This Veteran Is Bringing Better Respiratory Protection to Those on the Front Lines

Military veterans of all kinds are using what they learned on deployment to create businesses that can make their brothers and sisters in arms’ lives better. Ventus Respiratory Technologies is no exception. The company’s CEO, Arjun Grewal, spent 20 years with the Canadian Armed Forces, including numerous deployments in Afghanistan, and witnessed firsthand the gaps there are in personal protective equipment in the field.

Ventus has created the world’s first CE-certified particulate respirator for military, police, and first responders. The company has just announced that it has kicked off multiple international field trials for its flagship product, the TR2 respirator. These trials are underway with elite forces in Germany, Italy, France, the UK, Hungary, and the Netherlands.

“To date, there has been no standard for particulate respiratory protection for those serving on the front lines in known toxic environments, we are now learning about the severe health consequences of that exposure,” said Grewal. “The science is showing us the impact of airborne hazards, including lead from high volume weapons training, Agent Orange, burn pits, sand, mechanical fumes, or any of the other dozens of other potential hazards.”

This April, it was announced by U.S. Veterans Affairs (VA) that Veterans and their survivors in the United States alone have filed more than 500,000 toxic exposure-related claims under the PACT Act, which was signed into law less than one year ago on August 10, 2022. More than $1 billion in benefits have already been awarded.

Grewal believes that respiratory protection of this kind will soon be standard issue, just as eye and ear protection have been for soldier and police training for decades.

Ventus is actively engaging with both the soldier and police communities. Last week, Ventus participated in events with the Ontario Tactical Advisory Body in Canada and Special Operations Forces week at  U.S. Special Operations Command. He also participated in U.S. VA discussions in Washington, DC.

“The TR2 is the only fully certified respirator of its kind, making it the only protection suitable for the global market,” added Grewal. “And it’s not only military personnel who are at risk, it is our police, firefighters, and other first responders. We need a baseline standard of protection for these populations. This is why we created the TR2.”

Ventus reports that the initial feedback the company has received from end users has been positive, particularly regarding the TR2’s design and form factor, which is lightweight, low-burden, and interoperable with existing communications and protective equipment. Full results from the multiple field trials currently taking place are expected at the end of June.