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"Freedom" tower protected by iris scans, fingerprinting, face-recognitition software
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View this Thread in Original format
| occrider |
| quote: |
Smart Cameras, Guards to Protect WTC Site
By AMY WESTFELDT, Associated Press Writer Sat Feb 25, 8:50 PM ET
NEW YORK - Visitors to the complex that eventually will fill the World Trade Center site might have to submit to iris scans or thumb print analysis to get into buildings, while smart cameras try to match their faces to a photo database of known terrorists. Well-paid armed guards would be on patrol and sensors would test the air for lethal gases.
Preliminary details of a plan to make the redeveloped 16-acre site as terrorism-proof as possible were provided to The Associated Press this past week by former
FBI agent James Kallstrom, Gov. George Pataki's senior counterterrorism adviser.
Kallstrom and city and federal officials are aiming for a higher standard of security than is currently in use for public spaces around the nation.
"This'll be reflective of the times we live in," Kallstrom said. "The consequences of attacking here could have more significance to the terrorists. It has a lot of symbolism. It's going to be extremely well protected."
Construction is set to begin this spring on a memorial to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and the Freedom Tower, a 1,776-foot skyscraper that some say is having trouble attracting tenants because of security concerns. A transit hub, performing arts center and more office towers also are planned.
The security officials — working with the firm that provided security at the Athens and Salt Lake City Olympics — also are trying to avoid embarrassing public disputes. Last spring, architects working for developer Larry Silverstein were forced to completely redesign the Freedom Tower after the Police Department publicly aired concerns that the building might not withstand a truck bomb.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which owns the site and has its own police force, could share responsibility for the site with city police and highly trained, armed security guards.
"These will not be minimum-wage people," Kallstrom said.
Deputy police commissioner Paul Browne wouldn't comment on how city law enforcement might be involved in the trade center site, saying only that a counterterrorism division team is reviewing "plans for potential vulnerabilities of new construction and existing structures" throughout New York.
Port Authority spokesman John McCarthy said the agency would likely follow Kallstrom's recommendations, which may not be complete for a year.
Some relatives of Sept. 11 victims have lobbied to redesign the memorial and underground museum, saying it would be safer above ground.
"I feel that this is a disaster waiting to happen," said Sally Regenhard, who founded the Skyscraper Safety Campaign after her firefighter son was killed at the trade center. "Putting something like this below the ground is a very, very bad idea."
Kallstrom said the memorial design "is more than adequate. We've looked at it every which way."
Some of the technology under discussion for the site is still emerging, Kallstrom said, like the surveillance system that would try to match faces to a database of suspected criminals or dangerous weapons.
Sensors to test for possible bioterrorism could be used both inside buildings and in open spaces like the memorial plaza.
Kallstrom said the latest signal-boosting equipment for emergency radios would be built into the buildings, to avoid a repeat of the communication breakdowns that happened on Sept. 11.
Silverstein, the developer who plans to break ground for the Freedom Tower in April, and the Port Authority have said construction will exceed city building and fire codes, but the site owned by the interstate agency has never been legally required to submit to city inspections.
"No building should ever be above the law," said Regenhard, who wants regular city inspections of everything being built on ground zero.
McCarthy said the Port Authority welcomes city inspections at any time, but Buildings Department spokeswoman Jennifer Givner said the city has not officially received blueprints for any work at the site, and wouldn't conduct inspections unless that happened. McCarthy said Saturday that the Port Authority would send the blueprints to the city early this coming week.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060226...d_zero_security
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Irony surrenders. |
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| Shakka |
| quote: | Originally posted by occrider
Irony surrenders. |
I have similar features required of me every time I login to Bloomberg! |
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| Marc Summers |
| I hope they will have a freedom restaraunt where they will sell freedom fries and freedom toast |
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| Sunsnail |
| quote: | Originally posted by Marc Summers
I hope they will have a freedom restaraunt where they will sell freedom fries and freedom toast |
yes, in Freedom City |
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| sensorium |
| At least visitors will not be required to take off their shoes. That could be embarrassing, specially if the socks have a hole in them or if they stink. |
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| InterMilan31 |
| quote: | Originally posted by sensorium
At least visitors will not be required to take off their shoes. That could be embarrassing, specially if the socks have a hole in them or if they stink. |
you've killed the thread |
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| sensorium |
| I thought it already was with the freedom restaurant idea. |
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| Moongoose |
| And woudnt it be ironic that, while the freedom tower was so well protected that a fly coudnt sneak in, next time the terrorist would just blow up another building close by. But hey at least the freedom tower is still up right. |
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| tathi |
| they actually called it the 'freedom' tower? hahahahahah |
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| DJFreaq |
1,776-foot skyscraper = awesome
I'm so glad it's going to be one of the tallest in the world.
That beats the Taipei 101 by 106 feet.
I really wish someone would build a mile high, or even half mile high tower. I think we should take taxes away from schools, roads, homeland security, wars, welfare, medicare...
...and shunt it ALL into building huge buildings.
I jest... But it's hard to describe how much I love huge buildings. |
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| ali92 |
| quote: | Originally posted by DJFreaq
1,776-foot skyscraper = awesome
I'm so glad it's going to be one of the tallest in the world.
That beats the Taipei 101 by 106 feet.
I really wish someone would build a mile high, or even half mile high tower. I think we should take taxes away from schools, roads, homeland security, wars, welfare, medicare...
...and shunt it ALL into building huge buildings.
I jest... But it's hard to describe how much I love huge buildings. |
Why does everyone forget them twin towers (Petronas Towers) in Malaysia? . Oh that's right. Taipei 101 is actually done. LOL I forgot.
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0001338.html
And start measuring in SI (metric). Build a 1776-METRE tower! LOL |
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| Goashem |
| what about some anti aircraft missile defence? |
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