What do you do when you have a 700 pound threat containment unit that can only get so far on its own four wheels?

Meant to remove unsafe or potentially dangerous materials from the airports’ terminals, the Aigis Blast Protection IU1200 threat containment units were first installed at all of Bush and Hobby airports security checkpoints in June of this year. The airports were the first in the world to debut this unique technology from Aigis Blast Protection, Inc.

However, since the installation of the units one thing had been uncertain. Because of the structure of the airports and the design of the threat containment units, they could only be rolled out so far away from the airport complex. Ideally, the units are supposed to be used to transport explosives or other dangerous materials far away from the airports where they can be safely detonated.

Faced with the dilemma of having to transport the units farther away than they could go on their own, the Houston Airport System was tasked with the challenge of finding an alternative solution. Employees at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) immediately began working on the problem.

In a matter of months, personnel from the airport system’s public safety and physical plant maintenance had a solution.

Mark Bull, Jennifer Carnes and Michael Jackson, in public safety, came up with the concept of building an apparatus that would safely transport the threat containment units away from the airport. Together with physical plant maintenance employees Joel Zarate, Charlie Herrera and Manual Martinez, they began constructing the 350 pound trailer that now does that.

Rails and a wench, which is operated with a 12-volt battery, were added to the trailer to give public safety employees the option of electronically loading the threat containment units. This allows for employees to keep away from the units, in the event of an explosion.

The trailer can then be attached to the back of a vehicle and be carried off to the bomb-safe area, creating increased speed and efficiency.

The invention was so useful that now Aigis Blast Protection is working on their own version of the trailer, says Eamonn Cooney, special advisor to the company.