Photos Courtesy of National Atomic Testing Museum)
NATIONAL ATOMIC TESTING MUSEUM DEBUTS BRAND-NEW EXHIBIT
SHOWCASING PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT USED BY FIRST
RESPONDERS
The National Atomic Testing Museum announces a brand-new temporary exhibit titled “Equipping Our Everyday Heroes.” The exhibit explores the personal protective equipment and new technology used by first responders in the field. The temporary exhibit is officially open to the public and will be on display inside the museum for a year.
The exhibit was created in partnership with The Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate (S&T), the government organization responsible for making the jobs of first responders safer, easier and more efficient.
The artifacts displayed in the exhibit are pieces of personal protective equipment and technology actively in operational use by first responders and are commercially available, including:
REDZONE™ SMOKE AND PARTICULATE RESISTANT STRUCTURAL TURNOUT ENSEMBLE
Designed by S&T in partnership with North Carolina State University’s Textile Protection and Comfort Center and LION First Responder PPE, Inc., this enhanced design provides protection from carcinogenic particles at vulnerable spots such as arm and leg holes.
FLEX-TUFF HS FIREFIGHTER STRUCTURE GLOVE
Next-generation protection for firefighters developed by S&T, NanoSonic, Inc. and Shelby Glove provides enhanced dexterity, water repellency and fire resistance. The innovative HybridSil® material can also withstand punctures and lacerations that other structure gloves may not.
HOIST GLOVE FOR AERIAL RESCUE
Improved design by S&T, Higher Dimension Materials, Inc. and the North Carolina State University Textile Protect and Comfort Center features increased flexibility, durability and dexterity to protect the hands of rescue helicopter hoist cable operators. This new solution lasts at least three times longer than commonly used rescue gloves.
FINDING INDIVIDUALS FOR DISASTER AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE (FINDER)
Radar device developed by S&T in partnership with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab and SpecOps Group, Inc. enabling search and rescue teams to detect heartbeats and respiration of people trapped beneath rubble.
REVERSE VELOCITY JET TAMPER (ReVJeT)
Water cannon tool developed by S&T in partnership with the Federal Bureau of Investigation for bomb squads to safely disrupt improvised explosive devices from a distance. ReVJeT improves upon existing tools by 300 percent.
In addition to the artifacts currently in use by first responders, visitors can also learn more about up-and-coming pieces of technology soon to be implemented in the field, including the Wildland Firefighter Advanced Personal Protection System, Photovoltaic Energy Harvesting Fabric and Precision Outdoor and Indoor Navigation and Tracking For Emergency Responders. Guests can also watch educational videos related to first responders on a monitor displayed at the center of the exhibit as well as an interactive kiosk where guests can select from a menu of video options, including the POINTER System, QuickRoute App, SAVER In-Suit Communications, VIEW Program, National Urban Security Technology Laboratory and more.
To plan a visit and purchase tickets in advance, visit nationalatomictestingmuseum.org.
ABOUT NATIONAL ATOMIC TESTING MUSEUM
The National Atomic Testing Museum (NATM) is operated and maintained by its parent company, the Nevada Test Site Historical Foundation (NTSHF), an IRS 501(c)3 charitable, non-profit organization chartered in Nevada. NATM is one of 37 museums designated as an Affiliate Partner of the Smithsonian Institution and is a repository for one of the most comprehensive collections of nuclear history in the world. Covering nuclear history beginning with the first test at the Nevada Test Site on January 27, 1951, NATM’s exhibitions and programming also address current affairs related to the nuclear industry. For more information, go to www.nationalatomictestingmuseum.org and follow on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.