Believe it or not, there are criminals out there bold enough to attempt a heist. Since gold bullion is extremely valuable in every part of the world, many banks and institutions spare no expense in making sure their gold is protected. At MGS, our nearest example is the Federal Reserve Bank of New York – downtown from our storefront location.
Nearly 25% of the world’s gold is stored at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, and it takes a combination of highly-trained personnel and top-notch technology to protect all of that gold. First off, the Reserve employs its own security force and rigorously trains them throughout the year. Not only do they have to memorize extensive security procedures, but they must also maintain a marksmanship certification badge twice per year. for handguns, shotguns, and rifles. Certification badges have three levels: marksman, sharpshooter, and expert. Although the Federal Reserve only requires a marksman level score, nearly all of the security employees maintain an expert-level qualification in all three weapon types.
With just the security team alone, the gold is already well-protected. But, technology and vault-design add even more security for the bank. Not only are there the to-be-expected cameras, alarms, and locks, but the vault itself can only be accessed via a 90-ton revolving steel cylinder. If anything gets tripped, guards are signaled to seal the entire building – which takes less than 25 seconds.
How does the Reserve compare to other vault security standards? Find out in our infographic below.
