Full Exposure – Containing the Risks

Chemical/Biological/Radiological/Nuclear (CBRN) threats can result in mass casualties or disrupt entire ecosystems. CBRN defense initiatives have been part of the discussions for government and healthcare organizations since the early 1950s, examining the need for protective measures for the hazards these threats may present. In recent years, CBRN defense has gained even more traction, with nuclear and biological threats being at the center of political tensions while the reality of increased access to chemicals and materials required for manufacturing weapons continues to be a problem.

With the risks of exposure and the potential to shut down entire operations, CBRN defense aims at mitigating the dangers they pose to our first-responders and healthcare workers’ safety and wellbeing.

The COVID-19 pandemic creating shortages of vital personal protective equipment along with the use of adulterated equipment has reinforced the need for reliable and innovative ways to protect our heroes, providing them with solutions that have been tested, validated, and utilized even in the most complex situations.

Founded in 1999, ISOVAC designs, develops, commercializes, and manufactures products for CBRN isolation, containment, and protection solutions. ISOVAC’s cutting-edge products are designed to mitigate the risks and adverse effects of exposure. As a provider of recognized isolation solutions, ISOVAC has worked with government organizations around the world.

ISOVAC’s flagship product, the CAPSULS™ (Containment And Protection System Utilizing Life Support) is a portable Patient Isolation Unit (PIU) enabling medical intervention through carefully designed features that maintain end-user’s safety while preventing chemical, biological and radiological cross-contamination. Created as a response to the increasing threat of chemical weapons during the Gulf War, the CAPSULS offers protection for first-responders against a broad range of Toxic Industrial Chemical (TIC), Chemical Warfare Agents (CWA), and biological hazards in various forms. The device’s unrivaled portability with improved pack and reduced system weight is designed to be rapidly deployed, allowing patients to be isolated within minutes and allows for safe transportation of patients through aircraft, ambulances, ships, or any other vehicle capable of safely relocating a patient on a standard litter.

The ORCA™ (Operation Rescue Containment Apparatus), specifically designed for use in marine environments, has rapidly gained popularity and approval since its creation, positioning ISOVAC as the sole-source provider of PIU for the U.S. Coast Guard. The unit is built from selectively permeable fabric and exhaust filtering to prevent chemical and biological cross-contamination between an enclosed patient and the external environment during evacuation and transport activities and ensure pathogens containment. Created for the most rigorous conditions, the ORCA is intended to respond to the demand of hoisting operations that requires the litter and has been tested and shown to meet and exceed U.S. Military Target Performance Value (TPV).

With its CAPSULS and ORCA being the only FDA Cleared Class II Medical Devices under 510(k), ISOVAC is the only manufacturer of certified PIUs in the United States.

Finally, with the CBAG™, a Contaminated Human Remain Pouch (CHRP), ISOVAC provides a portable solution with unsurpassed protection for stand-alone transportation of CBR contaminated remains, equipment and field gears, allowing for temporary storage while awaiting decontamination or burial. The CBAG can also offer protection to uncontaminated equipment and supplies during transport in biohazard-contaminated areas.

About ISOVAC

ISOVAC Products LLC is a designer, developer, and manufacturer of CBR isolation, containment and protection of personnel, casualties, remains, equipment and transport assets designed to mitigate the risks and adverse effects of CBR warfare and terrorist attacks, viral outbreaks (e.g., COVID-19, H5N1, SARS, Ebola, etc.), industrial accidents, and natural disasters. ISOVAC leading-edge manufacturing facilities can also draw on the additional capabilities of experienced contract manufacturers as needed. As a manufacturer of medical devices, ISOVAC employs manufacturing processes and production controls compliant with FDA Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP). With over 150 years of combined expertise in product engineering, design, and manufacturing, ISOVAC can quickly respond to customer needs for modifications of existing products or the development of products for new applications in the chemical and biological defense arena.

For more information about ISOVAC’s products sold and distributed by Unifire, visit www.unifireusa.com or contact us at +1 (800) 745.3282 | +1 (509) 535.7746 or via email at inquiries@unifireusa.com

Cold-Weather Warfare – A fight against the elements

With our forces deployed all over the world, both on land and at sea, spanning from jungle terrains to icy-white plains, military operations can be affected by extreme climates. As a result, military forces must adapt to the changing weather conditions, giving the ability to Soldiers to endure the harshest conditions and retain their capacity to maneuver, making it a decisive factor between mission success and operation failure.

