After months in the wintry trenches, the TMG Perimeter Security crew at Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) completed the mainline duct bank of a multimillion dollar perimeter intrusion detection system. This important phase of IAD’s major capital improvement program involved digging 17,000 feet of runway trenching and installing 67,000 feet of electrical conduit that was a massive stack of material just a few months ago.

"Achieving this milestone is more than a celebration of a project well executed," noted Joe Matthews, TMG Vice President of Operations. "It’s a celebration of the dedicated crew, who endured some extremely challenging conditions to stay on schedule." Indeed, the crew, lead by TMG Senior Foreman Kenny Wright, slogged through harsh winter weather, a swamp of mud and tons of subsurface rock to complete the project phase on schedule.

There were long days when the crew did nothing but hammer through rock in subfreezing temperatures. "I’m really proud of how great our crew members worked together," said Kenny Wright. "They have respect for each other and never complain. I have a great deal of trust and belief in the guys that they’ll get the job done."

After months of being knee deep in mud, it was a heartfelt moment when Kenny asked each crew member to sign his name on the last piece of pipe in the trunk line before closing the trench. "This is the best part of every project I work on, and it has become a tradition," said Kenny. "Now all we have to do is cover it all up and make it look pretty." The crew is already halfway through with the next phase of the project, which involves interconnecting the 42 surveillance cameras on 37 camera poles to the mainline duct bank.

TMG was awarded this multimillion dollar contract by the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) to install a new perimeter intrusion detection system as part of IAD’s $3.4 billion capital improvement program to increase capacity and improve security measures. The contract calls for building a state-of-the-art power and communications infrastructure, performing major excavating and foundation work, installing dozens of pole mounted cameras as well as programming and testing the system’s software.

Working at Dulles Airport has been a rewarding experience, said Kenny. "Not many people get to get this close to the actual runways and can see how huge the planes are, taking off and landing constantly." What’s even better, he added, is the appreciation he feels for the work he and his crew are doing at the airport. "One of the nicest things about this project was when [TMG President] Tanya Matthews and [Office Administrator] Donna Stewart came out to see our work. We really felt appreciated that the office staff takes such an interest in what’s going on," said Kenny. "At TMG, you’re not just an employee number."