Across the U.S., the COVID-19 pandemic has forced many restaurants to expand onto the streets and into parking lots. But with this solution comes a danger.

Since outside dining expanded in March, several tragic incidents have highlighted the serious consequences of cars mixing tragically with street- occupying patrons. A high-speed police chase in Kentucky last weekend, which ended with the vehicle plowing into a group of four people and killing two, is one of about 20 instances of cars or trucks ramming into on-street eating zones. To mitigate these risks, MERIDIAN Rapid Defense Group has provided a quick solution for dozens of restaurants all over the U.S. including Miami Beach FL, Wilmington NC, Pasadena CA, Ventura CA, and El Segundo CA. MERIDIAN’s mobile Archer 1200 Barriers have been deployed at each of these locations with safety plans developed alongside city, law enforcement, and fire department officials.

THE ISSUE:
– Seating diners next to moving vehicles spells trouble. – Newly created and unfamiliar street eating zones can confuse drivers.
– Using the wrong type of barriers at outdoor dining eateries.
– Restaurateurs thinking a light wood or metal barrier solves the problem.
– The strong chance of restaurants being sued over the most minor incident.
– Both errant and hostile vehicles can enter the designated areas from either end causing major carnage.

THE SOLUTION:
– A proper risk assessment by a barrier specialist.
– Choosing the right type of barrier for the front and the sides of the dining area. Important: they fill different roles.
– For front of dining zone use, facing oncoming cars, use an Archer 1200 Barrier capable of stopping a car or truck at speed which is “SAFETY Act Certified” by Homeland Security.
– Affordable sales and rentals terms available.

“Our Archer 1200 is the perfect choice to take on this new role of protecting diners,” said Peter Whitford, CEO of MERIDIAN Rapid Defense Group. “Our short-term and long-term affordable rental plans (as well as sales) have worked really well for restaurant owners and cities.”

Outdoor dining in Wilmington NC
Archer 1200 Barriers create safe dining area in Wilmington, NC.
Insurance and risk-control consultant of the Houchens Insurance Group told USA Today: “Restaurants are trying to survive. I get it. But you can’t take safety out of the equation.”

Mr. Whitford said that different types of barriers play different roles. “Once we explained to restaurant owners how the Archer 1200 mobile barrier is the only one capable of providing the maximum protection from oncoming cars for their customers, they immediately made the decision to go with the Archer,” he said.

The Archer 1200 was originally designed for military purposes. It is 700lbs of American made steel and proven as the best in the world in its class at keeping people safe from rogue vehicles. MERIDIAN Archer 1200 Barriers are “SAFETY Act Certified” by the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) providing the ultimate standard in keeping people, communities and places safer.

There is a new team in town. Colorado Barricade Co. and MERIDIAN Rapid Defense Group are now working together to create safe streets throughout the state.

Colorado Barricade now has the latest in mobile anti-vehicle technology and is ready to roll it out to clients. MERIDIAN’s Archer 1200 is the barrier of choice for police, fire and construction companies looking for a quick solution to closing down streets and construction sites.

“We went looking for a company that was highly respected with great relationships and great contacts and that certainly applied to Colorado Barricade,” said Peter Whitford, MERIDIAN’s CEO. “For a start, like us, they specialize in deploying their equipment on the streets and we saw they have the same principles as MERIDIAN. We both set out to keep people safe in highly trafficked and sometimes dangerous areas.”

The Archer 1200 is 700lbs of American-made steel and in many cases these days replaces the concrete and water barriers so often used. It has the strength to stop a car or a truck coming at speed head-on.

“MERIDIAN has been a great new addition to our company. It has a couple of really unique products including its Archer barriers and beam gates,” said Ted Ott, President and CEO of Colorado Barricade.

“They are MERIDIAN’s own design and once we used them, we realized we could save a lot of time while still making the area we’re responsible for really safe and secure. And in the end, that’s the most important thing for me,” he said.

While ideal for use in construction zones and street closures the Archer 1200s have found a new role and were recently used to protect restaurant patrons in newly created outdoor dining areas as well as COVID-19 testing stations.

