There hasn't been one instance of attempted break-in at Ricardo since the installation of the PowerFence™ system in 1998.

The Gallagher PowerFence™ system has worked for Ricardo Consulting Engineers.  In Sabine's words, "It's absolutely brilliant".

For over 80 years the Ricardo Group has been a world authority in the research, design, and development of automotive power train and vehicle systems.  Today, their expertise covers gasoline, diesel and gaseous-fuelled engines of all types designed for a wide range of applications, from the smallest motorcycle units, up to rail traction and ship propulsion.

The Group's success is built upon an internally funded research programme.  The programme is dedicated to the advancement of technology and the development of solutions to the many challenges facing the automotive industry, both for today and in future years.  These challenges include the demand for lower emissions, greater refinement and increased fuel efficiency.

Ricardo Consulting Engineers is a subsidiary of the Ricardo Group.  Based in Shoreham in the South East of England, this member of the Group specialises in the design and development of engines of all sizes and fuel types, vehicle noise refinement and emissions reduction, and fuel and lubricant testing.

Robin Sabine, Site Manager for Ricardo Consulting Engineers, says that security really started to become an issue at the site in the 1970s and was client-driven.

"In the early 70's," recalls Sabine, "some of our clients insisted on a fence.  So we put in a chain link fence with 3 rows of barb wire."  The fence was typical of its day and while it prevented opportunistic break-ins, those who were determined could still breach it.  Following such an occurrence, and with increasing emphasis on security from clients, security requirements were reviewed.

The review recognised that site security provisions needed to protect:

• People - the 850 employees who work on-site and visitors.
• Physical assets - bordered on one side by a river, the 10.5-acre site includes 100 buildings and specialised equipment.
• Intellectual property - there are significant amounts of commercially sensitive information held on computers and other areas within the business, for example, the databases of information, files related to project work and client specific information.

The issue of protecting intellectual property was very real.  Ricardo Consulting Engineers' clients are themselves competitors.  As intellectual property protection has become an increasingly important issue for clients, they supply, and continue to review, their own security criteria to Ricardo sites.  Sabine notes that clients audit the company's security strategy and processes as part of the contract requirements.  It is a very important issue.

Ricardo Consulting Engineers' location in a rural area was also a further consideration.  The area only really got busy during summer holidays when children played alongside the riverbank.

Whatever solution they went with had to be safe and environmentally sensitive.

There was also a downside to their rural location. Police response time could be up to 20 minutes.  Sabine noted that their ideal system would differentiate between a serious attempt and "attempts which went no further than attempts".  It would help police to respond if they knew whether a serious break-in was in progress.

Clearly something more sophisticated than a barbwire fence was required.

Sabine recalls, "We wanted a perimeter security system which was a real deterrent to would-be intruders.  If undeterred, then we needed to know instantly and alert the security guard so that appropriate action could be taken."

The solution was a PowerFence™ system from Gallagher Security Management Systems.  And the result? There hasn't been one instance of an attempted break-in since its installation in 1998.

PowerFence™ systems continue to meet all their criteria:

• It deters would-be intruders.
• The system is intelligent, differentiating between serious breaches of the fence and accidental contacts, which generate "false" alarms - security guards and police can therefore respond appropriately.
• It is a flexible solution.  At the Ricardo site, it could be retrofitted on existing fencing, including wall top scenarios, as well as installed free standing.
• It met all the stringent safety criteria, including local council resource consent and legal criteria.
• It is easy to maintain. The company has signed a maintenance agreement involving two service checks per year to ensure the fence is operating in peak condition.

With the PowerFence™ system in place, Sabine believes Ricardo Consulting Engineers now has a full "belt and braces" approach to security.  Security is provided 24 hours a day, 365 days a year on site.  There is always at least one fully trained security guard at the security post. On-site security includes bulletproof glass in windows exposed to the perimeter, intruder alarms, CCTVs, and an access control system.

Providing front-line security, PowerFence™ is such an effective deterrent that Gallagher Security Management Systems (Europe) Ltd has received many enquiries from people who have seen it installed at the Ricardo site wanting to find out more.

The PowerFence™ system is a professional perimeter solution for sites serious about wanting effective front line security.  It has worked for Ricardo Consulting Engineers.  In Sabine's words, "It's absolutely brilliant".

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