumbria. At the other extreme, there might be a celebrity in attendance for a special occasion such as when the Queen visits Royal Ascot each year and so a strong police presence is required.

However, there are times when the police actually need someone else to provide security - for their police compounds. You might not think this an important type of security, but you would be wrong. The compounds where police vehicles are parked up and maintained have to be protected against vandalism and theft, otherwise there would be the risk of too few police cars being available to go out in emergencies to tackle crime.

Then there are the police compounds where impounded vehicles are kept. These are vehicles that have been involved in a crime or perhaps a road accident. Many of these vehicles have to undergo forensic tests as part of the criminal investigation procedure. So if they were stolen, valuable evidence would be lost and even if they were not stolen but just tampered with or vandalised, then the forensic scientists would not have 'clean' evidence to work with. That in turn could prevent criminals being brought to justice.

So with vehicle theft and vandalism always a potential threat, it is crucial that these police compounds have effective perimeter security installed. Our Flexiguard ™ perimeter security system has to date proven itself extremely effective in this application and we are delighted to know that in our own small way we are playing a part in crime prevention. After all, when you need a police car in a hurry, you don't want to hear that it's not coming because it's been vandalised!

World Fencing Champion 2008

2008-10-19T08:21:00.000-07:00

Reading the title you might think we have a vested interest in swordfighting - but you would be wrong. We are talking here about the new world champion in electric fencing. This is no joke. Electric fencing is a serious subject and it has to be done properly and the fact that this world championship takes place attracting competitors from around the world is testimony to that.

So it was that in September this year, the biennial event took place in Germany. The oldest competitor, Nick Liefting (53), travelled all the way from his native New Zealand to compete and to everyone's surprise he managed to beat a world-class field.

How did he do it?
By building 100 metres of electric fencing plus a gate in just over 2 hours!

New Zealand is recognised as being the dominant country when it comes to fencing because of the agricultural bias the country has and electric fencing used to control and protect livestock plays a major role in the country's economy. Nick Liefting is MD of his own fencing company and claims to have been building fences for as long as he can remember. Perhaps it's not so surprising then that he should win the title! Having said that, Nick is the first New Zealander in 6 years to become world electric fencing champion. (Van Beers was the last to win in 2002)

As a company we specialise in providing industrial electric fencing for perimeter security of buildings, airports, banks, military bases etc - not in supplying the agricultural sector. However, we always relish hearing new stories where electric fencing is concerned and felt it only right to share this super little story with our readers.

Well done Nick - we will be watching out for how you fare when you defend your title in 2010.

Outdoor Perimeter Security - Airport Perimeters

2008-10-10T04:30:00.000-07:00

Most people use an airport at some point in their lives and for some people, passing through an airport is a a regular occurrence. In fact, it might suprise you to learn just how many airports there are now in the world.

According to our research, the USA has the most with just under 15,000 serviceable airports followed by Brazil (4,263), Mexico (1,834), Canada (1,343), Argentina (1,272) and Russia (1,260). The UK has 449 just behind China with 467. Undoubtedly as the economy in China grows so will the demand for internal and international air travel. It's estimated that China will have spent around $17 billion (US) between 2006 and 2011 in order to build 42 new airports in locations far and wide - from its border with Russia (NEast China) to the Tibetan plateau (SWest China). In addition to the new airports being constructed, it is believed that planners have been told to expand at least 73 existing airports. More on the development of air travel in China.

Of course, the one factor of paramount importance to all airport operators is security - for both passengers and planes. So the security systems employed at airports have to be amongst the most effective available.

Securing an airport breaks down into 2 distinctive categories - interior security and perimeter security.

Outdoor perimeter security is our speciality and our Electro-Fence™ electric fencing system is ideal for providing airport perimeter security.

In addition to protecting a variety of airport locations overseas, it is also employed here in the UK to provide radio station protection for some of the operations of NATS (National Air Traffic Services).

Not only planes use airports of course but also helicopters and our security systems have also been installed to protect and secure airport helipads.