Boston, Massachusetts, February 6, 2009 – Blauer® Manufacturing Company, Inc., announces the latest addition to its line of ChemBio ensembles—the WZ9435 XRT response suit for CBRN incidents. With this easily donned, single-piece coverall, law enforcement professionals can respond more quickly and remain deployed for up to eight hours. This ensemble, which is certified to the NFPA 1994 [2007 Edition], Class 3 Standard, provides protection against NFPA identified hazards plus additional toxic industrial chemicals (TICs) and chemical warfare agents (CWAs).
Made with breathable GORE® CHEMPAK® Selectively Permeable Fabric, the Blauer® WZ9435 XRT Suit differs from traditional CBRN suits in several ways. First, because this ensemble is a single-piece coverall that does not require taping, the wearer can deploy faster in the event of a CBRN incident. Stephen Blauer, Senior Vice President of Blauer® Manufacturing, says, “One of the problems that our customers have identified with traditional suits is the time-consuming need for taping, which also means that the suits are not certified. When an incident occurs, they want to be able to react immediately. So the goal for our line of CBRN ensembles has been to ensure that our products meet full certification without any need for taping.”
Second, unlike traditional suits that can be worn for only 15 to 20 minutes before the wearer starts to encounter heat stress, the unique breathability of GORE® CHEMPAK® Selectively Permeable Fabric allows the user to wear the lightweight Blauer® WZ9435 XRT Suit for up to eight hours. This fabric allows water vapor (sweat) to escape from inside, which reduces the buildup of body heat that leads to heat stress.
Third, the Blauer® WZ9435 XRT Suit gives added confidence about CBRN protection because the fabric is constructed to provide added durability. During a recently documented wear trial, the suit stayed intact after being subjected to rigorous physical activities. As the only component-recognized fabric that complies with NFPA 1994 [2007 Edition], Class 3, Gore’s proprietary fabric provides cumulative breakthrough protection against the NFPA 1994, Class 3 chemicals plus additional liquid CWAs and gas TICs. In addition, this fabric is constructed with a unique, intrinsically stable, non-carbon-based membrane that does not adsorb chemicals and degrade over time, which translates to a longer service and shelf life so that the suits can be donned multiple times in the event of false alarms.
The Blauer® WZ9435 XRT Suit is the latest addition to Blauer’s line of CBRN ensembles. Stephen Blauer says, “This new CBRN suit differs from traditional CBRN suits because it allows first responders to engage more quickly and remain deployed longer. We have been working very closely with Gore to take full advantage of their 50 years of research and experience in membrane applications, specifically in the fire, EMS, and law enforcement industries. GORE® CHEMPAK® Selectively Permeable Fabric enables the responder to don the suit quickly, focus on the incident, and remain protected and engaged for up to eight hours.”
When discussing Gore’s commitment to quality, Steve Lampo, a ChemBio product specialist adds, “At Gore, we focus on designing products that meet the specific needs of the user. Through our work with tactical responders and with Blauer on their CBRN line of protective ensembles, we understand the importance of extended time for engagement as well as the need for maximum protection. Responders cannot be effective if they can only remain active for 20 or 30 minutes. We developed this GORE® CHEMPAK® Selectively Permeable Fabric specifically so these users can focus on their mission for hours rather than minutes, with the confidence that they remain protected from potential exposure to TICs and CWAs.”
For more information about purchasing the Blauer® WZ9435 XRT Suit, call 800.225.6715 or visit www.blauer.com. For more information about GORE® CHEMPAK® Fabrics, call 800.431.GORE or visit GoreChempak.com.
Blauer® Manufacturing Company, Inc.
For three generations and more than 75 years, Blauer® Manufacturing has produced the highest quality and most protective garments available for public safety professionals. Since its beginning, Blauer® has combined the best fabric technologies with consistent attention to detail to provide the protection, comfort, durability, and appearance that safety professionals desire and deserve. Located in Boston, Massachusetts, Blauer® is committed to developing new products to improve the safety and comfort of its customers.
ISO 9001:2000
W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc.
With approximately $2.5 billion in sales and more than 8,000 employees worldwide, W. L. Gore & Associates specializes in fluoropolymer innovations that improve the quality of life. Gore has applied its expertise to thousands of high-performance solutions in medical, consumer, industrial, and electronic markets. Specifically in the protective fabrics arena, Gore has been a pioneer in developing high-performance barrier products for use in firefighting, EMS, technical rescue, law enforcement, military, and domestic preparedness applications. The company operates more than 45 facilities worldwide with headquarters in Newark, Delaware, USA.