{"id":17917,"date":"2025-08-25T06:45:10","date_gmt":"2025-08-25T10:45:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/shorebeat.com\/lavallette-seaside\/?p=17917"},"modified":"2025-08-25T06:45:20","modified_gmt":"2025-08-25T10:45:20","slug":"seaside-heights-plans-rapid-defense-barriers-to-prevent-new-orleans-like-tragedy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shorebeat.com\/lavallette-seaside\/2025\/08\/seaside-heights-plans-rapid-defense-barriers-to-prevent-new-orleans-like-tragedy\/","title":{"rendered":"Seaside Heights Purchases ‘Rapid Defense’ Barriers to Prevent New Orleans-Like Tragedy"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Meridian<\/a>

Meridian Archer 1200 barriers in use in Torrance, Calif., 2025. (Credit: Meridian Rapid Defense)<\/p><\/div>\n

Seaside Heights officials are purchasing sets of \u201crapid defense\u201d barriers that can be placed around large public events to prevent both accidental or intentional vehicle-ramming incidents that could threaten attendees.<\/p>\n

The borough previous received grant funding for some barricades along the boardwalk, and will now purchase at least two mobile systems that can be moved from place-to-place to protect specific events. The barriers are the same types that were owned by the city of New Orleans \u2013 but were not properly deployed \u2013 last New Year\u2019s Eve when a man drove a pickup truck into a crowd on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, killing at least 14 people and injuring over 50 others.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese are the steel barriers,\u201d said Borough Administrator Christopher Vaz, explaining that they can serve a dual use to protect crowds at public events, but can also be set up to protect the safety of the borough\u2019s Public Works staff when they are working on infrastructure projects.<\/p>\n

\"Archer<\/a>

Archer 1200 Mobile Defense Barriers. (Credit: Meridian Rapid Defense)<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Archer<\/a>

Archer 1200 Mobile Defense Barriers. (Credit: Meridian Rapid Defense)<\/p><\/div>\n