There is a whole new dining experience to be had at Toronto’s exclusive Harbour60 restaurant where management has gone out of its way to make it safe for everyone.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, dining at Harbour60 has moved to a magnificent new outdoor area which has been secured by barriers provided by Canada’s Safeguard Perimeter Solutions.

The mobile Archer 1200 Barriers, manufactured by the MERIDIAN Rapid Defense Group, are placed on all sides of the large marquee.

Shaine Moore of Safeguard Perimeter Solutions said: “Harbour60 management was excited about the fact that by surrounding the outdoor restaurant area with MERIDIAN barriers they could keep their diners there safe.”

The restaurant, a popular meeting place for Toronto Raptors and Maple Leaf players, hosts hundreds of people day and night. The Archer 1200’s take the place of the old- style concrete or unsightly plastic water-filled barriers – which are not safety-rated for this use.

“They had a problem with the rideshare drivers arriving, often a bit too quickly, right next to where people were eating,” said Mr. Moore. “So, having the Archer anti-vehicle barriers there, ensures everyone inside the dining area can enjoy themselves without any safety worries.”

MERIDIAN has created similar “safe dining zones” around the U.S. including Miami Beach, FL. and Ventura, CA.

Peter Whitford, CEO of MERIDIAN Rapid Defense Group said: “The problem of cars moving at high speed so close to these newly established outdoor dining areas is something every restaurant owner should be aware of. It’s better to be safe than sorry.”

Since restaurants were forced by the new pandemic rules to move to outside dining there have been several serious accidents in the U.S. involving cars crashing into eating areas.

“People love it.”

The words of a restaurant owner describing tourists and locals who are back enjoying nights out in Niagara Falls restaurants thanks to MERIDIAN Rapid Defense Group. MERIDIAN, working with Canada’s Safeguard Perimeter Solutions, has secured the popular Centre Street restaurant and shopping zone using its one of a kind mobile Archer 1200 Barriers. From afternoon to early morning the area is now a safe and enjoyable pedestrian plaza. The area attracts 9.5 million visitors a year.

Phil Pasco, owner of Yank’s Old Niagara Bar & Grill, told the Niagara Fall Review that he is thrilled to be open again. “We had a ton of locals for pizza and wings. It was fantastic and such a treat to be out there again after 120-something days closed. Finally, there’s some life back on the street,” he said.

“The restaurant owners are 100% positive now that they see the Archer barriers are making their street so secure,” said Shaine Moore of Safeguard Perimeter Solutions.

During discussions with the city to close the street and let restaurants move tables outside, a range of options was discussed. In the end, the city chose Archer barriers. Each morning the barriers are quickly wheeled away to allow for normal daytime traffic and deliveries.

“The business owners tell me the barriers are so much better than what was going to be the alternative and that was either a huge dump truck or bus parked sideways to block the street,” said Mr. Moore.

The restaurateurs praised the city council for helping get the street closed for safer dining.

“The customers love it. Now we can pay some bills and keep our employees working,” said Navin Shahani of Sparks Steakhouse and Maharaja Grand. “The city stepped up. We would have still been closed if not for the city’s foresight,” he told the Review.

Peter Whitford, CEO of MERIDIAN Rapid Defense said, “Once again MERIDIAN has been able to help businesspeople get back to business. We had the same reaction in the many cities where the Archer’s are protecting restaurant patrons including Miami Beach and Pasadena in California.”

An investigation by TV’s top-rated “Inside Edition” revealed many restaurants are putting their patrons at risk in newly created outdoor dining areas.

MERIDIAN Rapid Defense Group is advising restaurant owners across the U.S. on how to make a “secure place” for diners. “Inside Edition” featured MERIDIAN’s mobile Archer 1200 Barrier and described how it has helped restaurants “make safety a priority.”

In their effort to survive new restrictions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, restaurants are moving tables and chairs onto the streets. But in many cases, they are only surrounded by wooden barriers or planters, and already, as Inside Edition showed in a dramatic video, there have been several serious accidents where cars plowed into diners.

