Each year, hundreds of thousands of people travel to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to take part in Carnival. For four days, local businesses shut down, tourists flood the city, and elaborate parties and parades mark the beginning of the Christian Season of Lent.

Throughout the festival, local samba schools compete in parades at the Sambódromo on Avenida Marques de Sapucaí. Wearing ornate costumes and playing and dancing to music, members of the samba schools perform for hours each night despite temperatures as high as 90 degrees and severe humidity.

Realizing the potential health issues that can develop in such an environment, Brazil’s Department of Health and Civil Defense turned to DHS Systems LLC for support during this year’s festivities.

After touring DHS Systems’ production plant in Orangeburg, New York earlier this year, the Commander of Civil Defense Forces for the State of Rio de Janeiro requested a DRASH TMSS Medium System to serve as a mobile field hospital. Outfitted with state-of-the-art striker beds, monitors and fibulators, the hospital was deployed near the entrance of the Sambódromo to treat performers suffering from such ailments as heat exhaustion.

By offering environmental control, lighting and sterility, the DRASH TMSS System gave nurses, EMT paramedics and doctors the conditions needed to properly care for nearly 30 patients over the course of the festival.

Successfully deployed for nearly a week amid huge crowds and extreme temperatures, DRASH proved that its durability reaches far beyond the battlefield.

“Seeing our shelter operate in that environment for that period of time was very impressive and proved how versatile our products are,” says Mark Tallo, director of Domestic Preparedness at DHS Systems. “We weren’t in Iraq or Afghanistan, but our equipment was still able to withstand a harsh environment and offer support for a very unique purpose.”