Southwest Microwave holds “Intelligent Perimeter Solutions” seminar in New Jersey

Tim Claus

 “It’s extremely important to select the right equipment to address site requirements.”

That was one of many “voice of experience” tips provided by Tim Claus, Eastern Regional Sales Manager of Southwest Microwave, as he presented the latest in the company’s 2010 “Intelligent Perimeter Solutions” seminars earlier this month at the Marriott Hotel at Liberty International Airport in Newark, NJ..

Some of the upcoming stops in the road tour across North America will be Chicago, IL (April 20), Cleveland, OH (April 22) and Atlanta, GA, (April 30). Additional locations are listed in GSN’s Web Calendar.

Some of the conditions determining the right perimeter intrusion detection equipment, Claus pointed out, are site terrain, the type of entry points that exist and the specific threat being addressed -- such as concerns of vandalism or theft, or higher stakes issues, such as prison escape, criminal damage to infrastructure or terrorism.

To assist in determining the correct solution, Claus said, Southwest Microwave provides free of charge site assessments and designs for each and every site, using the customer’s CAD drawings or by sending a specialist to the site to review its unique characteristics.

In his introductory remarks, Claus shared that Southwest Microwave is headquartered in Tempe, AZ, has a European base in the United Kingdom, and additional offices in Boston, Miami, Canada, Australia and the United Arab Emirates. Claus explained that Southwest Microwave is a pioneer in the perimeter  protection sector, having introduced the bistatic microwave detection sensor in 1971. Today, with 53,000 installations under its belt, Southwest says it’s the largest manufacturer of outdoor perimeter protection systems in the world.

Claus discussed the company’s year-round equipment testing initiative, explaining that hot weather testing is done in Arizona, where temperatures sometime reach 145 degrees Fahrenheit, and that the company also maintains cold weather and high wind test sites in Canada and the UK.

The  company’s customer base, said Claus, include government facilities, nuclear and other utility sites, military bases, air and seaports, industrial and chemical plants and correctional institutions. The list of U.S. installations includes the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Detroit Water and Sewer, Florida Power and Light, the City of Phoenix, Washington-Dulles Airport, Colonial Gas, Port of Seattle, Southern California Edison, the U.S. Department of Defense and others.

In the first half of the seminar, Claus provided an overall framework for perimeter security -- what it is, why it is necessary and the various technologies that are involved. The main steps in perimeter protection, he said, are to detect perimeter intrusion with reliable technologies, to assess the nature of the intrusion with alarm communications and CCTV Video systems, to delay and deter intruders via fences and barriers, and to respond rapidly with successful communications that lead to apprehension.

He added that the underlying rationale for perimeter security is to provide early warning and keep the attacker far enough away to allow time for detection and visual assessment to initiate a rapid response.  In order to assure maximum delay of intruders, he pointed out that the highest security facilities sometimes have two fences and a combination of sensor technologies.

Claus also discussed the various types of sensors used in perimeter protection, along with the relative benefits of using each type. These included microwave sensors, and buried cable or fence-mounted detection systems, fiber optic cables and CCTV cameras including infrared cameras and those with video analytics.

In the second half of the program, Claus talked about today’s “Intelligent Perimeter” technology standards, recommending that prospective users look for systems that provide an intruder’s precise location, discriminate intruders from environmental nuisance alarms, offer graphic alarm monitoring capability and remote diagnostics and testing.

Claus highlighted the cost and convenience benefits of employing a system with a common communications platform, scalable systems controllers and a universal software installation tool, which allows the integration of all sensors into a single system. In the process, he explained the features and benefits of Southwest Microwave’s MicroPoint II fence detection system, Microtrack II buried cable system, and MicroWave 330 digital microwave link, which allow users to deploy any combination of fence, buried cable or digital microwave sensors on a single platform -- to protect each portion of the perimeter with an optimal sensor for that location.

The seminar included a lively series of questions and answers that were interspersed throughout the presentation, addressing various technical and installation issues.