Visitors to the Commonwealth Games were protected from the threat of vehicle-borne attacks thanks to months of meticulous planning and the largest ever deployment of Hostile Vehicle Mitigation (HVM) barriers in the UK.
Some 18 months prior to the major event, held in Birmingham from July 28 to August 8, the National Vehicle Threat Mitigation Unit (NVTMU) started its preparations to help protect everyone attending the games.
Vehicle restraint system
This involved providing advice to local and regional authorities, transport partners, police, and the organising committee of the Commonwealth Games on preventing vehicle as a weapon attacks. As the appointed supplier of the Government’s National Barrier Asset (NBA), the process was supported by Hardstaff Barriers. Its team of specialists delivered the barriers to 18 sites, which included athletes’ villages, transport malls, and sporting venues.
In order to keep the many sites across the West Midlands as safe as possible, the following items were installed:
- 56 gates
- 387 barges
- 160 Wailing Units
- 2000 Quick Moveable Blocks
- 12 kilometres of security fencing were deployed, with support from ZSD Contractors Ltd
- 5 kilometres of high security fencing, with support from ZSD Contractors Ltd
- 2 kilometres of temporary vehicle restraint system (TVRS), with support from Asset VRS
- 475 modular HVM units
Largest ever deployment
This was completed in partnership with the NBA Contractor who completed this tremendous task
In its recent article about the security of the Commonwealth Games, the National Counter Terrorism Security Office stated: 'The deployment of the NBA, to support partners in delivering the Commonwealth Games, has seen the largest ever deployment of the asset in the 19 years that it has been deployed across various sites around the UK.'
‘This entire process spanned a total of 76 days. The size of the task cannot be underestimated. Meeting deadlines, cost-effectiveness and the sheer number of resources required (staff and assets) made this a challenging deployment.’ With reference to Hardstaff Barriers’ role, the article went on: ‘This was completed in partnership with the NBA Contractor who completed this tremendous task, thus helping to ensure the safety and security of those attending the Commonwealth Games.’
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