Peter Whitford, CEO of MERIDIAN said: “We were happy to work with “Inside Edition” and explain how our mobile Archer barriers are the perfect solution to secure on-street dining areas. I understand that restaurateurs are desperate to get back to business but having diners sitting so close to passing traffic is only inviting trouble unless they are properly protected. We’ve already seen evidence of that.”

The Archer barrier’s 700 lbs. of American made steel can stop an out-of-control car or truck and provide the ideal solution for city’s wanting to help restaurants get back to business while at the same time providing a cocoon of safety.

“Having those (barriers) there is a big plus,” Kris Jardino told “Inside Edition.” Ms. Jardino and two friends were eating at Pasadena’s popular Mi Piace, one of the many restaurants in the California city secured by Archer barriers.

“Up until now, I didn’t think about the safety aspect, but seeing them there makes us feel a whole lot better,” she said.

Archer barriers are also protecting diners in Ventura, CA where the city closed off ten city blocks to create an outdoor mall and in Miami Beach, FL where many restaurants have also expanded out onto the street.

“From Tampa to Tulsa, Seattle to Syracuse and Brooklyn to Burlington, cities are embracing parklets like never before,” writes Andrew Hirschfeld in OZY. “Urban designers, city planners and architecture firms alike are scrambling to come up with innovative designs for parklets, prompting competitions like the Design for Distancing planning initiative in Baltimore, Maryland, focused on outdoor spaces.”

There’s certainly some pushback. While many are sympathetic to the plight of small restaurants, city residents have been patiently turning a blind eye to the loss of parking, loading zones and the intrusion of their walkways while busy restaurant employees run back and forth with plates of food. Street closures will create traffic problems once traffic returns. People with disabilities are already complaining about added hazards. Some will want things to get back to how they were before the virus. But those concerns don’t seem to be stopping a movement in many areas of the country towards making permanent what was originally thought to be a temporary arrangement.

Dallas city council is considering a plan to allow many restaurants who have moved their operations to the streets to stay there. Los Angeles and Boston’s leaders are also discussing similar plans. Cincinnati’s leaders have approved a plan to convert a temporary outdoor dining program into a permanent feature. Writers and restaurant industry experts are voicing support for other cities to do the same.

I’m one of them. Outdoor dining should be made permanent. City residents like me will adapt and be better off for it. As for restaurant owners, permanent outdoor dining would be a new channel of revenue that, if made permanent in 2021, could make up for some of the losses they’ve incurred in 2020. And it will also provide opportunities for architects, construction contractors, engineers, supply manufacturers and other small businesses who will seek to serve these needs. And guess what? We have Covid to thank for it.

Injuries and Death Trigger Call for Secure Eating Zones

MERIDIAN Rapid Defense Group is fast-tracking operations by working with restaurants to create safe outdoor dining areas using its mobile Archer vehicle barriers.

The need for greater attention to the issue comes following the death of a restaurant patron and injuries to eight others in San Jose, CA when an elderly driver lost control of his SUV.

San Jose Police Sgt. Christian Camarillo said, “The driver thought he was using his brake but accelerated and then went speeding across a street, over a sidewalk, and into the restaurant.”

Since the COVID-19 pandemic forced the closure of many restaurants for indoor eating, MERIDIAN has helped restaurateurs “get back to business.” MERIDIAN’s unique Archer 1200 mobile vehicle barriers are being used across the U.S. to secure outdoor dining zones. The American-made steel barriers can stop a car or truck at lethal speeds.

Outdoor dining in Wilmington NC
Archer 1200 Barriers create safe dining area in Wilmington, NC.
Peter Whitford, CEO of MERIDIAN explained, “At the famous restaurant district in Ocean Drive in Palm Beach, Florida the entire area was secured by Archer vehicle barriers and Archer beam gates to create a pedestrian plaza. The restaurant owners told us business was great once the area was secured.”

In the California cities of Pasadena, Ventura, and West Hollywood, restaurants were able to spill out onto the street thanks to a “ring of steel” created by MERIDIAN’s barriers.

