DELTA BARRIERS NOW PROTECTING PEARL HARBOR.

Byline: Daily News

VALENCIA - Piers at the Pearl Harbor Naval Station in Hawaii are now protected by barriers from Valencia-based Delta Scientific, which protects some of the top potential terrorist targets in the world.

Automated, linear gates have been installed at the historic station and surrounding piers to protect the operation and the assets. The equipment was installed as part of an overall regional effort to increase the protection at strategic locations.

``The Navy installed this barrier system in order to provide an adequate level of force protection while maintaining a high level of efficiency on the piers,'' Andrew Iuvale, anti-terrorism director for the Navy's Hawaii region said in a statement. ``In other words, we've been able to increase our force protection posture without impacting the mission of fleet support.

Previously, the piers were protected by a swing gate guarded by a sentry who had the responsibility to assess and then grant or deny access.

``For a bad guy to access the piers, they only had to overcome the sentry,'' Iuvale said.

Now, the piers have a gate or kiosk system that protects the sentry, who remains in the gatehouse. Anyone attempting to gain access has to slide credentials through a pass window.

``However, even if someone could take out a sentry in the gatehouse, they still cannot get through the gates,'' Iuvale said. ``These new gates are 'force multipliers' for the Security Department when operating them in an automated mode during slow periods. An automated gate reduces overall manpower requirements and frees up security personnel to perform other missions vital to force protection such as patrol, countersurveillance and random inspections.''

``Pearl Harbor's piers are now less vulnerable to acts of terrorism,'' said Lt. Jeremy Gates, naval facilities construction team leader. ``The automated gates provide an anti-terrorism force protection barrier between roadways and the piers, which provide service to ships and submarines. Physical security upgrades such as this, combined with anti-terrorism awareness training, helps make Navy personnel less vulnerable from attacks and acts of terrorism.''

``Product support is vital because these piers are the lifelines to the ships,'' Iuvale added.

Pearl Harbor also uses Delta's MP5000 portable barricades that are towed in place and set up in 15 minutes.

Since the USS Cole was bombed in Yemen in 2000, the Navy has employed many of Delta Scientific's products at its facilities to protect vital infrastructure, from piers to hospitals, fuel storage and submarine bases.

Delta is headquartered in Valencia, with its manufacturing facility in Palmdale.