Pope Francis Protected by Barricades

Portable traffic barriers from Delta Scientific Corp. have passed two tests: one from buyers at government agencies and the other during the recent U.S. visit of Pope Francis. Delta is a Palmdale company that has made posts and barriers to control vehicle access at buildings since 1974. Its main customers are the military and building security businesses. During the papal visit, the company’s MP5000 portable traffic barriers protected the Catholic leader against vehicle bomb attacks and errant drivers along travel routes in Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. The MP5000, which resembles a thick metal plate hinged to a horizontal frame with posts on either side, is towed into position and then “unpacks” itself, as hydraulics lift it off its wheels and then lower it to the ground. Once planted, the company says it can withstand the impact of a 15,000-pound flatbed truck traveling at 30 miles an hour. The metal plate, controlled by an electrical motor, raises to prevent vehicle access or lowers to allow cars and trucks to pass. The barrier can get electricity from either a standard outlet or solar panels sold as an accessory. No digging or subsurface preparation is required, making the MP5000 amenable for use on city streets. More than 1,200 MP5000s have been sold, mostly to protect U.S. military personnel from truck bomb attacks in the Middle East. During the papal visit, the 12- and 16-foot versions of the barrier were deployed at intersections. “We had 18 units on the ground in Philly and Washington, D.C.,” said Greg Hamm, Delta’s vice president of sales and marketing. “During the papal visit engagements, which were witnessed by millions, not one vehicle got into position to cause harm.” Hamm said the barriers were rented from Global Access Controls Systems, a security equipment distributor in Pittsburgh that regularly rents Delta equipment on a short-term basis for special events, including G-20 leadership summits and political conventions. The units cost about $40,000 each, with price variances depending on length. “We did the Democratic and Republican conventions three years ago and we anticipate doing them next year,” he said. Four years ago, Delta developed a 20-foot-wide model of the MP5000 for the Army’s Rapid Equipping Force, which needed a portable barrier at checkpoints in Afghanistan. Large trucks and military vehicles required the 20-foot opening because they couldn’t pass through the smaller MP5000s. Delta says its larger models can withstand the weight of a 15,000-pound flatbed truck traveling at 40 miles an hour. Hamm said the MP5000 received a surge of orders during the pope’s visit – but for unrelated reasons. With the federal government’s fiscal year ending Sept. 30, procurement officers were determined to spend any leftover money in their budgets before the deadline. “It’s one of our bestselling barricades every year,” he said. – Joel Russell