BOISE, Idaho — A company called Meridian Rapid Defense Group has created unique 700-pound metal barrier engineered to stop speeding vehicles and safeguard crowds during major events like Jaialdi.
Peter Whitford, the founder of Meridian Rapid Defense Group, stated, “Our product is fully American made, fully American steel. We’re an American company and everything we do is in the effort to increase public safety.”
WATCH: See how these yellow barriers stop speeding vehicles
Founded 20 years ago, MRD initially aimed to protect American troops in war zones. Since the tragic truck attack in France in 2016, the company has focused on addressing emerging threats at home.
Whitford emphasized it's not always a terrorist attack, “Two months ago at an armed services parade, an elderly gentleman got confused, came straight down, and hit the barriers. It saved another 200 lives. So, it happens quite often.”
The barriers are priced at just under $7,000 each, are reusable, and are designed to absorb the impact with non-lethal spikes that safely immobilize vehicles.
Whitford explained, “We can stop a 5,000-pound truck going 65 mph, and you can imagine that’s 360,000 pounds of kinetic energy hitting our product and bringing the vehicle to a controlled stop.”
Whitford says Boise has invested in two full sets of barriers, which now display the city logo, affirming its commitment to community safety.
