"We want to expose visitors to installed equipment performing successfully under challenging site and climatic conditions," said Tony Backx, Southwest Microwave's General Manager of European Operations. "This facility demonstrates how our perimeter security equipment would operate if it were installed at an actual site."
Built in 2002, Southwest Microwave's test and demonstration facility showcases an extensive range of perimeter security solutions, including the latest addition to Southwest Microwave's INTREPIDT family of "intelligent" sensors-the MicrotrackT Covert Buried Cable Detection Sensor. The site also features the INTREPID MicroPointT Cable Fence Detection sensor, bistatic microwave sensors, passive and active infrared sensors, and specialized lighting.
One of the facility's unique features is the diverse configuration of barbed wire, razor coil and catenary wire topping structures that line weld mesh, chain link and palisade fencing. This arrangement was developed to represent the range of European fencing options and to illustrate the consistent detection capabilities of the MicropointTM Cable cut/climb attack sensor across varying fence fabrics and conditions.
"We're trying to mirror the scenarios faced by our users and emulate what British government testing personnel do, in terms of how the area is staged and the factors being tested," explained Backx. "No other facility in Europe demonstrates such a wide range of equipment that meets European and British standards. Seeing how well the equipment operates here gives our visitors confidence that it will perform reliably back at their facility."
The site is equipped with comprehensive monitoring and control systems which interface with CCTV cameras for instantaneous evaluation of alarms at the precise location where they occur. Video recording devices and a weather station ensure that alarm activity and climatic data are captured 24/7 and stored for later analysis.
"We want to know the cause of every alarm that occurs at the site, day or night," Backx said. "Ongoing performance testing is simply one more means of ensuring fortified systems for our customers."
Southwest Microwave's UK test and demonstration site has hosted officials from the U.S. and UK Government and Military, the UK Police Forces and the British Airport Authority, along with representatives from many other organizations with high security requirements.
"Our goal is to show European end-users, specifiers, consultants, systems integrators and installers what Southwest Microwave's leading-edge perimeter detection systems are capable of," said Backx. "A tour of our site gives them the opportunity to see how our systems operate in a real-world environment."