Defense Holdings Reaches 10,000 Milestone in Shipment of AfterGlow Photoluminescent Emergency Egress Lighting Kits

Defense Holdings, Inc.® (DHi®) announced that it has now shipped more than 10,000 of its AfterGlow® Brand Photoluminescent (PL) Emergency Egress LightingTM Kits to the U.S. Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps to improve Mine Resistant, Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle safety and our Warfighters’ emergency egress capabilities.

In all, more than 275 miles of PL tape has been shipped in addition to other items. The military’s need for these kits is so critical that the highest national priority rating has been given.

MRAP vehicles are armored fighting vehicles designed to survive IED (Improvised Explosive Device) attacks, mines and ambushes. DoD determined that MRAP exits and escape hatches needed to be positively marked or illuminated to aid emergency egress. After evaluation, DHi’s Emergency Egress LightingTM Kits were selected for rapid field installation inside the troop compartment and driver/passenger sections of all MRAP vehicles in order to provide the Warfighter with simple, highly reliable emergency markings. AfterGlow® PL products identify locations of door latches/openings, grab bars and emergency equipment such as fire extinguishers in the absence of daylight or electrically powered lighting. DoD messages to MRAP operators identified DHi as the sole producer of the MRAP PL products, identified the National Stock Numbers (NSNs) for the kits and their components, and referenced DHi’s AfterGlowDirect MRAP PL Web page for ordering.

• NSN 9390 01 568 1116 -- MRAP Basic™ Emergency Egress PL Lighting Kit™


• NSN 9390 01 570 7240 -- MRAP Cougar Emergency Egress PL Lighting Kit™


• NSN 9390 01 573 0814 -- MRAP Buffalo Emergency Egress PL Lighting Kit™


• NSN 7690 01 572 7993 -- Military Vehicle Fire Extinguisher Labels – Two hybrid PL/reflective AfterGlow® fire extinguisher labels


• NSN 9390 01 573 0835 -- Self-Adhesive Flexible Tape 1”x25’ – 25 feet of 1” wide, adhesive-backed AfterGlow® PL tape


• NSN 9390 01 572 7888 -- Self-Adhesive Flexible Tape 1”x100’ – 100 feet of 1” wide, adhesive-backed AfterGlow® PL tape


• NSN 9390 01 572 7264 -- Magnetic Flexible Tape 1”x25’ – 25 feet of 1” wide, high-energy magnetic-backed AfterGlow® PL tape


• NSN 9390 01 573 0711 -- Magnetic Flexible Tape 1”x100’ – 25 feet of 1” wide, high-energy magnetic-backed AfterGlow® PL tape

Emergency Egress PL Lighting KitsTM consist of high-performance, rechargeable, long-lasting, adhesive and/or magnetic-backed photoluminescent film strips and other items that provide a versatile, cost-effective, glow-in-the-dark, emergency evacuation capability that could help save Warfighters’ lives. Kits are available for a number of types of MRAP vehicles and DHi has worked with DoD and manufacturers to define Emergency Egress LightingTM Kits for other types of platforms.

Rich Martin, DHi’s President and CEO, states “Defense Holdings, Inc. was called upon to provide a quick solution for a non-electric illumination of exit hatches and other emergency equipment to ensure that the egress path is visible to possibly disoriented soldiers in the event of an emergency situation. Our PL materials have been demonstrated to not affect the use of current generations of Night Vision Goggles. The word that we are getting back from the Warfighters is that these kits are both easy to install and highly effective. We are honored that the DoD has entrusted DHi with providing a solution to this critical safety issue so that we can contribute in even a small way to the protection of our nation’s Warfighters.”