9 August 2023
Building security is an important factor against terror
In Denmark, the terror threat is serious. PET has concluded this in their annual report. But if more people took the subject seriously when it came to terror protection of buildings, we would take a big step in the right direction.
To draw a slightly caricatured picture of how people look at terrorist security, you can try to imagine a 12-year-old boy. You can make the boy dig a hole for a bollard, but he doesn't know what the bollard is for. It is somewhat the same way when, for example, an embassy must terror-proof their building. You understand that it is because there is a threat, but you do not understand the big picture of the threat.
The analogy about the 12-year-old boy is Mogens Dam's. He is a structural engineer and project manager at Damasec, who, among other things, makes security and protection solutions for companies in Denmark and abroad.
"You can see it a bit like leaving your front door unlocked when you go away. It may well be that you don't think the problem is huge, and society makes no demands on a locked door. The insurance, on the other hand, does that if there is a break-in.” says Mogens Dam and continues:
"You have to consider what you are up against when you work with terror security. When you e.g. are building a multi-storey house, you must ensure that the house is strong enough and that it is possible to get out if a fire breaks out - this is the specific requirement. But no one is demanding that a building should be terror-proof. It is entirely up to the company itself to decide.”
At the Danish Security Fair, which takes place on 30-31 August in MESSE C, it is possible to have a chat with Damasec and Mogens Dam about e.g. security measures from the curb and all the way into the workplace. There will also be an opportunity to participate in a themed meeting on terror security.
The solution depends on the threat
The building engineer also explains that the first thing you can do if you want to secure your business building against terror is to sit down with an adviser and find out what the threat level is. If applicable, a dynamic vehicle analysis can be done, where the speed of the selected vehicle is analyzed when it hits the perimeter. The result of the analysis determines how much one's fuse must be able to withstand. It may be that the solution should be a gate, bollards, a road blocker or similar.
"It is a good idea to secure your business against terror when you believe that the threat is serious enough and when the consequences are big enough," Mogens Dam says.
As previously mentioned, the terror threat in Denmark is serious. This concretely means that PET assesses that someone is thinking of and has the resources to launch an attack against us. We have to get used to that, Mogens Dam believes and suggests that some precautions can be taken.
"With the war in Ukraine and groupings, there are probably people who want us badly. It is unfortunately a reality. However, I don't think you should go and be afraid of terror. But you have to be careful where you stay. Assess the situation and use your common sense," Mogens Dam advises.