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Disaster aid groups working with company to provide versatile blanket | 03.19.2007 | 06:54:37 | Views: 5581 | ID: March 19 '07: A disaster, all-weather blanket designed by the Polymer Group based in Charleston, S.C. is being used all over the world by disaster recovery groups because it is so versatile, the Associated Press reported. Called the "All Day, Every Day" blanket, company officials said it is "warmer than traditional blankets woven of cotton or wool," and can repel water as well as being resistant to diseases. Cliff Bridges, a spokesman for the Polymer Group's Chicopee division told the AP, the blankets help those who "are typically out of their homes and are sitting on the ground in an open environment. ... The last thing you want to do is wrap yourself in a product that is going to hold water because water is probably the biggest vector of bacteria and fungus, which can cause disease." The Polymer Group also has begun to work with the Church World Service and provided the blankets after Hurricane Katrina, as well as to those affected by the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2005, and to victims of devastating earthquakes in Pakistan. Though not available to the public yet, the company plans to release them soon. The blanket works by reflecting "the sun's ultraviolet rays, keeping disaster victims cooler in warm weather. Earthquake victims on a cold mountain side can reverse the blanket so the coating acts as an insulator ... A disposable heating pad can be used for more warmth," company officials told the AP.
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