The ever-evolving understanding of Soldier needs, including injuries prevention, has resulted in the demand and development of new and updated equipment that can withstand the most challenging conditions. With protection from extreme cold weather at the forefront, water-repellant properties and fast-drying abilities have also been included as part of the improvements to ensure Soldiers can stay warm and dry while maintaining their ability to operate.

Through its innovation division DevCore and branded product division Line of Fire, the ABX Group has worked on developing military and law enforcement clothing and individual equipment to respond to their growing needs, improving current legacy protective equipment by bringing game-changing insight into previously unsolvable problems.

DevCore’s mission is to create Made in the United States products that circumvent the shortcomings of legacy items. With its refreshed cold-weather equipment, DevCore supplies products built for mission-critical situations. DevCore’s Cold Weather Boot Gaiters, currently approved by the US Army under Unifire’s DLA Cold Weather Blanket Purchase Agreement, feature a double-front hook and loop closure that will shield against snow and debris penetration under extreme cold situations, helping to prevent common cold-weather injuries such as trench foot, frostbite, and hypothermia. The gaiters also offer remarkable improvements, including high abrasion protection Neoprene-Kevlar patches resistant to slice and scuff, ensuring protection from snowshoes or crampons and strap and cam buckle for easier donning and doffing. Lace hooks and rear shock cord adjustments also keep the gaiters in place at all times, while rubber pull tabs allow for unfastening under all conditions. With its 3-layer laminated material, the Cold Weather Boot Gaiters offer a waterproof, weather-resistant performance on the most rugged terrains.

ABX-Line of Fire’s proprietary technologies and its ability to identify emerging technologies suitable for improving current products have helped the company position itself as a leading innovator in its specialized area of product design and manufacturing. Its cutting-edge Micro Replication Technology was the inception of Line of Fire’s Grip System Technology, setting a new standard in protective gloves. With its Micro Replication Surface and technologies such as SENSA-TOUCH®, Line of Fire’s products drastically increase users’ ability to operate its tools, ensuring that even the harshest work conditions couldn’t thwart this interoperation.

The desire for government agencies to be at the forefront of innovation and provide military and law enforcement with leading-edge equipment has opened dialogues between key industry players and decision-makers in recent years. As a result, innovators have seen growing opportunities for improvements across the Department of Defense (DoD), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and Foreign Military Sales (FMS).

For more information about DevCore and Line of Fire products sold and distributed by Unifire, visit www.unifireusa.com or contact us at +1 (800) 745.3282 | +1 (509) 535.7746 or via email at inquiries@unifireusa.com

Life in the suit – A look at Bomb Disposal/Explosive Ordnance Disposal suits

Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) suits or bomb suits are Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) used by certified public safety bomb technicians, whether in law enforcement or the military.

The bomb suit is a full body armor designed to protect bomb technicians during reconnaissance, disruption procedures, render safe, or disposal activities of potential or confirmed ordnance threats. The suit’s main parts are the trousers, the jacket, the breastplate, and the helmet. The breastplate, made of composite material, deflects blast waves away from the body and protects the torso and neck. The helmet offers ballistic protection against fragments and allows the technician good visibility while operating.

The bomb disposal suit protects the technician in several ways, from fragmentation and blast overpressure, spine and head impact, to heat and flame.

Among the dangers technicians encounter in the line of duty are:

  • Ammunition
  • Defense ordnance
  • Unexploded ordnance
  • Non-defense ordnance
  • Booby trap
  • Improvised Explosive Device (IED)

Bomb suits can also include chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) compatibility to account for the increased threats.

Standardization

In 2006, to create a standard in performance and protection capabilities, the United States National Institute of Justice (NIJ) supported a program to develop a national testing standard for EOD suits similar to the NIJ standards used in the industry to test body armors and ballistic protection. As a result of those consultations and testings, the NIJ released in 2016 the NIJ 0117.01 or Public Safety Bomb Suit Standard addressing the minimum standards to be achieved for certification of EOD suits.

The Public Safety Bomb Suit Standard covers a wide range of requirements from:

  • Fragmentation protection
  • Spine protection
  • Head impact protection
  • Flame resistance
  • Blast overpressure
  • Static and dynamic field of view
  • Ergonomics
  • Weight
  • Size
  • IED

Takeaway

EOD suits have evolved rapidly. From the first technician in the United Kingdom having to defuse unexploded bombs and other ordnance without wearing any protection to the first suits, the equivalent of current ballistic protection, made of Kevlar and including armor plates without efficiently protecting bomb disposal specialists from blast or impact. More recently, the movie The Hurt Locker (2008) brought the focus on EOD while highlighting some of the challenges associated with bomb disposal and bomb suits.

