Security Products Reprint (April 2002)
NASDAQ Invests in Security
Located in the heart of New York’s Times Square, NASDAQ’s MarketSite Tower soars seven stories high and is the largest video screen in the world. This high-tech electronic display wraps around the mostly glass cylindrical NASDAQ building, providing a panorama of financial news, market highlights, and advertisements seen daily by Times Square visitors. CNBC, CNNfn, Bloomberg, CBS MarketWatch and other financial news media broadcast live throughout the day from the ground floor studio.
Prior to September 11 terrorist attacks, NASDAQ’s Regional Director of Security, Allen Bostdorff, and Nationwide Director, Robert Noyes, knew the Times Square facility needed additional protection in order to safeguard building occupants from any disastrous event. They were especially concerned about the threat of danger from flying glass and debris.
Bostdorff and Noyes had good reason to be uneasy. In addition to NASDAQ’s commitment to protecting its employees and other building occupants, NASDAQ is committed to ensuring that investors can buy and sell stocks quickly, efficiently, and without interruption. Any attack on the NASDAQ building would greatly disrupt operations and cost millions of dollars of property damage.
The National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD), the largest securities-industry self-regulatory organization in the United States, has long been worried about the threat of deranged individuals who have lost a great deal of money targeting a specific financial institution in an attack. There have been numerous instances in the past where threats were made on brokerage firms or other financial institutions. Attacks also have been perpetrated, and in some cases, there have been fatalities. A glass-enclosed building presents an extremely vulnerable target.
Jordan Frankel, vice president of ShatterGARD agreed. “For decades, terrorists and extremist groups have known that explosive devices and unprotected glass form a lethal combination,” said Frankel. “During the World Trade Center terrorist attacks, numerous injuries resulted from shards of glass, which flew up to 3/4 of a mile away from the collapsed structure.”
Selecting a Solution
Originally, NASDAQ considered having all the glass removed and installing ballistic glass. Those proposals came to more than $1.5 million. While money was a major consideration, NASDAQ also had to take into account that it would have to shut down the facility for three months while the existing glass was being removed and the new glass and window framing was installed. That was impractical and unfeasible.
Glass retention film proved to be a perfect alternative. Not only would the BlastGARD film strengthen the existing glass and cost less than ½ the cost of ballistic glass, but the film could be installed during the day while NASDAQ continued to operate.
ShatterGARD;s flagship product, BlastGARD, a glass protection film, was originally developed for the U.S military as a defense against bomb blasts, explosions and flying glass. Applied directly . . .