Rep. Sykes Secures $300,000 for the Development of Personal Protective Equipment for First Responders
AKRON, OH — Today, U.S. Representative Emilia Sykes (OH-13) announced the National Science Foundation awarded $300,000 to the University of Akron to develop personal protective equipment (PPE) that can detect and respond to hazards in real-time, improving safety for first responders and other users.
“First responders put their lives on the line every day to protect our communities. I’m proud to secure vital funding to develop the critical safety gear they need, right here in Northeast Ohio,” said Rep. Sykes.
The United States manufacturing sector uses materials that can be dangerous if not managed properly, posing risks to workers and the public. HazMat operators respond to and mitigate these risks, while facing personal contamination. These first responders need PPE that meets high standards and is resilient to environmental hazards while in use.
This project aims to proactively manage these hazards grounded in the framework of Community Risk Reduction, which emphasizes stakeholder engagement and data utilization to mitigate risks. The goal of this project is to create PPE that can detect and respond to hazards in real-time, improving safety for first responders and other users. The approach includes collaboration with material scientists, healthcare providers, and disaster response specialists. These funds will be utilized to develop needs assessment and initial design evaluation.