High-Tech Solutions

High-Tech Solutions

Reaching out to the perimeter to protect the first line of defense

Nearly everyone is familiar with the standard manned guard booth in which a person sits and allows drivers in and out of a facility; however, border stations, government buildings, military bases and other locales where there can be a “very unwanted guest” all use much highertech security booths.

A High-Tech Security Booth

Bullet-resistant booths can be specified as Level 1, 2, 3 or 4, with 4 providing the highest level of resistance. These booths are tested and certified to conform to Underwriters Laboratories standard UL 752 and others as required. If wanted, they are pre-wired to N.E.C. (i.e. 125 AMP, 120/240 Volt, 6/12 station, single phase or whatever current is used in that region) and come fully assembled, ready for service.

Bullet-resistant, Level 4 booths currently protect the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., but companies don’t have to be the Pentagon to take advantage of the high security these booths have to offer. High security booths are used for applications that range from the Ontario Airport to Cairo embassies needing extra security.

For instance, 50 custom-designed, bullet-resistant guard booths are now used at the San Ysidro Landed Port of Entry (SYLPOE), the busiest land port in the world. Located between San Diego, Calif., and Tijuana, Mexico, the port processes an average of 50,000 northbound vehicles per day. The majority of the traffic lanes have two stacked, bullet-resistant inspection booths created by Delta Scientific for northbound traffic, effectively doubling the capacity of the 24 existing booths.

These highly energy-efficient structures have a photovoltaic and Ethylene Tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE) roof structure that will shade cars and officers while providing rain and sun protection for officers inside the booths. Because of its translucence, it allows for natural light, thereby requiring no artificial lighting during the day.

Specifications for a High-Tech Booth

Typically, the specifications for a bullet-resistant, high-security booth will include protection against impact:

  • Level 1: handgun, 9mm or .357;
  • Level 2: handgun, .44 magnum, 5.5 ammunition or 12g shotgun;
  • Level 3: high-power rifle, such as a 30.06, 7.62 ammunition, hand grenade and high explosive; and
  • Level 4: All structural members meet or exceed ASTM A500, sliding or swing door fabricated from structural steel with heavy duty hardware for bullet resistance. All electrical components will be

UL approved and installed in accordance with the N.E.C. Sometimes, the location of a booth itself creates a problem in delivery. This was the case at the Metro in Washington, D.C. A custom booth was required because the booths needed to be shipped in eight pieces to the stations aboard Metro trains.

The Ultimate in High-Tech Guard Booths

The State Department is using bio-defense mail room inspection BioBooths at several embassies throughout the world. BioBooths feature outer and inner workrooms with sealed doors, lighting and hospital-style floors. Each room has long countertops and open spaces for staging, sorting and prospective decontamination. A bench, top-mounted, HEPA-filtered, laboratory hood with UV sterilization is pre-installed and may be flexibly positioned to isolate and protect the inspector opening the packages. The booths have controllable drainage and an internal wash-down hose bib. An optional sub-floor basin catches contaminated liquid for removal through a valve into a disposal container.

The BioBooth is typically installed outside of a main building or inside a shipping-and-receiving warehouse. Upon discovering contaminated mail, the BioBooth can be sealed, quickly unbolted and safely removed from public areas for decontamination.

Self-contained, prefabricated, pre-wired and UL-listed, the Bio- Booth mail screening booth allows inspectors to safely receive and open mail, isolating the rest of the staff and facility from exposure, if bio-hazards are delivered.

From bullets to bioterrorism and a host of other attacks, a guard booth can be built so it will protect the guards, people and facilities that they are there to defend.

This article originally appeared in the April 2014 issue of Security Today.

About the Author

Greg Hamm is the vice president of sales and marketing at Delta Scientific.

Featured

  • Video Surveillance Trends to Watch

    With more organizations adding newer capabilities to their surveillance systems, it’s always important to remember the “basics” of system configuration and deployment, as well as the topline benefits of continually emerging technologies like AI and the cloud. Read Now

  • New Report Reveals Top Trends Transforming Access Controller Technology

    Mercury Security, a provider in access control hardware and open platform solutions, has published its Trends in Access Controllers Report, based on a survey of over 450 security professionals across North America and Europe. The findings highlight the controller’s vital role in a physical access control system (PACS), where the device not only enforces access policies but also connects with readers to verify user credentials—ranging from ID badges to biometrics and mobile identities. With 72% of respondents identifying the controller as a critical or important factor in PACS design, the report underscores how the choice of controller platform has become a strategic decision for today’s security leaders. Read Now

  • Overwhelming Majority of CISOs Anticipate Surge in Cyber Attacks Over the Next Three Years

    An overwhelming 98% of chief information security officers (CISOs) expect a surge in cyber attacks over the next three years as organizations face an increasingly complex and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven digital threat landscape. This is according to new research conducted among 300 CISOs, chief information officers (CIOs), and senior IT professionals by CSC1, the leading provider of enterprise-class domain and domain name system (DNS) security. Read Now

  • ASIS International Introduces New ANSI-Approved Investigations Standard

    • Guard Services
  • Cloud Security Alliance Brings AI-Assisted Auditing to Cloud Computing

    The Cloud Security Alliance (CSA), the world’s leading organization dedicated to defining standards, certifications, and best practices to help ensure a secure cloud computing environment, today introduced an innovative addition to its suite of Security, Trust, Assurance and Risk (STAR) Registry assessments with the launch of Valid-AI-ted, an AI-powered, automated validation system. The new tool provides an automated quality check of assurance information of STAR Level 1 self-assessments using state-of-the-art LLM technology. Read Now

New Products

  • PE80 Series

    PE80 Series by SARGENT / ED4000/PED5000 Series by Corbin Russwin

    ASSA ABLOY, a global leader in access solutions, has announced the launch of two next generation exit devices from long-standing leaders in the premium exit device market: the PE80 Series by SARGENT and the PED4000/PED5000 Series by Corbin Russwin. These new exit devices boast industry-first features that are specifically designed to provide enhanced safety, security and convenience, setting new standards for exit solutions. The SARGENT PE80 and Corbin Russwin PED4000/PED5000 Series exit devices are engineered to meet the ever-evolving needs of modern buildings. Featuring the high strength, security and durability that ASSA ABLOY is known for, the new exit devices deliver several innovative, industry-first features in addition to elegant design finishes for every opening.

  • Compact IP Video Intercom

    Viking’s X-205 Series of intercoms provide HD IP video and two-way voice communication - all wrapped up in an attractive compact chassis.

  • AC Nio

    AC Nio

    Aiphone, a leading international manufacturer of intercom, access control, and emergency communication products, has introduced the AC Nio, its access control management software, an important addition to its new line of access control solutions.