Theft, Ballistic Threats & Explosives, Oh My!

Ahead of my interview with Dominic Dillon, I visited the 3B Protection website and clicked on the section detailing how its products support utility security. I scrolled down the page to read the list. Then I scrolled down again. It struck me: This is a company that understands the depth and variety of safety and security threats utilities must address.

During our conversation, I learned more about the evolving technology that is making barriers, walls and gates even more secure. We also discussed how a joint effort with Convergint is helping utilities reduce the cost of installing additional security equipment by offering a more integrated solution.

Curtis Marquardt Jr.:
Substation shootings are more concerning than ever. Can you talk about how your products provide some solutions there?

Dominic Dillon:
Originally, when we started, we focused on anti-theft—providing barriers that prevented theft of materials that could bring value to an assailant.

Now we’re looking at a whole different array of threats—from ballistic, to forced entry, to someone even crashing into a wall. We’ve seen a massive uptick recently in the potential use of explosives on utility walls. So, the threat landscape is totally changing week by week, and we’re addressing that with the solutions we bring to the client.

Curtis Marquardt Jr.:
Speaking of new threats, I was on your website earlier, and one thing that really stood out was a section that mentioned your products can provide protection from electromagnetic pulses (EMPs). Can you talk more about that danger?

Dominic Dillon:
Yes—EMP and high electromagnetic field (HEMP) are threats we’re seeing more of in the marketplace, particularly when it comes to scenarios like drones trying to listen through walls.

We have a variety of different countermeasures. Some of it is actually built into the 3B mixture itself—different blends, copper-based compounds that go straight into our proprietary mix. That immediately provides signal-blocking protection in the walls.

But that doesn’t necessarily protect things like doors. So, we have copper sprays we use inside doors to block those signals. And really, every single pipe, every single wire that goes into that building—internally and externally—needs a protective cover. You don’t want any signal leaks whatsoever.

Curtis Marquardt Jr.:
On the topic of protection—another increasingly critical issue is fire prevention. California recently suffered a devastating wildfire, and many of the state’s biggest fires have been sparked by utility equipment. Do your products offer any added value when it comes to fire protection?

Dominic Dillon:
The fire protection standard we use is the ASTM E119 test. It’s a recognized government test in the U.S. that involves placing a 10-by-10-foot wall sample in a frame, which is then rolled toward an 1,800-degree furnace. It peaks from zero to 1,800 degrees in just five minutes.

The wall has to remain in place for the entire duration of the test—so, if it’s a four-hour test, it sits against that heat for four hours. After that, the wall is removed and then hit with a fire hose—50 PSI directly on it. There can’t be any leaks or other failures on the back side of the wall.

Right now, we’re in the process of stepping our products up to meet the six-hour fire test. That will provide an even greater fire barrier—whether it’s around a transformer or a substation.

Brent Warzocha:
From a Convergint perspective, the joint technology solution we’ve partnered with 3B on [see sidebar below] offers the ability to act as the support infrastructure for both external and internal heat detection technology.

So, if there’s an incident like Pacific Palisades or what happened in Hawaii a couple of years ago, our clients can use technology for condition monitoring and advanced heat warnings—specifically for substations and transformers.

You can have a camera that acts as a security camera 95 percent of the time. But then, a few times a day, it can swivel to a predetermined location, zero in on a transformer, and take a heat reading. That reading can alert the security operations center if there’s an abnormality.

Curtis Marquardt Jr.:
Some really great fire solutions there! So, my final question is a future-looking one. Do you see any emerging security or threat trends related to utilities that you’re currently preparing solutions for—or anticipate needing to?

Dominic Dillon:
I know we’re always going to be leaders in terms of technology—whether it’s ballistic, forced entry, or whatever the threat may be. And we act very quickly. If a client has an issue, we do our best to come up with a solution.

For example, the crash rating standard in the U.S. is a K12 product—50 miles per hour at 15,000 pounds. That’s the current benchmark. But we’re currently working on a test—based on multiple requests from U.S. clients—at 80 miles per hour with the same 15,000-pound payload.

So, we don’t shy away from developing new products. We absolutely stay at the forefront of that. And what we’re seeing right now with utilities is that they’re planning three, four years out on project rollouts. They’re introducing heavier-duty protection systems around substations. That’s something we’re seeing more and more of.

Brent Warzocha:
When I do presentations on our joint solution with 3B, I usually start with a lighthearted comment. It’s funny that here we are in 2025, surrounded by IoT devices, AI, ChatGPT, and all this high-tech stuff—and the thing our customers are most interested in… is a wall.

Over the last two or three years, we’ve started to field more and more requests for ballistic protection—whether it’s at the perimeter or at the asset level. So, we really are “back to the future.”

Additionally, drones are top of mind for many organizations. The future of legislation is still unknown, and there are questions about what capabilities will be permitted. But right now, nothing is stopping clients from standing up ballistic barriers—and that’s top of mind for many of the clients we’re working with in the bulk energy space.

Convergint, 3B Team Up for Cost-Saving Wall Solution for Utilities

With the expense to install a pole near a substation often reaching six figures, installing security monitoring technology in this space is an expensive proposition. But a solution to reduce that cost was created through a partnership between Convergint and 3B. Watch the video below to see how a 3B wall is used to replace a pole installation and offers utilities a more cost-effective way to put cameras and other security devices up near high-voltage substation areas.