b'SECURITYDAL37striking a fuel truck and two private jets.with our Montage Industrial fence system with While airport operations werent suspended,the Invincible profile, which has a curved picket the incident reinforced the need for strongertop, to make it more secure, says Matt Bean, perimeter security. project manager for Ameristars Southeast Dallas Love Field is a little different fromRegion.many airports in that its in a heavily metroTo prevent intruders from climbing over the area, explains Chris Dodder, head of businessfence, DAL added a mesh barrier to the perimeter development at Ameristar, the company thatCHRIS DODDERfencing. We didnt do this in every area initially.MATT BEANsupplied DALs new fencing and other perimeter security products.We only installed it in areas where people were still trying to climb the The airport entrance is just off Mockingbird Lane, a major Dallasfence, Parker says, adding that anti-climb mesh has been added to all thoroughfare with heavy traffic. It is this very stretch of road whereDepartment of Aviation maintained perimeter fencing.the airport added crash-rated fencing to protect people, propertyA 2-foot-high critter guard was added to keep rabbits, coyotes and equipment from wayward vehicles.and other animals from getting onto the airfield. Mark Fragale, interim assistant director ofTo complement its new crash-rated fencing, the airport installed Aviation Operations and Field Maintenance,gates from VMAG with built-in barriers and crash beams. And in affirms that DALs location heightens the needareas where barrier arms would not fit, a cable barrier system was for crash-barrier fencing. We dont have thebuilt into the gate.luxury of having a substantial amount of landThe VMAG gates enhance security because they run on between the roadway and the airfield, hemagnets and open and close really fast, Parker says. The less explains. In some areas, the road is less thanMARK FRAGALE time the gate remains open, the more secure you will be. 30 feet from the perimeter fence.At gates, the airport added security cameras where fiber optic However, while hardening perimeter security, the airport wantedcabling was already installed. Those cameras monitor the gates at to maintain its Streetscape Enhancements Project, executedall times, he adds.under the direction of Kimley-Horn from fall 2023 to fall 2025. That included new sidewalks, bike paths, landscaping, gateway designs,Performance and Installationlighting, intersection safety upgrades, traffic signals, directionalStalwart K12, the most formidable fencing DAL added, is designed signage and neighborhood green spaces. to stop a 15,000-pound vehicle traveling 50 miles per hour withinIt was a complete beautification of the entrance, but we still3 to 23 feet.needed smart features to protect the airfield, Fragale specifies. The crash-rated barrier relies on a 1-inch braided cable that To meet both objectives, the airport chose two different styles ofspans the fence horizontally to stop vehicles. This cable is installed fencingcrash-rated where needed and another industrial versioninto three horizontal rails that are secured to footers buried 7 feet with more attention to aesthetics in other areas. There are severalbelow ground and encased in concrete.components to the fencing, says Parker. Its anti-climb, has a wildlife barrier and there are hardened points to prevent vehicles from driving through.PERFORMANCE THAT COUNTS Bollards and other preventiveWHEN SECURITY MATTERS MOST components were added in spaces between the roadway and perimeter fencing.VMag Gate Operators Offer:We also put in water barriers in areas where we still had some issues,Programmable speeds up to he adds. 8FPS for enhanced securityand vehicle throughputFinding the Right FenceElectro Magnetic Drive SystemIn retrospect, Parker says the airportswith no moving parts offersprevious perimeter securityan 8-foot-tallreliability and low maintenancechain-link fence with barbed wire on topAnti Breach Feature guardscould be easily compromised. Today, aagainst unauthorized accessmix of fencing, selected to suit different Positive Locking Mechanismneeds at various sites, makes that harder. automatically secures gate.We integrated Stalwart fencing, which is our cabled crash system,210.495.3000|www.vmagtech.com|sales@vmagtech.comAirportImprovement.comMarch | April 2025'