Hughes officials giving a demonstration of the shelters and systems at the Dubai Civil Defence HQ

FOLLOWING the Fire Safety Technology Forum and exhibition in Dubai in March, Hughes Middle East was invited to give a series of demonstrations of the Hughes Articulated Rapid Deployment (Hard) shelter. The exhibition was an opportunity to promote the benefits of this innovative modular shelter system and demonstrate its flexibility and suitability for use in hot climates.

A wide range of organisations expressed interest including Dubai Civil Defence, which invited Hughes to their headquarters to demonstrate the Hard shelter. In temperatures well over 30 deg C the team showed how easy and quick it is to erect the shelter, an essential feature for rapid deployment.

The frame is a collapsible one-piece construction that unfolds with the cover already in place and after use it remains attached as the frame is folded for storage.

Weight and strength are fundamental design considerations for this type of shelter as it has to stand up to repeated and rough treatment often in harsh conditions

The Neoprene-coated Nylon cover which has a wipe-clean rubber coating has zip entry and exit doors. When additional space is required two or more units can be connected together using these zip openings.

Different requirements can be met by simply changing the inner ‘pod’. Hygiene and decontamination applications were of particular interest to Dubai Civil Defence but other duties can range from field hospital and command centre to personnel accommodation and temporary storage. The shelter is used and endorsed by international search and rescue teams.

The Hughes team also demonstrated a range of features and ancillary equipment of particular interest for hot climates. A portable air conditioning unit provides a comfortable working environment within the shelter while insulation helps to reduce heat transmission. Unlike simple foil backed insulation on other shelters, the Hughes solution is a true thermal quilted liner fitted to the inside of the shelter to provide a highly effective heat barrier.

Continuing its focus on the Middle East, Hughes will be in Bahrain in May for Petrotech – one of the leading events in the Middle East for the petroleum industry. The exhibition runs from May 19 to 21, alongside an international conference which starts on May 18. Hughes will be demonstrating its Centralised Chiller Unit on stand 086. The system, designed and developed by Hughes, is a cost effective way of providing water at the required temperature for emergency showers and eyewash equipment operating in hazardous areas.