Eduardo Parodi

A Conversation with Eduardo Parodi

  • Mar 28, 2011
Smiths Detection recently announced that it would be providing X-ray screening equipment to the 2011 Military World Games in Brazil. We sat down with Eduardo Parodi, the company’s director of sales and marketing for Latin American and the Caribbean, to get some details on the games, the systems Smiths’ would be deploying and the high-profile world of event security.

Q. Tell me about the Military World Games. How big is the event? What type of threats are you securing against? Have there been any problems in past games?

A. The 2011 Military World Games is a multi-sport competition for military athletes organized by the International Military Sports Council and will be held July 16-24 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with more than 6,000 athletes from more than 100 countries.

The challenge for event organizers is to address the current and emerging threats, not simply to match the previous event’s security arrangements. The key to success is to create a high-quality and low-risk security solution without overshadowing the events. By choosing the right security equipment, an event organizer can provide all the stakeholders with the confidence to enjoy the event, knowing they are safe and secure, while delivering a lasting legacy for the host country.

Q. How extensive is the system you’re going to deploy? What does it consist of?
A. Smiths Detection, working with local partner EBCO Systems, will provide 15 HI-SCAN X-ray inspection systems for the duration of the event in Rio de Janeiro. The security systems will be used in a wide variety of applications, including checkpoint screening at venue entrances as well as inspecting food, mail and merchandise entering the secure premises of the athletes’ village.

Q. Your company is often involved in event security. What are some of the other events you’ve secured, and what challenges did you face in those installations? Are these typical of event security scenarios?

A. Smiths Detection technology has been used to protect many other high-profile sporting events including the 2011 Super Bowl in Dallas; the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, India; the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa; the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada; and the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, among others.

Q. Do you deploy your X-ray scanners -- or any of your other products -- in a non-event environment? If so, where? And how do these deployments differ from the event deployments?

A. Smiths Detection serves many different markets, all requiring specific security solutions to meet their individual requirements. We supply the aviation and transportation market -- principally checkpoint and cargo screening as well as mass transit systems integration -- and have deployed more than 1,300 automatic hold baggage screening/inspection X-ray systems at international airports. We are also active in protecting critical infrastructure, ports and borders, and emergency responders. We also deploy ruggedized laboratory technology to the battlefield protect from the threat of potentially lethal chemical and biological warfare agents.


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