Visitors to the UK’s recent Armed Forces Day event were protected from the threat posed by vehicles thanks to a system of safety barriers at the site.
The temporary hostile vehicle mitigation (HVM) barriers and swing arm gates were installed along the seafront in Scarborough, North Yorkshire.
Attended by more than 100,000 people, this year’s Armed Forces Day was hosted by Scarborough Borough Council and was an action-packed event featuring the very best of the Armed Forces.
Scarborough’s South Bay hosted military parades, numerous musical performances and aerial flypasts.
The HVM barriers were installed by Hardstaff Barriers, the contractor responsible for delivering the UK Government’s National Barrier Asset (NBA) framework.
The National Barrier Asset is a substantial collection of surface-mounted temporary HVM administered by the National Vehicle Threat Mitigation Unit (NVTMU).
The NVTMU has expertise in mitigating the risk from a vehicle attack (known as Vehicle as a Weapon attacks) and the deployment and use of the NBA.
As a forces friendly employer, Hardstaff Barriers proudly employs several former service personnel, who gained many of their most valuable skills from their careers in the Army.
The company also readily signed the Armed Forces Covenant – a national promise that those who serve or who have served in the armed forces, and their families, are treated fairly.
Jim Cotter, Project Manager for Hardstaff Secure, who joined Hardstaff Barriers in 2020 following a 24-year career in the Army, said: “It’s an honour to have worked on this project, which ensured the safety of visitors to this important event
that recognises the dedication of members of the Armed Forces, past and present.
“Having served in the Army myself, I know just how important it is to honour those who have dedicated their lives to protecting our country.”