Advanced security work: Anticipate, plan, prepare with the Leica BLK3D Imager

As a security professional working in close protection, you know best what your job is: Assessing the level of the possible threats, vulnerabilities and risks for those entrusted to your care. You anticipate, plan, and prepare for any possible and sometimes even unthinkable outcomes. You ask yourself many questions starting with “what if”. And, you find answers for them. This is the purpose of reconnaissance and advance security work.

Sometimes, security professionals have enough time and resources to prepare comprehensive plans and advanced security reports. Sometimes, everything needs to be done very quickly with the best possible results. No matter how long you spend on reconnaissance, you are still faced with the same issues when conducting the mission - route selection and identification of danger areas and vulnerability points, like traffic, tunnels, bridges, park areas, etc. Extremely important are location checks of, for instance, venues or buildings where those you are protecting will meet with their audiences.

Assessing the threat

Gathering this and much more information is called threat intelligence. Let’s look at documenting venues for the purpose of gathering threat intelligence.

The information you gather here for is a full address, map reference, GPS coordinates, relevant phone numbers, among others. And blueprints. What if there are no blueprints available? Or they have not been updated since the last renovation?

This is where the Leica BLK3D Imager real-time, in-picture 3D measurement solution comes in. With the handheld, professional-grade measurement device for fast and comprehensive documentation in 2D and/or 3D, you can recon venues, buildings and other locations of interest. The results can be easily included in your advance security report as pdf, 2D plans, pictures and 3D in-picture measurements.

And, you can be sure you will not miss any details.

The BLK3D can simply be operated via its 5.0” LCD Multi-Touch Display, just as one is used to on a smartphone. Taking photographs and measuring distances with the BLK3D is very simple and intuitive and does not require any lengthy training or instruction in the system.

Conducting a location check and documenting venues you might sometimes ask yourself questions:

• Where is my data?
• Where is this measurement?
• Didn´t I take it?

Isn´t it painful, if you miss out an important measurement during the reconnaissance on site? Isn´t it painful to have transposed digits in your sketch? Isn´t it painful if you can´t read what you wrote on site anymore when you are back in the office? Isn´t it painful, when you can´t remember anymore where you have taken the picture?

Developing the threat plan with the BLK3D Imager

I´m sure that everybody came across at least one of the mentioned points. Wouldn´t it be good to have a solution to avoid these pain points? The BLK3D helps professionals to avoid transposed digits, missing measurements, inaccurate measurements, and you can even measure in 3D within your taken pictures. Then, you can sketch your rooms or buildings. By using the BLK3D, you can not only simply avoid the mentioned errors, you can even save a lot of time on site, and, even better, you can create a pdf-report that you can directly send to your supervisor and your colleagues in the office.

You can already start with the threat assessment and the risk analyses with the BLK3D desktop software. Furthermore, converting the taken pictures into a 3D point cloud by using photogrammetry, you can even create a 3D model, which allows you to “walk through” the digital twin of your venue virtually. You can already prepare your operational team members in the office, and when they arrive at the destination, they will know all necessary checkpoints and will immediately feel comfortable and secure on site because they´ve already virtually been there in the model and are familiar with the details.

No doubt about it, conducting reconnaissance is a tough and comprehensive task. With tools like the BLK3D, every security professional can save time on scene; gather, correct and complete your reconnaissance and threat plan with data, pictures, and measurements of your venue; easily identify vulnerable points; and determine the assets your need for preventing possible threats.

For more information about the BLK3D or security solutions from Hexagon contact us here. 

With nearly 20 years of business development experience, Roland Raith serves as
Hexagon’s Geosystems division director of business development for forensics in Europe. In this role, he is responsible for driving strategic business growth with public safety professionals.

Before coming to Hexagon, Raith worked for FARO Technologies as an application
engineer moving upward into distribution and regional manager roles overseeing sales and growth strategies for laser scanning technologies in the public safety sector. He began his career in IT making a switch to sales and business development shortly after.
Raith holds a certificate in export and international marketing from the Johannes Kepler University in Linz, Austria.

He is currently pursuing his Certified Professional Criminal Investigator, Certified Counter Threat Analyst, Certified Cyber Intelligence Professional, Certified Expert in Cyber Investigation at the McAfee Institute, and Certified Security Management Professional at University of Leicester distinctions. He is also a member of the American Society of Industrial Security and Global Society of Homeland and National Security Professionals.

With 20 years of professional experience in Marketing and business development, Malgorzata Krol works at Hexagon Geosystem as Senior Marketing Manager EMEA Forensics leading the Public Safety, Forensics & Security Marketing activities in the region. Her role includes also business intelligence analysis and the strategic market development within the public safety segment.

Prior to joining Hexagon, Malgorzata worked at FARO Technologies as Senior Product Marketing Manager in the area of Public Safety & Forensics, Product Marketing Manager for 3D Documentation (Laser Scanning), International Distribution Manager as well as apprentice trainer. She is also expert in CRM, Digital Marketing and Marketing Automation.

Malgorzata started her career at the DaimlerChrysler Bank as Marketing Communication and CRM Project Manager, where she headed many international CRM-, and market research projects.

She holds a master’s degree in Banking and Finance from the Poznań University of Economics and Business as well as a bachelor’s degree in Banking and Finance from the WSB University in Poznań (both: Poland). Among others Malgorzata has a certification in Forensic Psychology from The Open University in Milton Keynes (UK) as well as a certification in Forensic Science from the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow (Scotland). She is also a member of the International Public Safety and Security Association.