Beyond the Fence Line: Stopping Rooftop and Perimeter Breaches Before They Happen

In today’s environment, where metal detectors and clear bag requirements are the norm, even well-secured venues are vulnerable. Open-air settings lack the controlled access of indoor spaces, and elevated vantage points—like rooftops—can easily go unmonitored. These gaps leave exposed threats that traditional cameras and guards simply can’t catch in time. In several recent cases, a shooter fired from a rooftop, exploiting a position that was never secured. These realities make it clear that traditional approaches to event and facility security are not enough.

The Trump campaign rally shooting that occurred last year underscored this risk. “The rooftop where a gunman shot at former President Donald Trump during a campaign rally was identified by the Secret Service as a potential vulnerability in the days before the event,” NBC News reported. Yet, despite being flagged, the building remained unsecured.

One former senior Secret Service agent was blunt: “Someone should have been on the roof or securing the building so no one could get on the roof.” Another expert emphasized, “Just because it is outside of the perimeter, it doesn’t take it out of play for a vulnerability, and you’ve got to mitigate it in some fashion.”nbcnews.com

Most recently, Charlie Kirk’s life was tragically taken in an attack, where once again an unmonitored rooftop overlooking a stage was exploited as a deadly vantage point. That’s why experts are urging organizations to go beyond basic measures—conducting thorough risk assessments, monitoring all possible vantage points, and securing areas that are often overlooked. 

“It becomes extremely difficult to secure venues like that, especially when there’s a lot of high ground and there’s no way to protect from that high ground, and so it becomes almost untenable in terms of security,” said Donald Lane, a former U.S. Secret Service agent, referring to the open-air setting of the recent Charlie Kirk event. https://www.knoe.com

This is where Network Integrity Systems (NIS) makes the difference. Since 2003, NIS has been delivering advanced, fiber-optic intrusion detection systems that stop threats before they escalate. 

• Fast Deployment along Rooftops, Fence Lines or Buried to create invisible perimeters – making it possible to scale coverage for both temporary events and permanent facilities.

• Affordable, Real-Time Protection – By detecting activity at the point of intrusion—whether someone is climbing onto a rooftop, crossing a restricted zone, or breaching a fence—our solutions eliminate the need for costly layers of guards and barriers.

• 360° Coverage – Rooftop intrusion detection extends protection above the line of sight, while underground and perimeter sensors catch movement in places cameras can’t reach. This creates a seamless 3D security shield around your site.

• Actionable Alerts – Continuous monitoring provides real-time data, allowing security teams to respond immediately to suspicious activity before it becomes a crisis.

With NIS, you can quickly secure even the most challenging spaces—whether it’s a critical facility, an open-air venue, or an event with high-profile speakers—without sacrificing cost-efficiency or reliability. Most importantly, our solutions help protect lives, which is what matters most.  

When it comes to security and saving lives, waiting until after an incident is simply too late.