The Emergency Services Show 2025: Shaping the Next Generation of Decontamination Solutions

The Return of the Decontamination Village: The Mass Decontamination Shelter

We returned to the trade show scene at the Emergency Services Show 2025, held at the NEC in Birmingham, marking the final showcase of our decontamination shelters for the year. The event brought together professionals from emergency services, first response teams, and public safety organisations.

Across the two-day event, attendees explored our live Decontamination Village—a fully immersive walk-through demonstrating the mass decontamination process, including the three-stage rinse–wash–rinse procedure for both ambulatory and non-ambulatory casualties. At the centre was our Mass Casualty Decontamination Shelter, deployed at full scale to showcase rapid setup, modular design, and operational functionality. Comprising three interconnected units, the system replicated a real-world decontamination zone, allowing visitors to see every section of the shelter in detail.

Designed with First Responders in Mind

Feedback from the professionals who use this equipment daily—first responders, HART teams, SORT units, and resilience planners—was overwhelmingly positive. Teams and decision-makers let us know how our shelters addressed and solved common pain points with existing equipment, highlighting the speed of setup and breakdown, the practical operator-to-casualty flow, and the thoughtful design and usability.

Problem-solving features—such as the clothes chute, which allows contaminated clothing to be safely discarded before decontamination, and the transfer pockets on the cell doors, enable the safe handover of soaps and other materials while preventing cross-contamination—were particularly well received by frontline teams.

Walking Through the Shelters with First Responders

With both visitors and fellow exhibitors able to walk through the decontamination shelters and see them up close, they were able to experience every detail for themselves. This gave them the chance to compare the design, layout, and functionality with other shelters they have used in the field. Their feedback highlighted strong appreciation for the thought put into materials, size, quality, and the speed of setup and breakdown—all essential for effective decontamination operations.

Being able to see the shelters in real time and test the flow demonstrated the practical value of our designs and provided valuable insight from the professionals who use this equipment every day. It was extremely rewarding to see that what we brought to the Emergency Services Show met the needs and expectations of those on the front line.

Experiencing a Full-Scale Mass Casualty Decon Shelter

Each 5x3m shelter can be linked to create a 5x9m modular system, supporting decontamination for both ambulatory and up to 12 non-ambulatory casualties. The modular design allows teams to adapt layouts to different operational scenarios while maintaining clear operator-to-casualty flow, safety, and privacy. Easy to transport and quick to deploy, the shelters enable emergency services to focus on their top priority—themselves and casualties—rather than managing complex equipment.

Attendees experienced the operator-to-casualty flow first-hand, moving from triage entry to exit zones. A continuously running animated demonstration reinforced the full decontamination process, combining theory, training, and practical knowledge in one experience. This proved especially valuable for first responders, HART teams, training officers, civil resilience planners, NHS units, and blue light operations leads

 

<<Step Inside the Mass Decontamination Shelter Here>>

 

A Collaborative Experience

The show highlighted the importance of hands-on demonstrations, allowing professionals to plan, train, and see how the shelters operate in realistic scenarios. It was a collaborative experience, with attendees sharing insights based on their previous use of similar equipment. This feedback will help us further refine our shelters, addressing operational pain points and improving usability for those who rely on them most.

Watch the Full Animation Video of the 3 Stage Decon Process Here:


From the Show Floor to the Frontline: What’s Next for Our Decontamination Shelters?

ESS 2025 marked the conclusion of our trade show appearances for the year. It has been immensely rewarding to showcase our decontamination shelters directly to frontline professionals, gather their feedback, and continue advancing our shelters to preform for those we have built them for. 

If you missed us at the Emergency Services Show 2025, or want to learn more about our Mass Casualty Decontamination Shelter or the wider Decontamination Shelter range that made up our Decontamination Village, get in touch with our team by emailing info@icbrindle.com or calling +44 (0)1202 657814.