NP Aerospace, a world leader in advanced low weight, high-performance armor systems, today rightfully prolongs the British expertise and legacy in Explosive Ordnance Disposal. Its 4030 Elite Bomb Disposal Suit & Helmet System revolutionizes the EOD landscape, allowing EOD technicians to Don and Doff its suit without assistance. The suit can be donned like a jacket and the helmet put on like a motorcycle helmet. The suit’s enhanced ergonomics allow technicians a wider range of movement with patented articulating frontal plate and cutting-edge technology significantly improving weight distribution and reducing common technicians’ issues such as fatigue and heat stress, thus increasing their safety by allowing them to retain their ability to accomplish their task.

The revolutionary 4030 Elite Bomb Disposal Suit also features new unique capabilities, including buoyancy, quick-draining helmet, non-fogging visor, and patented emergency removal & extraction quick release system in both jacket and trousers, allowing technicians to remove the suit in less than 30 seconds. The suit is also equipped with a draft rescue feature comprised of two shoulder handles, enabling fast extraction in the case of an emergency.

About NP Aerospace

NP Aerospace is a world-leading armor technology manufacturer and vehicle integrator. Its products protect the lives of servicemen and women worldwide, enhancing security and resilience in the highest threat environments. NP Aerospace is a major exporter of survivability systems developed using ultra-lightweight, high-performance materials including Ballistic Helmets and Shields, Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Suits, Body Armour Plates, and Composite Vehicle Armor Systems.

For more information about NP Aerospace products sold and distributed by Unifire, visit www.unifireusa.com or contact us at +1 (800) 745.3282 | +1 (509) 535.7746 or via email at inquiries@unifireusa.com

Duty Belt Equipment – The Essential Tools of Law Enforcement

Essential Equipment for Essential Workers

The duty belt is the core of law enforcement officers’ uniforms, making essential equipment readily accessible in any situation. Often weighing more than 20lbs, law enforcement must carefully select what will be entrusted on their belts.

A variety of tools to be selected carefully

Handcuffs

The restraint devices adopted by virtually all law enforcement agencies, handcuffs come in three main types: chain, hinged and rigid. Available in different combinations of steel and/or weight-saving aluminum, handcuffs are manufactured to withstand the most demanding situations. The popular chain cuffs are fast and easy to apply but allow the subject the most freedom of movement. Hinged cuffs reduce the movement to one axis but are therefore harder to apply in some circumstances. Finally, rigid cuffs maximize restraint and minimize the subject’s mobility, however, they require more skills and training to apply them properly.

Baton

The baton, in fixed-length or expandable forms, with multiple variations from straight-batons to side-handled, has gained worldwide acceptance as the intermediate force weapon of choice for law enforcement officials, carried as a compliance tool but also as a defensive weapon. Straight-stick batons have been around since the dawn of policing and most officers and agencies now favor the more versatile and easy-to-carry expandable baton. Available in steel and weight-saving steel/aluminum combinations, the expandable baton can easily collapse, reducing its space on the belt.

This article is brought to you by Unifire
Proud distributor of Armament Systems and Procedures (ASP) uncompromising tools

Tactical Lights

An officer essential, the tactical light allows officers better visibility in dark environments but is also an important tool in detecting signs of impairment. Made of durable material such as anodized aluminum, giving it the ability to withstand the toughest situations, the light can also be used as a compliance tool when necessary.

 

Sprays

Officers worldwide carry a variety of aerosol chemical irritants in a detachable holder or a pouch. Sprays are commonly referred to as pepper spray or mace and provide officers with another incapacitating alternative before resorting to lethal force.

 

Takeaway

The duty belt is the tool chest of every law enforcement officer, and ASP, proudly distributed by Unifire, is trusted with more space on officer duty belts than any other single brand, providing law enforcement with state-of-the-art handcuffs, batons, tactical lights and sprays. ASP also offers tuition-free training and instructor courses designed to acquaint participants with operational use of their products

 

 

About ASP

ASP is single-mindedly focused on providing uncompromising tools and training to help law enforcement professionals perform their duties with maximum effectiveness and safety.

ASP provides a fully integrated family of best-in-class products, including batons, restraints, flashlights, and duty gear to carry it. With its ASP training division, including the ASP Instructor Certification, ASP offers gold standard training programs for all its products.

 

 

For more information about ASP’s products sold and distributed by Unifire, visit www.unifireusa.com or contact us at +1 (800) 745.3282 | +1 (509) 535.7746 or via email at inquiries@unifireusa.com