The New York City Fire Department (FDNY) has selected Radiation Shield Technologies’ (RST) new Demron personal-protection armor as part of its commitment to improve firefighter safety, RST President Ronald DeMeo, M.D., today announced. FDNY is on the cutting edge of fire departments worldwide choosing Demron, the world’s first and only fabric that provides multi-hazard protection from all nuclear, biological, chemical and bomb and ballistic threats as well as infrared radiation and heat.

FDNY will incorporate Demron in its chemical protective clothing (CPC) upgrade program to enhance its response capabilities with universal protection. Hazardous Materials Company 1, one of the first FDNY teams to deploy Demron, is using RST’s Demron Two-Ply Radiation Torso Vest, Demron-W High Energy Nuclear/Ballistic IED RDD RED Shield, and Crew Protection Blanket. These technologies maximize safety while minimizing the time, manpower and resources required to respond to potential emergencies. The vest may be worn under most hazmat suits to protect vital organs, the thyroid and groin. It proved in tests by the U.S. Department of Energy to shield against X-Ray and low energy Gamma emissions, and high- and low-energy Beta and Alpha particles. The nuclear/ballistic shield is a flame- and acid-resistant blanket that helps contain blasts and high-energy radiation sources and can help prevent or minimize catastrophes. The blanket proved in tests by H.P. White Laboratory to provide Level IIIA ballistic protection and the highest fragmentation protection. The Crew Protection Blanket, which RST custom-created specifically for FDNY, provides complete nuclear shielding for first responders and may also be used to transport radiation victims without contaminating others.

Dr. DeMeo, MBA, the surgeon who developed Demron, said: “We congratulate FDNY for staying on the leading edge of hazmat and proudly support its mission to provide the best protection for its personnel and the public.” In response to interest in Demron, Dr. DeMeo is attending FDNY’s “Special Operations Symposium,” scheduled from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. March 15-16 at the FDNY Fire Academy Bureau of Training, 1 Randall’s Island, in New York, NY.

Demron consists of a radiopaque nano-polymeric compound fused between fabric layers and manufactured into lightweight garments including full-body suits, vests, blankets and medical X-ray vests and aprons. The product line includes Demron-W, which has National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Class 2 Certification for the 1994-2007 Standard on Protective Ensembles for First Responders to CBRN Terrorism Incidents. Demron has been proven to block gamma rays, X-rays and nuclear emissions by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, part of the National Nuclear Security Administration within the U.S. Department of Energy, the Georgia Institute of Technology and the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. Demron is used worldwide by NATO, NASA, the National Guard, US Navy, UAE and the governments of South Korea, China, Saudi Arabia and Australia, among others.

Radiation Shield Technologies (RST), with headquarters and manufacturing facilities in Miami, is a global leader in the research, development and production of personal-protection systems. RST’s core technology, Demron, is the world’s first and only fabric that provides complete protection from all nuclear, biological, chemical and bomb and ballistic threats as well as infrared radiation and heat. For more, visit www.radshield.com or call 866.7.DEMRON.

EDITOR’S NOTES: Interviews are available.

Copies of the scientific studies and research are available.

Photographs of the Demron products and Ronald F. DeMeo, M.D., are available.