The G7 is a summit of the heads of state and government of the world's 7 largest powers (United States, Japan, France, Germany, United Kingdom, Italy, Canada). It meets every year to discuss international issues such as global warming, international trade, and major global challenges. This year, the G7 was held in Biarritz, France from August 23 to 26.
The G7: a security and access control challenge
Given the high concentration of heads of state, security for this type of event must be optimal and flawless. In order to respond to these extraordinary constraints, the prefecture, in collaboration with a dozen working groups, has set up a system that seeks to reconcile maximum security with the least possible inconvenience for the population.
The challenge is all the greater as Biarritz is a very touristy seaside resort during the summer.
Secure areas with a badge access control system
The city of Biarritz has created two protection zones, the Z1 or "reinforced protection" zone and the Z2 or "protection zone". These zones encompass the entire city center of Biarritz and are only accessible via access badges. These badges are distributed in advance to the residents of the zones concerned, to the beneficiaries and to the participants of the summit.
Operation of the safety device
The access badges are divided into Z1 and Z2 accreditation according to the security zones.
The plastic badge has a holographic label to prevent fraudulent reproductions as well as a unique identification number. In addition, each badge is personalized with the bearer's ID number. Anyone wishing to enter the security zones must therefore carry their access badge and their ID card. In addition, the reinforced security zone is not accessible to vehicles, and the Z2 zone requires a special badge to access it by car.
Implementing access control over such a large area is not easy, but the combination of using secure ID badges and deploying a large team of access control professionals allowed the G7 to proceed without incident.