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Perimeter security glossary - P
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P
Palletized Load System (PLS)
A materials handling equipment, with a hydraulic loading system and a demountable flatrack body, used to transport cargo such as fuel, water, containers, hospital shelters, MLRS pods, missiles and launchers, construction materials and command/control shelters, pallets of ammunition, bridging components; originally 'PLS' referred to a US equipment; a similar equipment is called 'Demountable Rack Off-loading and Pick-up System' (DROPS) in the UK, and, in France, 'systeme ampliroll' et 'moyen de transport et de manutention' (MTM).
Parking
Designated areas where vehicles may be left unattended.
Parking Countermeasure
A method of providing security by restricting the parking of motor vehicles in controlled locations clear of any protected areas.
Passive Barriers
Materials or barrier systems, which do not require any command or sensor activation to prevent or impede unauthorized passage. See Active Barriers, Anti-Ram Vehicle Barriers, Barrier, Corrugated Metal Revetment, Revetment.
Passive Vehicle Barrier
A vehicle barrier which is permanently deployed and does not require response to be effective.
Pentaerythritoltetranitrate (PETN)
A high explosive used in many applications. Plastic explosive primarily containing Pentaerythritoltetranitrate (PETN) made in Czech Republic. See C4, Semtex, Plastic Explosive.
Perimeter
The edge or boundary of property or location. See Perimeter Defenses.
Perimeter Barrier
A fence, wall, vehicle barrier, landform, or line of vegetation applied along an exterior perimeter used to obscure vision, hinder personnel access, or hinder or prevent vehicle access.
Perimeter Defenses
Obstacles and fortifications around a compound, position, observation post, checkpoint etc. See Perimeter.
Perimeter Security
Physical, electronic, human, and animal means of ensuring the border perimeter of a facility or base is secured. Usually perimeter security is accomplished by a combination of all available means.
Personal Protection
Equipment designed to protect individuals against injury from firearms, nuclear or conventional explosives, chemical, and/or biological agents. See Explosives.
Physical Protection System (PPS)
A physical security system that provides the capability to detect, delay, and respond to adversarial acts, including attempts at theft and sabotage. Recent physical protection enhancements have often included delay barriers, entry control systems, an alarm assessment system, and an enhanced communications system. Physical protection also involves restricting and delaying movements around and within critical areas. The Sandia Model for a Physical Protection System includes three key elements: detection, delay, and interdiction by the response force.
Physical Security
A means of providing physical barriers or impediments that creates a means of providing more time to ensure the safety of critical infrastructure and personnel. The part of security concerned with measures/concepts designed to safeguard personnel; to prevent unauthorized access to equipment, installations, materiel, and documents; and to safeguard them against espionage, sabotage, damage, and theft. See Electronic Security.
Physical Security Sensor (perimeter)
A security sensor designed to detect intrusion into a protected volume within a structure.
Physical Security Sensor (tactical)
A security sensor designed to detect potential hostile action in areas external to protected areas, to provide advance warning of hostile action or to provide intelligence regarding hostile force deployment and characteristics.
Pin Type Revetment
An earth or dirt filled steel binned containment barrier made from corrugated steel and that is erected by inserting pins in pre-punched or notched holes in the steel panels. The older Armco revetments were often referred to as "bolt together revetments." See A-1 Revetment, B-1 Revetment, Metalith.
Pipe Bomb
A fragmentation device. Sections of pipe or pipe nipples are filled with explosive, or propellant (gun powder) and closed with end caps through which a fuse has been introduced. When the filler is ignited, the resultant explosion causes the pipe to fail and form fragments. See Bomb, Explosives, Explosion, Propellant.
Planter Barrier
A passive vehicle barrier, usually constructed of concrete and filled with dirt (and flowers for aesthetics). Planters, along with bollards, are the usual street furniture used to keep vehicles away from existing buildings. Overall size and the depth of installation below grade determine the vehicle stopping capability of the individual planter.
Platter Charge
The platter charge consists of a suitable container that is filled with uniformly packed explosive and placed behind a platter. The platter is metal (preferably round, but square is satisfactory) and small in weight.
Plastic Explosive
A moldable form of high explosive. Plastic explosives are known by different names, including "plastique," "plastex," "plastico," and "composition." Plastic explosives consist of an explosive material, such as RDX or PETN and a plasticizer component. The explosives are well suited to military applications as they are insensitive to rifle bullet impact and can be molded by hand for various applications. They are sensitive to initiation by a blasting cap and have great brisance, or shattering power. This is the explosive of choice for various international terrorist groups. Small quantities may be optimally placed to do maximum damage. See Brisance, C4.
Point Sensors
A sensor component designed to detect the opening or bypass of an opening into a secure area. Typical systems include magnetic switches on doors and windows and break glass sensors on windows.
Policy
A plan or course of action, of a Government or business, designed to influence and determine decisions and actions. See Bush Doctrine.
Polycarbonate Glazing
Optically clear thermoplastic material suitable for glazing systems designed to resist the effects of an explosion, ballistic or forced entry attack. It can be fused together in any thickness and still retain optical clarity.
Portable (or Mobile) Barriers
Non-permanent, quickly installed, but portable barriers that provide less strength than barriers set in concrete. Portable barriers require no excavation.
Potential Explosion Site (PES)
A location or facility that contains or is expected to contain explosives. Previously known as a source (in waiver requests) or donor (in explosives testing).
