February theme: Aviation securityBlastGard shows new airport security tool

It is one thing to discover a suspicious package at an airport — let alone to know it is an explosive device — and it is another thing to remove it quickly and safely without endangering the people around. Clearwater, Florida-based BlastGard International, a specialist in blast mitigation products, says it is rolling out a new product aimed at airports, transit stations, convention centers, and similar facilities. The purpose of the BlastGard MBR Gard Cart (Mobile Suspect Package Removal Unit), which houses BlastGard’s MBR 300, if the provide security personnel with a tool for safe removal of an explosive device after it is discovered. The MBR Gard Cart protects against the threats posed by the detonation of an improvised explosive device (IED) and also provides rapid removal of the threat. When a suspect package or device is discovered, the airports now have a safe means of securing that package and removing it from public exposure until the bomb squad arrives. This is good for safety, but also for business, since containing the explosive safely obviates the need for long shut-downs of the airport.

BlastGard’s Jim Gordon said, “Based on our initial market research and response from our prospective client base, we expect to generate significant near term revenues from this new product. It is estimated that an airport incurs losses of approximately $150,000 for every minute the airport is shut down and therefore a product such as this that may reduce ‘downtime’ by even a few minutes presents an incredible value proposition to all airports.”