Through public and private partnerships built in the Tennessee Valley Corridor, a new, unique and leading edge disaster-relief technology designed by a Chattanooga firm was unveiled on Tuesday.

The mobile trailer to be built by Adaptive Methods on Holtzclaw Avenue was developed by staff of the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge.

Adaptive Methods, with the facilitation of The Enterprise Center of Chattanooga, is licensed with Y-12 to manufacture the new hard-shell technology.

“This innovative technology being manufactured in Chattanooga will help save lives around the world during emergencies,” said Congressman Zach Wamp who worked with Y-12, the U.S. military and the private sector for more than a decade to help this project become a reality. “The ability to set up a hard-shelter within minutes during times of crisis will allow those in need to get help in record time. This highly mobile shelter can be configured so that soldiers wounded defending our country can get the medical care of an operating room within minutes if needed. Families who lost their homes in a hurricane can get shelter even when roads are flooded. The design and development of this completely unique shelter is a good example of the government supporting the private sector to solve everyday challenges.”

Developed at Y-12 at the request of the U.S. Army and transitioned by Adaptive Methods, Inc. for commercial applications, the RDSS—Rapid Deployment Shelter System—is a compact, portable disaster shelter that can be deployed around the world for aid in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. It can be easily reconfigured for a variety of applications including first responder or family shelters, barracks, offices, command/control/communications centers and medical triage facilities. The RDSS utilizes an advanced concept rigid-wall shelter technology that requires less time and manpower to deploy than any other rigid-wall shelter on the market and will fit any applications that require a mobile, configurable, rapidly deployable rigid-wall shelter. It offers resistance to radiological, biological, and chemical hazards, as well as limited protection from small gunfire. The technology was named one of the “R&D 100 Awards for 2007” by R&D Magazine, which recognizes the 100 most significant proven technological advances of the year; and received the 2009 Early Innovator Award from the Chattanooga Technology Council.

Designed to military specifications and with input from emergency management and first responders, the RDSS unfolds from a 20-foot standard shipping size container into a 400-square-foot shelter at the touch of a button. Several advanced technology innovations have been designed into the shelter system including the ability of the RDSS to be deployed in the field by one person in less than two minutes. Capitalizing on the rugged ISO 1C container design, the RDSS units may be stacked nine units high, transported by ship, truck or rail, or deployed to remote locations by plane or helicopter.

Single units may be transported and directly deployed from conventional trailers towed behind medium duty pickup trucks.

In its shipping configuration, the RDSS provides over 450 cubic feet of mission payload storage space. All equipment and supplies needed for a planned deployment are securely stored inside the container, ready for operation.

“We went into this project with a great sense of urgency and commitment because we knew that our work could mean the difference in the life or death of one of our American soldiers,” said Lee Bzorgi, Y-12's senior technical advisor who invented the RDSS. “The RDSS was designed with time and labor requirements in mind. Most rigid-walled shelters require three to 10 people and nearly 40 minutes to set up, and travel trailers and mobile homes simply are not designed for transport into disaster areas. We engineered the RDSS specifically for disaster response operations and environments; it deploys quickly and simply, ready for use within minutes.”

Also designed with refurbishment in mind, the RDSS quickly returns to its container configuration and is ready for transport back to its depot when its use is no longer needed at a location. Upon arrival at the depot, the RDSS is easily cleaned, sanitized and reequipped for the next disaster.

“The RDSS meets many military and FEMA shelter specifications,” said J. Keith Buckner, vice president of manufacturing at Adaptive Methods. “We designed it to specifically meet the needs of disaster response teams, with explicit consideration given to ease of use, ease of storage and ease of reuse. The RDSS will provide years of service at a significantly lower total cost of ownership when compared to alternative options.”

Equipped with an onboard generator, the RDSS units have heating and air conditioning systems that provide up to 72 hours of continuous operation without refueling. Seamless transition from onboard generator to off-board power and support requires only the flip of a switch once local power is restored.

Adaptive Methods expects to employ more than 100 engineers and production personnel over the next four years.

Future RDSS configurations planned include decontamination units, shower stations, latrine facilities and medical triage centers for disaster relief.

TEC has been a facilitator in connecting Adaptive Methods to various technology enterprises in the Tennessee Valley Corridor. After introducing Adaptive Methods to Y-12, TEC assisted in identifying sources of funding and potential markets for available technologies and continues to initiate contacts within those markets.

“This success was made possible by the visionary leadership of Rep. Zach Wamp, whose support for regional technology-based economic development is key to the creation of new jobs,” said J. Wayne Cropp, president and CEO of The Enterprise Center. “We have also had tremendous support from the City of Chattanooga, Mayor Ron Littlefield, Hamilton County Government and County Mayor Claude Ramsey, as well as from our economic development partner, the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce.”