Predetonation Screen
A fence which causes an anti-tank round to detonate or prevents it from arming before it reaches its target.
Prefabricated Accommodation
A prefabricated hut; prefabricated unit; Porta Cabin can be hard-walled or soft-walled. See Container Accommodation.
Preparedness
All measures and policies taken before an event occurs that allow for prevention, mitigation, and readiness. Preparedness includes designing warning systems, planning for evacuation and relocation, storing food and water, building temporary shelter, devising management strategies, and holding disaster drills and exercises. Contingency planning is also included in preparedness as well as planning for post impact response and recovery (Landesman definition).
Pressure Mat
A mat that generates an alarm when pressure is applied to any part of the mat's surface, as when someone steps on the mat. Pressure mats can be used to detect an intruder approaching a protected object, or they can be placed by doors and windows to detect entry.
Prevention
Actions aimed at eradicating, eliminating, or minimizing the impact of disease and disability, or if none of these is feasible, retarding the progress of disease and disability. The concept of prevention is best defined in the context of levels, traditionally called primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention. See Mitigation.
Primary Asset
An asset which is the ultimate target for compromise by an aggressor.
Primary Fragments
The Actual fragments that result from the shattering of a container (e.g., projectile or bomb casings) in direct contact with the explosive. These fragments usually are small, initially travel at thousands of feet per second and may be lethal at long distances from an explosion. (The high-speed, low-angle, fragments present a very high risk of propagation to adjacent AE storage.)
Primary Gathering Building
Inhabited buildings routinely occupied by 50 or more personnel. This designation applies to the entire portion of a building that meets the population density requirements for an inhabited building.
Prime BEEF
Prime BEEF teams (Base Engineer Emergency Force) are Air Force mobile civil engineer teams that are ready for immediate deployment to perform construction work during wartime or other emergencies. Prime BEEF teams were created to respond to worldwide construction needs. Prime BEEF is made up of 50-, 100-, 150-, and 200-man teams of major command-assigned civil engineering personnel identified by selected skills and designated as Prime BEEF-deployable. The major command then places these selected individuals on mobility status; when called upon collectively, they become the Prime BEEF team. Prime BEEF unit’s major reposnibiliteis include force beddown, war damage-related repair, day-to-day air base facility operations, structural fire /crash/fire rescue, and explosive ordnance disposal operations. See Air Force Civil Engineer Support Agency, RED HORSE.
Prime RIBS
The Prime RIBS (Readiness In Base Services) program to give the Services field a contingency responsibility for feeding, housing, and clothing deployed troops.
Primer Explosive
Classification of explosives that are used as the first step (detonation) in an explosive chain. Primary explosives are initiated by shock, impact, heat, or heat-producing friction. Common examples include lead azide, lead styphnate, and mercury fulminate used in blasting caps. See Blasting Caps, Detonation.
Procedure
A set of established forms or methods for carrying on the affairs of the Government or a business.
Probability of Detection
A measure of an intrusion detection sensor's performance in detecting an intruder within its detection zone.
Probability of Intercept
The probability that an act of aggression will be detected and that a response force will intercept the aggressor before the asset can be compromised.
Progressive Collapse
A chain reaction failure of building members to an extent is proportionate to the original localized damage. Such damage may result in upper floors of a building collapsing onto lower floors.
Projectile
An object projected by an applied force and continuing in motion by its own inertia, as a bullet, bomb, shell, or grenade. Also applied to rockets and to guided missiles. See Bullet, Bomb, Grenade, Rocket Propelled Grenade.
Projectile Barrier
An obstruction or screen used to provide security against an aggressor's use of the ballistic tactic by blocking the line of sight. These barriers may be walls, embankments, the design of a building, or landscaping features. See Gabions, Revetments, Hesco Bastion.
Propogating Explosion
The communication of an explosion (detonation or deflagration) from one potential explosion site to another by fire, fragment, or blast (shock wave), where the interval between explosions is long enough to limit the total overpressure at any given time to that which each explosion produces independently. This condition, where detonation occurs, would be evidenced by a distinct shock wave from each detonation, with a discernible pressure drop between each explosion. See Blast, Explosion, Blast Wave, Shock Wave, Blast Overpressure.
Propagation
The detonation of a charge by shock or pressure from an adjacent explosion. See Detonation, Shock Wave.
Propellant
An agent such as an explosive powder or fuel that can be made to provide the necessary energy for propelling a munition. Something that propels: as (a): an explosive for propelling projectiles (b): fuel plus oxidizer used by a rocket engine (c): a gas kept under pressure in a bottle or can for expelling the contents when the pressure is released. See Projectile.
Protective Barriers
Define the physical limits of a site, activity, or area by restricting, channeling, or impeding access and forming a continuous obstacle around the object.
Protective Measures
Elements of a protective system which protect an asset against a threat. Protective measures are divided into defensive and detection measures.
Protective System
An integration of all of the protective measures required to protect an asset against the range of threats applicable to the asset.
Proximity Sensors
Intrusion detection sensors that change state based on the close distance or contact of a human to the sensor. These sensors often measure the change in capacitance as a human body enters the measured field.
Pyrotechnic
A mixture of chemicals which when ignited is capable of reacting exothermically to produce light, heat, smoke, sound or gas, and may also be used to introduce a delay.
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