ICx Technologies Provides Security Equipment For Inauguration
ICx Technologies announced recently that, in response to a high-priority need, it provided four SkyWatch towers, two DefendIR thermal cameras, four IBAC biological sensor units and two Illuminator cameras to help insure security for the inauguration of President Barack Obama at the Capital and on the National Mall Tuesday.
The equipment was provided to the U.S. Park Police, in cooperation with the National Park Service. ICx personnel conducted pre-event training for security personnel, and members of ICx' technical staff were also on site for product and staff support.
SkyWatch Towers are ubiquitous around the nation. Law enforcement officials in cities such as New Orleans, San Diego and New York City use them for surveillance and crowd control at special events (Mardi Gras, the Super Bowl, NASCAR races, etc.) and others use them for various purposes, including parking lot security. Towers may be outfitted with radars, thermal cameras, loud speakers and sensors -- whatever is deemed necessary for the job.
DefendIRs are mid-range thermal imagers that can see in complete darkness and through a multitude of environmental conditions including smoke, rain, snow, dust and dense fog. The DefendIR is based on Forward Looking InfraRed (FLIR) technology developed for the military.
The IBAC provides early warning of biological aerosol threats. It facilitates the process of identifying bio-terror agents to allow timely containment, treatment and remediation because it is continuously monitoring the air.
IBAC units are designed to detect concentrated levels of biological aerosols, which can include bacterial spores (such as B. anthracis, which causes anthrax), bacteria (such as Y. pestis, which causes plague), viruses (such as smallpox) and toxins (such as ricin).
The Illuminator is a deterrence system that uses a day/low-light CCD camera with a high-powered spotlight to detect, deter and immobilize intruders. The spotlight on the Illuminator is available in both a 7.5 and 12 million-candlepower (MCP) option, and can detect and temporarily disorient intruders within a one-mile radius.
"As a D.C.-based company, we were proud to be able to assist with providing security for this critical event," said Hans Kobler, CEO of ICx.