Let Freedom Ring
- By Ralph C. Jensen
- Sep 01, 2016
The World Trade Center (WTC) site is hallowed
ground in Lower Manhattan, yet throngs of people
flood the acreage that used to be occupied by the
Twin Towers. As people hurry from one exhibit or
reflecting pool to another, security is probably the
last thing on their minds.
A CLEAR VIEW OF THE CITY
It is, however, the first thing on the minds of the team members of Securitas
Electronic Security, Inc. (SES), formerly Diebold Security, the security firm
that has provided electronic security solutions and services for several of
the projects for buildings at what used to be Ground Zero. SES works with
all key stakeholders including the agencies, building owners, contractors,
consultants and tenants to ensure consistent, comprehensive and seamless
protection. The intense security work at the site has included multi-phase,
multi-year projects that require a highly orchestrated effort by all and a
partnership with many.
Inside the Freedom Tower, SES provides electronic security for the largest
tenant, the headquarters of an iconic American global media publishing
company. As an integrator, it is quite an accomplishment to help provide
protection for that building and its largest tenant. For this and other WTC
site projects, SES has relied on a centralized, programmatic approach to
ensure compliance, standardization and best-in-class operational delivery.
Over the years of SES’s involvement, the SES Engineering Center of Excellence,
located in Elmsford, N.Y., has been the central foundation for its success
at Ground Zero.
“It is a privilege and an honor to be part of these security efforts from the
ground up,” said Tony Byerly, president Securitas Electronic Security. “Our
team in New York has been working and partnering on security for this
sacred site from early on. Success has come because of the strong coordination
of the entire construction project management team.
“The types of projects and the remarkable scale and integration required
at this type of site allows us to showcase the true value and capabilities of
our Center of Excellence, and our field operations delivery,” Byerly said.
The projects have included a wide variety of environments and technology
applications. Security integration includes a wireless mesh network,
video, access control, thermal cameras, biometrics and more. The technology
and product brands span most of the industry’s leading suppliers as
well as customized solutions.
The electronic security solutions are complimented by physical security
elements. SES works diligently with the contracted security guard company
to ensure a holistic and coordinated effort between the electronic security
of the building and the security officers that check every visitor, guest
and employee on a 24/7 basis; thus providing full control over the physical
movements within each building.
SES CAPABILITIES HIGHLIGHT SECURITY EXPERTISE
SES knows security and has been involved in the business for more than
150 years with its Diebold legacy and now as part of Securitas. Headquartered
in Uniontown, Ohio, with Securitas AB, its parent company, located
in Stockholm, Sweden, SES is part of Securitas’ North American business,
which generates more than $4 billion annually.
Diebold Security began providing elements of electronic security at
Ground Zero in 2008. What they have accomplished since has been impressive,
to say the least. With Securitas acquiring Diebold’s North American
electronic security business earlier this year, the same SES team continues to
provide security solutions and services to its customers across North America.
In 2015, during the Papal visit to New York City, the Pope visited four sites secured
by SES electronic security systems, including St. Patrick’s Cathedral. The
integrator’s expertise and capabilities have provided SES the opportunity to secure some of the most prestigious
accounts in the NYC metro area.
“The work we are performing
across New York City highlights the
level of sophistication and integration
expertise that SES is known for
across North America,” Byerly said.
“The programmatic approach we
offer is very unique, our field operations
teams are highly skilled and
the capabilities and competency of
our Engineering Center of Excellence
is truly unparalleled.”
USING THE BEST, FIRST
AND LAST
Construction at the 16 acre WTC
site continues at a feverish pace
as the various phases continue to
develop what will be the final recreation
of Ground Zero. This creates
its own unique circumstances,
including the balance between
finished areas / buildings and full
hard-hat construction zones. At
the start and peak of construction,
more than 10,000 site workers
would come through gate entrances
to their various jobs. Having a secure
and fast way for workers and
delivery material to enter the site
was a top priority for the key stakeholders.
It was a challenge that SES
helped solve. An outdoor perimeter
fence, with access control and video
surveillance, was the initial security
on the site and portions of it remain
operational today.
“Our experience in construction
environments has given us strong
insight on the success factors required
for the complexities of the
work,” said Kevin Engelhardt, SES
senior vice president of field operations.
“By focusing on communication,
coordination, scheduling,
budgeting and the customer’s requirements,
we are able to develop
a project plan that ensures success.”
At Tower 4, SES provides a complete
electronic security solution for
the building, and offers security options
to office tenants to customize
solutions for their unique needs that
can interface with the base building
security. SES has been involved
with this building since construction
commenced and continues to
service the site today.
THE BIGGEST FACTOR
FOR SES SUCCESS
The WTC Transportation Hub remains
the largest security project
within the complex. The multi-million
construction project is ongoing,
while the subway continues to
shuttle masses of people to various
destinations, including locations in
New Jersey. The projects and all of
the work at the WTC site is not possible
without the decisions, input
and coordination of key stakeholders,
which includes the Port Authority,
Silverstein (the developer),
NYPD, FDNY, Port Authority police,
the office tenants in each of the
towers and other contractors on the
site. The complexity of such a project
environment is an enormous
undertaking for any company.
“There is no better example of
a prolonged, highly complex, intensely
secure and critically important
multi-faceted enterprise security
project in the world,” Byerly
said. “To be involved is more than
an honor, but to have the skills, resources
and capabilities to deliver
on such a project is the real contribution
we seek to make.” In fact, SES
was presented a commemorative
flag which was flown over the World
Trade Center complex on the 10th
anniversary of 9/11 in honor of the
SES team’s efforts at Ground Zero.
For SES handling their portion
of the work in such an environment
is what truly makes the company
unique. The project work is implemented
through a centralized, programmatic
approach made possible
by the SES Engineering Center of
Excellence (CoE). Many manufacturers
have a product showroom
and some integrators have an area
where they can display these products
themselves. The CoE is quite
different and unique in the security
space. It is a hub of constant activity,
building panels and testing them
for implementation. The CoE can
create both customized enterprise
solutions, as well as prototypes for
standardization, to meet the unique
requirements of each customer.
“The SES CoE is where the magic
starts and where customer satisfaction
is guaranteed at the project
completion, because of everything
the CoE does in between,” said Damon
Kanzler, senior vice president
of centralized services & business
operations at SES.
Every component that is expected
to be part of the security solution
is tested to ensure it works in
the proper setting and with other
equipment. All the design work and
pre-fabrication is completed at the
CoE. Staff at the CoE are also able
to take the field drawings of an installation
and reduce all the information
to one page, also known as
a field termination matrix. Implemented
only by SES, some panel
boxes have what is known as the
“Danny Box.” An innovation from
Danny Putnam, SES vice president
of engineering & Center of Excellence,
the control panel has an internal
component swing hinge/gate
added, providing more room and
efficiency for a new panel setup.
“We balance customization and
standardization in our engineering
approach,” Putnam said. “First
we ensure that we understand the
customer’s requirements, then we
develop a solution that is unique to
the customer, after which we engineer
and document the solution so
that from that point forward, we
have standardized implementation
and operation.”
This article originally appeared in the September 2016 issue of Security Today.