Security Industry Association welcomes new leadership of SIA Perimeter Security Subcommittee
The Security Industry Association (SIA) has named two industry leaders—Christa Decker, Vice President of the Protective Design Group at Whitman, Requardt & Associates (WRA), and Amy Dunton, Business Development Specialist at Ameristar—to serve as co-chairs of the SIA Perimeter Security Subcommittee.
Christa Decker leads WRA’s Protective Design Group and has been providing protective design services for government studies, design projects, and Title II efforts involving perimeter and building security countermeasures for almost 20 years. She has successfully completed a wide variety of engineering projects, including the design of new vehicle control points for government installations; selection and specification of active and passive vehicle barriers, perimeter fences, and perimeter intrusion detection systems; and interior building modifications for the installation of interior guard posts and personnel access control. Decker has contributed to the development of feasibility studies and design projects for new and renovated federal facilities and campuses that must be brought into compliance with the most robust federal criteria to improve protection for federal/U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) personnel and critical assets from a full range of terrorist threats.
“Establishing a secure perimeter is not just about building a fence or a wall—it’s about integrating layers of security countermeasures that work with the facility’s security operational procedures to best protect the asset,” said Decker. “I hope that we can all work together to find ways for the Perimeter Security Subcommittee to continue to disseminate critical design guidance/criteria, employ industry-proven best practices, and implement commercially available components to not only better protect federal and DOD assets but also make it common practice to incorporate these concepts and approaches into state, regional, and municipal projects where security is critical. Designing and operating a secure perimeter is really complicated, and identifying the credible threats, defining the desired security objectives, and crafting an effective, comprehensive solution that can adapt to typical and heightened security postures is even more challenging. Effective protection of the asset, whatever it may be, and convenience of the operational security procedures of the perimeter do not need to be mutually exclusive if we approach the proposed solution in an informed way. Strategies implemented in this manner can improve the security posture, enhance the level of protection for a facility, facilitate efficient security operations, and even adjust for changing conditions to provide protection for what matters most: protecting lives and critical assets.”
Amy Dunton of Ameristar Perimeter Security, part of ASSA ABLOY Group, is a seasoned business development professional with over 25 years of experience in the critical infrastructure industry. Specializing in building strategic relationships and driving business growth, she combines a deep understanding of both physical and network security with expertise in structured cabling, power/cooling systems, connectivity, IT infrastructure, and data center operations. Throughout her career, Dunton has held key roles across distribution, manufacturing, and enterprise IT solutions, giving her a well-rounded, cross-disciplinary perspective on the intersection of technology and security. Her comprehensive knowledge spans facilities, data centers, and IT infrastructure, with a focus on creating collaborative, future-focused strategies to design, build, and secure critical assets in an increasingly interconnected world. Dunton is committed to advancing the industry through active leadership; she serves on the boards of the AFCOM Greater Minnesota Chapter and the 7×24 Exchange Minnesota Chapter and has contributed her expertise as a board member of the Minnesota ASIS Chapter.
“A holistic approach to perimeter security is often overlooked and underestimated, so we hope to help change this mindset,” said Dunton. “There needs to be a paradigm shift in the way we approach perimeter security in the budget, planning, design/build, and operation phases. There is also a very real shift and focus the critical infrastructure sectors have that require specific and specialized security requirements. While a generalized, one-size-fits-all approach to perimeter security design is a great starting point, it can often lead to unintended vulnerabilities. We aim to expand the Perimeter Security Subcommittee to include all aspects of perimeter security in addition to barriers. Focusing on the integration of perimeter security technology, we look forward to increasing engagement for those who want to be involved in the perimeter security community through SIA. I am excited to bring in new and innovative ways to connect with the community while highlighting the importance of perimeter security. It is important to remember the ‘why’ in what we’re doing: to protect and save lives!”
“SIA is pleased to welcome Christa Decker and Amy Dunton as co-chairs of the Perimeter Security Subcommittee,” said SIA CEO Don Erickson. “The efforts of this community of perimeter security experts are essential, and its importance is underscored in the wake of the recent events in New Orleans and Germany. Christa and Amy are two incredibly accomplished leaders in our industry with deep knowledge on perimeter security, protecting critical infrastructure and government facilities, and mitigating threats to crowded spaces, and their strong expertise and history of success in these areas will bring immense value to the subcommittee and its ongoing and future initiatives, including Perimeter PREVENT.”
SIA’s Perimeter Security Subcommittee guides the association’s support for nationwide and international efforts to prevent hostile vehicle attacks. From crowded public spaces or critical infrastructure sites to government facilities, the subcommittee works to identify best practices, assess current threats and solutions, and provide stakeholders with the latest on safety and security standards from governments and industry. The subcommittee includes working groups around threat, vulnerability, and risk assessment (TVRA); perimeter security terminology; temporary barriers; and installation, repair, and maintenance guidelines.
Additionally, the subcommittee has hosted Perimeter PREVENT, a daylong symposium examining critical issues related to perimeter defense for physical environments, including government and commercial facilities, critical infrastructure, events, and more; developed project plans to develop a security TVRA; and hosted and participated in insightful panel discussions on perimeter security at ISC West, SIA GovSummit, and other industry events. Key planned efforts for 2025 and going forward include updating the status of current working groups, identifying additional standards and/or working groups needed, hosting the 2025 Perimeter PREVENT symposium in June in Washington, D.C., and maintaining a robust communication cadence through in-person and virtual meetings and events.
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