DHS names winner of Escape Respirator Prize Challenge

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) announced last week the grand prize winner of its Escape Respirator Prize Challenge.

The contest was launched in December 2018, seeking proposals from innovators for a compact, discreetly-carried escape respirator that can be used quickly for safe egress from smoke-filled, oxygen-deficient, and chemical, biological, and radiological (CBR) environments.

The winner, Elmridge Protection Products, LLC, of Boca Raton, Fla., will receive $100,000 for its iEvac E700 Mini-ReBreather concept, which is designed to deliver a controlled flow of oxygen from a generator to a sealed hood with an oral-nasal mask and integrated carbon dioxide scrubber.

“This competition presented a unique challenge to the innovation community to develop an escape respirator with specific design requirements,” Donald Bansleben, S&T Program Manager, said. “Throughout the challenge, we’ve seen remarkable work from innovators to develop concepts for an escape hood that shows great promise.”

Elmridge was one of three finalists. Each received $50,000 to develop prototypes that were demonstrated to a panel of judges in January. The judges determined that Elmridge Protection Products was the winner.

“In today’s environment of rapidly-changing technology, S&T is proactively looking for emerging technology to respond to homeland security needs,” Kathleen Kenyon, DHS Prize Competition Lead, said. “Prize competitions spark the innovation community to think about homeland security as another market. We thank Elmridge Protection Products for their work throughout this challenge and look forward to seeing their technology as it evolves.”