In North Carolina, MERIDIAN partnered with the City of Wilmington and restaurant organizations to create “Curbside Wilmington” with MERIDIAN barriers enabling restaurant owners to offer large, secure areas for outdoor dining.

“Our safe outdoor dining model has now expanded with great success,” said Wilmington mayor, Mike Purzycki.

MERIDIAN’s Mr. Whitford said restaurants need to look closely at creating safe spaces next to moving traffic. “A series of collisions in New York, like that in San Jose, has highlighted that swiftly-assembled, flimsy outdoor dining setups just aren’t good enough. These terrible tragedies can be averted if the correct equipment is used and the correct decisions are made at the very beginning,” he said.

Malicious vehicle attacks continue to be a rising tactic with radical groups. According to Mineta Transportation Institute’s National Transportation Safety and Security Center, there have been nearly 80 car-ramming attacks over the past four decades, with 30 of them happening the last two years. Just this month, authorities in the Baltimore-DC area foiled a plot by a suspected radical who had stolen a U-Haul truck with plans to run down crowds at an airport or tourist location. His reported plan was to identify a location that would garner the most media attention.

“I was just going to keep driving and driving and driving,” suspect Rondell Henry told investigators, according to court records. “I wasn’t going to stop.”

“I am thoroughly impressed with the proactive approach to public safety that the Carlsbad Police Department has displayed for this event.,” said Schanzenbach. “It is no longer enough to set out cones, fencing or water barriers that have no capacity to stop vehicle encroachment. We need a solution that is built for the problem and has demonstrated the ability to protect lives. I couldn’t be happier with the Carlsbad Police Department’s selection of The MERIDIAN products.”

MERIDIAN’s Archer 1200 Barriers have seen recent use for large-scale SEAR (Special Events Assessment Rating) Level 1 events like the Tournament of Roses Parade and Game as well as Super Bowl LIII. The product, as well as MERIDIAN’s deployment training, was awarded SAFETY Act designation this year. The Congressional Act, established in the wake of 9/11, specifies Qualified Anti-Terrorism Technologies (QATTs) which receive liability protections in the event of a terrorist attack. MERIDIAN, as well as its customers, receive the protection from claims.

“Our business is simple,” said MERIDIAN CEO Peter Whitford. “We make people, communities and places safer. We are thrilled to be working with the Carlsbad Chamber and the city of Carlsbad to ensure that this hallmark event is a success – that begins with the right equipment and the right plan of action.”

So often two is better than one, and that is certainly the case now that MERIDIAN Rapid Defense Group is teaming with Nashville’s Associated Protective Service.

Both companies are leaders in the industry and now Associated Protective Service has the latest in mobile anti- vehicle technology courtesy of MERIDIAN.

Along with a host of security services, Associated Protective Service specializes in event security. MERIDIAN’s Archer 1200 mobile barriers and Archer Beam Gates have continually proven to be the perfect fit for large and small-scale corporate events, demonstrations and street parades.

Recently, because of COVID-19, MERIDIAN’s Archer’s took on a new role and are out on the streets of many cities protecting outdoor dining zones. The Archer 1200 has the strength to stop an out of control car or truck but if need be is easily moved. Unlike most barriers, it doesn’t require power or heavy equipment to move.

Peter Whitford, MERIDIAN’s CEO said, “We couldn’t have done better to find an affiliate such as Associated Protective Service to work alongside. They operate on the same principles as our company – keeping people safe using the best possible product.”

Associated Protective Service has offices in Nashville and Washington DC and is a fully bonded and licensed private security firm led by a team with more than 65 years combined law enforcement, military and private security experience.

“It’s not every day that products such as the Archer 1200 Barrier and the Archer Beam Gate come along that are truly game-changers,” said Jacob Pilarski, the group’s operations manager.

“They are products that are easy to get behind, and I am excited to be able to offer them to clients. We look forward to growing a business and client base with the help of MERIDIAN,” said Mr. Pilarski.