"I think I speak on behalf of my friends and it’s quite reassuring that these barriers are here to stop a car from driving in. You wouldn’t want to see a car get into the middle of that huge crowd.”— Marina Rodriguez, USC football fan.
LOS ANGELES, CA, US, November 23, 2021
The annual Los Angeles cross-town rivalry game between USC and UCLA once again drew huge crowds to the USC campus for the traditional tailgate parties, and Meridian Rapid Defense Group was on hand to assist in ensuring a safe pre-game event.
The university is crisscrossed by wide walkways, which created a security issue for university authorities. To ensure no vehicles could enter the heavily crowded areas Archer 1200 mobile barriers were positioned at all entry points.
“We are finding more and more universities are deciding to use the Archer 1200 Barriers because of their mobility and the way they are a lot less intrusive than the old-style concrete barriers,” said Peter Whitford, Meridian’s CEO.
Marina Rodriguez, a USC fan, was walking to a tailgate party, saw the barriers and said, “I think I speak on behalf of my friends here and it’s quite reassuring that these barriers are here to stop a car from driving in. You sure wouldn’t want to see a car get into the middle of that huge crowd.”
Mr. Whitford explained, “One rogue vehicle, driven in on purpose or by accident, could create a tragedy of mammoth proportions. So being able to prevent that using our barriers is increasingly becoming the simple answer to a complex problem for many universities across America.”
The Archer 1200 Barrier is made of 700 lbs of American steel, yet it can be easily moved into place by one person. An essential part of any set up is the agreement that Meridian will provide a fully certified vehicle safety mitigation plan (VSMP) to clients to ensure the safest of events.
Meridian provides Archer 1200 Barriers on a regular basis to many other schools including the University of Alabama, University of Tennessee, and the University of Arizona as well as NFL teams such as the Seattle Seahawks, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Cincinnati Bengals and Jacksonville Jaguars.
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 or beam gate visit www.meridian-barrier.com.
