JUDGES ARE IMPRESSED BY THE SAFETY PLAN FOR ONE OF THE BIGGEST PARADES IN AMERICA
PHOENIX, ARIZONA, November 11, 2021
Protecting more than 800,000 people attending the annual New Year’s Day Rose Parade followed by the Rose Bowl Game in Pasadena, CA is without a doubt one of the toughest security jobs of the year.
Meridian Rapid Defense Group did just that and now Meridian’s Safety Mitigation Plan for those events has won the prestigious Golden Eagle Award at the 2021 National Sports Safety and Security Conference in Phoenix.
Daniel Ward, NCS4 Director of Training and Exercise said, “The Golden Eagle Award is an opportunity to recognize those technologies, services and processes that meet security needs and effectively account for the unique operating environment created by sporting and entertainment events.”
The winner was chosen from three finalists and voted on by the pool of NCS4 participants which included security experts across multiple sports and disciplines. They were asked to take into account everything from relevance to the sport industry, establishing the balance of fan experience while creating a safe crowd environment and the creativity and innovation that leads the industry forward.
Both the Rose Parade and the football game are designated by the Department of Homeland Security as (SEAR)-1-level security events. The Meridian security plan covered a large geographic footprint and a complex traffic scenario that required coordination and consensus-building at the local, state, and federal levels.
After accepting the award Eric Alms, Meridian’s President explained that MRDG’s plan was a significant improvement in security effectiveness with Meridian deploying 443 Archer 1200 barriers across three primary locations: the Rose Bowl Stadium, the parade route and the command center.
“Past events relied on traffic management products such as water barriers and type 3 barricades which aren’t certified to stop errant vehicles and using those is just not good enough these days,” said Mr. Alms.
“We are very proud to win this award because it’s great recognition for all of our Meridian staff who worked day and night before and after the events to ensure that everyone at both the parade and the football game had an enjoyable and most importantly, a safe time.”
Archer barriers are SAFETY Act-certified and crash test rated to stop hostile vehicles while also being both mobile and modular. This allowed for the event perimeter to be closed in a fraction of the time and reopened to regular traffic flow quickly.
Meridian staged the barriers along the parade route and at the stadium a week before the event, allowing law enforcement, local businesses, and the public to become familiar with the new solution. Fliers were distributed to every business near deployment, and company websites were showcased on the barriers to allow people to familiarize themselves with the product.
Meridian Archer 1200 Barriers are “SAFETY Act Certified” by the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) providing the ultimate standard in keeping people, communities and places safer. For more information about Meridian Rapid Defense Group and the Archer 1200 vehicle barrier visit www.meridian-barrier.com
