Protect the Force to Develop Next Generation Law Enforcement Uniform
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA – SEPTEMBER 20, 2022 – Mission Ready Solutions Inc (Mission Ready or the Company) (TSX-V: MRS) (OTCQX: MSNVF) (FSE: 2R4), a provider of comprehensive government contracting solutions, is pleased to announce that, Protect the Force Inc. (PTF), the Company’s innovation and manufacturing division, has been awarded a Research and Development (R&D) contract for the development of an Updated Law Enforcement Duty Uniform (ULEDU).
The award follows a Broad Agency Announcement solicitation (70RSAT21R00000005) by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) First Responder Group (FRG). As a result of the award, DHS S&T has obligated US$1,391,697.32 in funding for the 18-month project, payable on a pre-defined set of milestones.
PTF will work on developing and testing a duty uniform for Law Enforcement Officers (LEO) that provides increased protection against a range of common hazards, including weapon attacks, burn injuries, blood-borne pathogens, and extreme weather. PTF will work alongside North Carolina State University – Textile Protection and Comfort Center (NCSU-TPACC) and Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service – Institute for Law Enforcement & Protective Services Excellence (TEEX – ILEPSE). NCSU-TPACC will provide expert services and perform testing of the materials and the uniform systems, while TEEX-ILEPSE will provide feedback on system integration features and user acceptability.
“Law Enforcement Officers work in environments that are unpredictable by nature,” said Francisco Martinez, Chief Technology Officer at Protect the Force and Unifire, Inc. “Mitigating the exposure to increased threats and reducing the risk of injuries are well-established needs within the First Responder community. By evaluating and selecting the latest commercial-off-the-shelf technologies available, we will be able to identify and demonstrate an increase in the levels of protection that uniforms offer in response to threats LEOs may encounter. PTF is proud to work again with the dedicated professionals at DHS-First Responder Group, and our experienced academic partners at NC State and Texas A&M universities.”
“We are exceptionally proud to have our innovation division pioneer the next generation of law enforcement duty uniforms and help shape a safer future for Law Enforcement Officers across the country while influencing the design of law enforcement uniforms around the world,” said Buck Marshall, President and CEO of Mission Ready. “One of DHS-FRG’s key requirements for this effort was to ensure that the final deliverables have commercial viability in the LEO marketplace. With PTF’s rapidly growing domestic manufacturing network along with Unifire’s distribution and sales capabilities, we believe that we will be able to fulfill this requirement.”
Help me out here… is this for the various uniformed LEO (and “LEO”) components of DHS? Or is it an overall research project on developing more protective uniforms for law enforcement in general?