Avon Protection, part of Avon Rubber p.l.c., developed the EH20 Emergency Hood in conjunction with the Police National Chemical Biological Radiological and Nuclear Centre in 2005 to protect first responders from CBRN attacks. It subsequently won a Government contract to supply the hoods to all government bodies, the intention being to equip every UK Police Officer followed by supplies to the National Health and Ambulance service.

The House of Commons heard that whilst every operational police officer in Scotland is issued with an EH20 Emergency Hood and all response paramedics of the National Health and Ambulance Service have received theirs; as a result of changes in police purchasing policy, only certain officers with some forces have been issued with the specialist CBRN protection hood, leaving over 100,000 officers throughout the UK unprotected against the CBRN threat.

Said Avon Protection Sales and Marketing Manager Jim Naylor: “Whilst the political battle over the failure of the government to honour its contract for at least 170,000 hoods to equip emergency service personnel will rumble on, our main priority is to make sure that Chief Constables are aware that they have the responsibility to buy this life-saving piece of equipment for their officers, confident in the knowledge that its use has been approved.

“Although the Hoods are purchased under a national framework contract, Tony McNulty’s statement makes it clear that each Chief Constable is responsible for the purchasing of hoods for their own force. We’re concerned that some Chief Constables don’t know they can buy the EH20 Emergency Hoods to protect their officers and support staff and would like to draw their attention to this fact.

“With the threat of a CBRN attack increasing year on year, it is essential that those on the front line are fully protected against CBRN agents.”

It is not possible for police officers to carry a traditional respirator or breathing apparatus around with them at all times, which means they can be vulnerable if they are caught in a CBRN incident. The EH20 Emergency Hood is the ideal protection in such instances because it can travel everywhere with the end user, and is simple and easy to deploy.

The EH20 Emergency Hood provides a high level of respiratory, eye and face protection for up 20 minutes to allow sufficient time to secure and evacuate from a contaminated area. Use of the hood requires minimal training and it takes just 30 seconds to deploy. It is stored in a compact vacuum sealed pouch, which is small enough to wear on a belt, and has a ten year shelf-life.

For further information on the EH20 Emergency Hood, please visit www.avon-protection.com. For further information on the adjournment debate, please click on the following link: