For nearly 50 days now, getting in and out of the Headingley Correctional Center has been a quicker, easier process, one that takes three seconds, to be exact.  Vehicles now access the facility through its new Pevac Speedgate, a device that replaced the sliding gate that had secured Headingley's main entrance for the past three years.

"[The old gate] was very problematic for us," said Tom Huffman, Headingley's Chief Correctional Officer, who described the gate's issues as "ongoing."  Located about six miles west of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Headingley is often bombarded with snow, which wreaked havoc on the old sliding gate.

"The track ran along the ground," Huffman said.  "There was a constant problem with snow."

Earlier this year, when the gate required repairs, Wallace International, a division of Wallace and Wallace Fencing, the company that had provided Headingley with its original sliding gate, came in with a proposal rather than a repair kit.

"They did a presentation [about the new Speedgate] and offered us a supreme deal," said Huffman.

According to Larry Buhler, Director of Wallace International, giving Headingley a good deal on the gate was necessary to gain exposure for the product, which has been used in Europe for about ten years now.  In North America, however, Headingley is the first correctional facility to put the Speedgate to use.

"To introduce a new product like this, you kind of have to have the right people in line and give it away to get it out there," said Buhler.  "The gate is something that no one has seen in North America."

Keeping the Perimeter Secure

With its speed, size and four wings that swing open and shut, the Speedgate differs from its sliding-gate predecessors.

"In three seconds, the gate's opened," Buhler said, noting that speed is important when dealing with perimeter security at a correctional facility.  "The longer the [gate] is open, the easier the [opportunity] for a security breach," he added.  "[And], in prisons, the security breaches are the main thing."

With the gate's strength and size, Huffman believes that it does, indeed, contribute to security at Headingsley.

"It's large and intimidating," Huffman said.  "It looks more secure than the regular sliding fence gate."

Aside from appearing secure, the size of the gate is also useful to the facility.

"Garbage trucks couldn't pass under the old gate," Huffman said, because they were too tall.  Trucks can pass under the new Speedgate into the salleyport, however, preventing facility staff from having to leave the gate open while carry the trash out to them.

Keeping Maintenance Low

Other than appearing solid and allowing trucks to pass through, the Speedgate has some other advantages over a sliding gate.

"The hinges are made out of an alloy they [use to] make ships' propellers," said Buhler.  "These hinges never wear out."

And repairs and part replacements, which cost correctional facilities money, are important issues.

"The sliding gate had proved to be cost prohibitive," said Huffman because it frequently needed repairs.  "[The Speedgate] is a very simple design and it should be, money-wise, much, much less than we were spending before."

Working out the Kinks

So far, Headingley has experienced some small problems with the gate, mostly issues that can be associated with the gate being brand new, according to Huffman.

"We had some minor glitches with it," Huffman said.  "Initially it was just some fine tuning and adjusting."

Another problem the facility has experienced with the gate is people's unfamiliarity with it.  Unlike a sliding gate, which moves side to side, the Speedgate has four flaps that flip open and, if vehicles get too close, both the gate and the car or truck can be damaged.

"There's four sections that swing out four feet," said Huffman.  "The gate [sometimes] bangs front bumpers," he added.  "We had some bent [rods], but that's all been rectified and repaired."

According to Huffman, it will just take some time for the people who use the gate to figure out to stay back a few feet while it opens.  "That's just learning."

Getting More Gates Installed

Aside from a few small issues, the Speedgate's operation during its first seven weeks at the Headingley Correctional Center has been smooth.  Huffman is pleased, and so is Buhler, because the product has been successful at its first correctional facility in North America.

"We're going after the Canadian prison market in a very organized fashion," said Buhler.  "But we're also making a concerted effort in the United States."

According to Buhler, Wallace International, the sole North American distributor of the Speedgate, intends to focus more heavily on the U.S. market in 2004.

But for now, the Speedgate has found its first North American home at Headingley, where Huffman believes it will prove to be more durable and cost effective than the old sliding gate.

"For anywhere using high tech security, I think it's the way to go," Huffman said.

Resources

For more information about the Speedgate, go to www.wallaceintl.com