SURPRISE, AZ, US, April 14, 2022
The start of baseball season has brought new calls for increased safety for fans attending games. MeridianRapid Defense Group is playing a major role in that, most recently at spring training in Surprise, Arizona for the Kansas City Royals and the Texas Rangers.
Working alongside the Surprise Police Department, Meridian created a pedestrian plaza at Surprise Stadium using more than 20 mobile Archer Barriers. The vehicle free zone at the entrance to the stadium enabled crowds to walk safely from parking areas into a fan zone and then into the grounds.
Surprise Police Officer Barry Bre’dell Jr. said, “Our main purpose for upgrading our security is to ensure we provide the safest experience to our citizens as they participate in the various events taking place in our city. To anticipate and prepare for potential incidents we wanted to add an additional layer of protection enhancing our overall readiness.”
Meridian CEO Peter Whitford explained how the unique design of the Meridian Archer 1200 Barrier has encouraged other baseball teams to make use of them at every home game. “Teams such as the New York Yankees, the Tampa Bay Rays, the Colorado Rockies and the Chicago White Sox have all decided to go with our barriers,” he said.
“It’s all about the ease of use. For stadium security officers, with so many other safety issues to deal with, the fact that the Archer 1200 Barrier can be quickly wheeled into place and just as easily moved off after the game, is a major plus,” said Mr. Whitford.
The Archer 1200 Barrier is crash tested and SAFETY Act certified. This Act provides Federal Government full liability protection for all users in the case of an act of terrorism, domestic or foreign.
Prior to the stadium “safe zone” being established, Meridian worked with the police department to create a fully certified vehicle safety mitigation plan.
“The ease of deployment and the strength these barriers provide were definite factors which played into the selection process,” said Officer Bre’dell Jr. “Once the decision was made to go with Meridian, we were given top notch customer service and we look forward to the future use of these safety devices.”
The city will also use the barriers throughout the year at other outdoor events including the Christmas parade.
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.
