- Deployable rapid assembly shelter
The Deployable Rapid Assembly Shelter ( or DRASH) is a portable, geodesic shelter that can be set up within minutes of arriving on site with no tools. The structure is supported by composite struts. DHS Systems, LLC. handles all the manufacturing, maintenance, training and sales for these shelters.
These shelters have footprints from 100 ft2 (9.3m2) up to 1200 ft2 (112 m2). Each shelter comes with flooring and ground covers manufactured from
polyester andnylon to US military standards. DRASH also provides generators and trailers plus various accessories for the shelters themselves. Several of these accessories can be used to link shelters together. For transport or storage, the shelters pack down to less than 2% of its deployed size into atransport bag that can be stowed on a trailer orHMMWV . Teams of four to six can easily erect a shelter simply by pulling on the sides of the shelter and raising the shelter in designated "push points" on the shelter.Use
Military
The US military is using these shelters in place of the various tents and shelters used in the past. The Department of Defense has awarded DRASH several contracts. [http://publicintegrity.org/wow/bio.aspx?act=pro&ddlC=15 Windfalls of War] The Center for Public Integrity ] DRASH has
logistics teams on site inIraq ,Kuwait ,Germany andEastern Europe . These teams do all of the repair and support work for the shelters, generators and trailers.Civilian
Hurricane Katrina caused a surge of interest in DRASH shelters. InLouisiana , an emergency medical team used a DRASH shelter as a mobile hospital. [http://www.medpagetoday.com/PublicHealthPolicy/PublicHealth/tb2/4033 Doctors Within Borders] www.medpagetoday.comSeptember 01 ,2006 ] In Mississippi, DRASH shelters were used as living quarters for the State Police aiding victims of the disaster.In 2006, the state of
Connecticut dedicated a DRASHfield hospital to a victim of the anthrax attacks of 2001. [http://www.boston.com/news/local/connecticut/articles/2006/04/05/state_dedicates_new_field_hospital_to_anthrax_victim/ State dedicates new field hospital to anthrax victim] Boston Globe,April 5 ,2006 ]DRASH shelters were also used by the National Guard during the October 2007 California Wildfires.
References
External links
* [http://www.drash.com/ DHS Systems, LLC] (home page)
* [http://www.armedforces.co.uk/releases/raq42a57f0a78274 Armedforces.co.uk] (DRASH Shelters)
* [http://www.army-technology.com/contractors/field/milsys/ Army-Technology.com] (SPG Media)
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