BergerWorld: 2nd Quarter 2004

The tragic events of September 11th drastically affected the way people around the world view security. As communities gathered together, donating blood and supplies to assist the victims of the attacks, security analysts accelerated their efforts to identify ways to minimize the risk of future disasters. In the months following, the Berger Group assisted the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) to restore critical transit and other service to Lower Manhattan and played an integral part in reestablishing mail service at U.S. Post Offices in New York and New Jersey following the anthrax contamination. To reduce the risk of attack at other sites, Berger is working with public and private sector clients in the aviation, port and power fields to identify and remediate security weaknesses, often by implementing simple and cost-effective solutions.

Although security engineering has recently come into the public eye, Berger has been at the forefront of this emerging sector for the past 15 years. Our multi-disciplinary teams work together to properly identify, prevent and quickly respond to a variety of natural and terrorist threats. The Team has worked with a number of clients, including the U.S. Departments of State, Homeland Security and Defense to upgrade blast resistance and intruder detection systems in existing buildings. In addition, the Team has quickly mobilized to help victims of natural disasters worldwide by rebuilding damaged roads and bridges, restoring essential services and working with public officials to install planning systems and state-of-the-art technologies to improve warning times.

To respond effectively to disasters, everyone must be prepared to work together to anticipate possible dangers and incorporate proper planning and security into every aspect of a design. In this issue of BergerWorld, we are proud to profile some of our efforts to build a safe future.