MERIDIAN PROVIDING BARRIERS FOR VANCOUVER MARATHON FOLLOWING VEHICLE ATTACK

NEW ORLEANS AND NOW VANCOUVER, ANOTHER TRAGEDY

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA, April 30, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Meridian Rapid Defense Group is working closely with the Vancouver Police Department and the city to ensure the safety of runners in Canada's top destination race, the Vancouver Marathon this weekend. This follows the tragedy there on Saturday when a 30-year-old man drove into a festival crowd and killed 11 people. Another 32 were taken to hospitals.

Later this week, Meridian will deliver its highly rated Archer 1200 mobile barriers, which are certified by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and along with police, will create a plan to keep vehicles and marathon participants safely apart. Vancouver Police had already agreed to purchase barriers from Meridian.

Meridian CEO Peter Whitford said, “The Vancouver Police Department in British Columbia has been working tirelessly to drive this new initiative of public safety on streets. They are the first Canadian Police Department to take this initiative, and Meridian looks forward to working with them as we deliver the first sets of barriers in a few weeks.”

Mr. Whitford said Vancouver police are putting a path together for others to follow, in ensuring they have certified solutions to keep people, communities, and places safer.

“At Meridian, we’ve seen this too often, and our sympathies go out to the families of the many victims. Going forward, we will work with the Vancouver police to ensure the safety of pedestrians at the large number of events held throughout the year," he said.

The tragedy at a Filipino heritage festival was reminiscent of a similar vehicle attack in 2018, when a man drove a van into a crowd in Toronto, killing 10 pedestrians. Meridian Rapid Defense Group also moved quickly earlier this year to close down Bourbon Street in New Orleans with Archer barriers after 14 people died in a vehicle ramming incident, which the FBI confirmed as an act of terrorism.

Vancouver Mayor Kenneth Sim said the driver's mental health could have been a factor.

The Archer 1200 Barrier, soon to be deployed in Vancouver, is made of solid steel yet designed for high mobility. It can be repositioned quickly by a single person. This eliminates the need for concrete blocks, plastic barricades, or police vehicles to secure streets and public areas.

"It should be a normal course of business if you are going to have an event these days, where people are out on the streets. Doing it without certified protection is no longer an option," said Mr. Whitford.

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. For more information about Meridian Rapid Defense Group and the Archer 1200 vehicle barrier, visit www.meridian-barrier.com.

Eric Alms
Meridian Rapid Defense Group
+1 213-400-9811
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