U.S. Army Corps of Engineers awards $13 million contract for Rome Lab security fence

ROME, N.Y. — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has awarded a $13.15 million contract to Gaithersburg, Maryland–based Four Tribes Enterprises LLC to construct “long-sought and sorely-needed” perimeter security at Rome Lab.

Rome Lab is the common local name for the Air Force Research Laboratory Information Directorate in Rome.

Lawmakers — including U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D–N.Y.), U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D–N.Y.), and U.S. Representative Anthony Brindisi (D–Utica) — announced the contract in a Friday news release.

Schumer, Gillibrand, and Brindisi said the project construction would comply with U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) antiterrorism protection requirements. It’ll involve constructing a site security fence around the perimeter of Rome Lab that is equipped with associated lighting; video surveillance; card controlled, personnel entry-access gates; and visitor control entry point to “mitigate physical security threats to the installation.”

The federal representatives explained that an “adequate and secure location is required to protect Rome Lab personnel left vulnerable to potential terrorist type activities, active shooters, and other criminal activity.”

The lawmakers fought to include $13.2 million in federal funding for the Rome Lab perimeter security in the fiscal year 2019 defense appropriations bill, “setting the stage for this contract to be awarded and construction to get underway,” Schumer’s office said.

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com

 Visual credit: Griffiss Institute website