Anti-terrorist barriers are in many inner cities in Germany in the meantime the city. But what are the systems guarantee maximum safety? The cities calls for a uniform standard.
By Karin Bensch, WDR
Cologne Cathedral is a magnet for visitors. In order to protect people there from terrorist attacks by means of vehicles, has retractable the city around the Cathedral 90, partially in the ground, steel bollards can be installed. Cost: 250,000 Euros. These and similar Locks are now available in many German inner cities.
But the Problem is: so Far, there is no uniform policy or standard for this Anti-terrorist barriers, the give the cities the right to the security at the time of acquisition of such Lock help, writes Miriam Marnich by the German Association of towns and municipalities: “That is to say: you have to rely on the experiences in cooperation with the police, but also security services, and for mobile and static Block.”
No single exam
In practice, it looks like this: a company gets an approval for an Anti-terrorist barrier, is sufficient proof of a passed the crash test at an approved examination Institute. This need not be a state authority, it can also be a private company. The basis for the Tests, international guidelines, for example, from the United States and the United Kingdom, which have been adjusted, says Dennis Kings. He is the managing Director of the company, which has manufactured the steel bollards around the Cologne Cathedral and the Reichstag in Berlin: “Yes, there are different things. There are also various certificates from different Agencies.”
In the case of Anti-terrorist barriers, there are a variety of systems with varying degrees of efficiency.
Many factors to consider
A bollard with the certificate “K4” must stop the car, for example, a load of 7,5 tons and with a speed of 30 km/h Bouncing. The certificate with the highest requirement is called “K12”. These bollards can stop a 7.5-ton truck driving at 80 km/h.
parts of the truck are not permitted to fly more than ten meters, which is tested in the crash tests, says Kings. “If such forces are at work and a truck with the speed corresponding to 80 km/h coming as it is in the nature of things that he can not stay immediately on the bollard. Parts are still flying a piece of, and the need to take into account, of course.”
Perfect protection, there is not
Account you can also that even the first of these is the retractable steel bollards only a 7.5-tonne truck stop. Against the 40-tonners of the terrorist attacks of Berlin, and nice, you have no Chance. And also on the speed. If a truck is used for a terrorist attack in the city centre, a long, clear path, he can accelerate much stronger, and go faster than if he has curves, through narrow streets of the historical inner cities.
The crash tests alone are not sufficient to clarify whether certain Anti-terrorist barriers are actually suitable or not, says Marnich from the cities and municipalities. It calls for: the Federal government and the countries would have to support the local authorities is much stronger in the protection of public places, “by developing a nationwide comprehensible and binding concept and criteria, together with the local authorities.”
Of cities and municipalities is of the view: On this basis the municipalities have made it easier to opt for the Anti-terrorist barriers that arise at your place sense.
Anti-terrorist barriers: a call for nationwide Standards
Karin Bensch, ARD, Cologne,
14.02.2019 18:05 PM
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Test: Mobile concrete block Truck, 12.04.2017 |video Anti-terrorist barriers: a call for nationwide Standards, Karin Bensch, ARD, Cologne |audio Atlas |Germany |Cologne
