Imagine assembling a surgical suite in just one hour that is capable of delivering life-saving care to both wounded soldiers near enemy lines or seriously-injured civilians after a natural disaster. Imagine a large train derailment or some other CBRNE (chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear) incident where a decontamination facility needs to be immediately operational to save lives and provide incident mitigation. That is the appeal of the Deployable Rapid Assembly Shelter, or DRASH, which will be on display Tuesday, May 10, 2011 and Wednesday, May 11, 2011 by shelter manufacturer DHS Systems.
“The DRASH shelter solutions are not the same tents you see when you watch an old MASH episode,” said Brad Stobb, regional support manager. “These shelters are the kinds you would see on a TV show like Modern Marvels. DRASH shelter systems are the most innovative solutions available on the market right now. They are very versatile and can be rapidly deployed for a wide array of applications and that’s what we will be demonstrating. We are constantly improving our solutions to meet the mission needs of soldiers and first-responders.”
Also on display will be a complete solution for Homeland Response Forces (HRFs), an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) maintenance facility, Intelligent Power Technology™ (IPT) trailers, deployable command and control equipment (DC2E), several decontamination systems and numerous other soft-walled shelter systems at the company’s second annual capabilities demonstration. The event, which will be held near DHS’s manufacturing facility in Huntsville, Alabama, will be attended by delegations of military officials and first-responders from around the US. Additionally, overseas military officials and the DRASH representatives of DHS Systems International will be in attendance. Members of the press are also invited to attend.
Many of the solutions on display are based on the company’s line of Deployable Rapid Assembly Shelter (DRASH) systems that has been trusted by the Department of Defense (DoD), medical, other governmental agencies and civilian first-responders for over 25 years. Part of the US Army’s Standard Integrated Command Post System (SICPS) and currently fielded by the U.S. Army’s Forward Surgical Teams, DRASH is a mobile, quick erect/strike shelter system that integrates shelter, power environmental control, and command and control equipment in one highly mobile system solution and can be customised to meet specific mission requirements for soldiers and first-responders.
DHS Systems (DRASH) will unveil their latest total system solution specifically designed to address the needs of HRFs. The DoD recognised the need for HRFs after conducting its 2010 Quadrennial Defense Review. Expected to be established in each of the country’s ten Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) regions over the next couple of years, HRFs will provide command and control over multiple National Guard assets to ensure a faster and more effective response following a major natural disaster or terrorist incident or some other CBRNE (chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear) incident.
Several shelters will also be outfitted with Deployable Command and Control Equipment (DC2E) – a line of audio and visual equipment that joins various feeds of real-time information to create a common operating picture. This gives decision makers on the battlefield or incident scene the ability to effectively and safely coordinate and track appropriate resources.
DHS Systems will be unveiling a new solution for power generation in the tactical environment. Unlike a traditional generator, which has been a huge consumer of fuel, DRASH Intelligent Power Technology (IPT) is an emerging technology that greatly enhances expeditionary power generation needs while simultaneously reducing fuel consumption.
More than 17,000 DRASH shelters and over 7,500 trailers are currently in use with the US Military and NATO forces throughout the world. DRASH systems have also been deployed by emergency responders during Hurricane Katrina in 2005, earthquakes in Brazil, Chile and Haiti, during last year’s H1N1 outbreak and are currently fielded as part of the ongoing response efforts in Japan by the Japanese Red Cross Society.
The DRASH Capabilities Demonstration will be taking place on Tuesday, May 10, 2011, between 9am-4pm and Wednesday, May 11, 2011, between 9am-1pm at 401 Lime Quarry Road in Madison, Alabama. Factory tours will be held on Tuesday, May 10, 2011, between the hours of 10:30am and 2:30pm and Wednesday, May 11, 2011, at 10:30am.