"We were 100% better than we were at the last half marathon. We are still addressing what might have been weak spots and that’s something we’re talking with Meridian about already.”— George Cunningham, Rose Bowl COO
PASADENA, CA, US, January 19, 2022
Thousands of runners and spectators participated safely in the 2022 Rose Bowl Half Marathon and 5K Run thanks in part to security provided by barriers and beam gates supplied by Meridian Rapid Defense Group.
Prior to the event, working alongside Rose Bowl employees, Meridian mapped out a safety mitigation plan to ensure that no vehicle could threaten the runners or the large number of spectators. Sixty Archer 1200 Barriers, and this year for the first time, three of Meridian’s unique Archer Beam Gates were set up to ensure a safe and secure event.
George Cunningham, COO of the Rose Bowl said, “Every year you try to get better and find your weaknesses, so we decided this year that more areas that we were responsible for, needed to be protected. To make that happen we also had three of Meridian’s beam gates which allowed us to have more control over the parking lots.”
The Archer Beam Gates are an exclusive design. They are easily assembled by two people in less than 30 minutes and do not require any power source, yet the heavy-duty net can trap a vehicle that tries to get into a secured zone intentionally or by accident.
“You can never over plan safety precautions for these types of events,” said Eric Alms, Meridian President. “In the recent past we have seen some shocking incidents where cars were driven into crowds and that’s why we are seeing event organizers taking extra precautions these days. They’re finding our barriers and beam gates to be the right fix.”
Mr. Cunningham explained that the beam gates at the Rose Bowl provided the ideal replacement for areas where they would have used barriers in the past. He pointed out that having them there resulted in a lot less physical labor for his staff.
“We were 100% better than we were at the last half marathon. We are still addressing what might have been weak spots and that’s something we’re talking with Meridian about already. Every year you learn a little bit more and we’re getting better,” said Mr. Cunningham.
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
