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Guest Blog Post Authored By: Advanced Padding Systems

As you can very likely imagine, we receive all kinds of inquiries, covering everything from quick pricing questions on small padding projects to detailed RFPs for large institutions. But no matter the size, one request that stands out more than most is for our fire-rated safe room padding. Our Fire-Rated Wall Padding (PV-89) has become the go-to solution for architects, spec writers, and facility managers designing custom de-escalation rooms, calming spaces, and seclusion rooms in healthcare, education, and care facilities.

We're proud to support healthcare facilities across the country with innovative safety solutions and our latest project is no exception to that rule. In doing a great job of highlighting our expertise in designing and installing fire-rated padded safe rooms, we worked closely with a local hospital to help design and build an essential space that would allow patients to de-escalate in a secure, calming environment.

With the goal of providing local residents with caring and compassionate homes, the Supportive Therapeutic Enhanced Program Services (S.T.E.P.S.) operates a number of community homes in a small community in rural Ontario. Their program is, as the name suggests, very therapeutic, offering adults with developmental disabilities some predictability in their daily routine. With years of experience working with individuals with many different syndromes and various disabilities, their programs are created to give them enhanced life skills, helping them better navigate the world with their unique needs in mind.

Our team was approached by the management team at STEPS earlier this year to help design and install a new padded space for use in one of their residences. Looking to create a safe and quiet space for their residents to calm themselves or to de-escalate, our padding solutions came highly recommended. Given that each and every scenario with these types of padded rooms can be different in nature, they selected a partner with extensive experience in the space and one that can help them design and implement what is required.

With the rise in mental health awareness, we welcome opportunities to participate in projects that foster such development. For one of our recent projects, we were proud to have been invited to lead a project at Canada’s largest research facility for mental health and addictions.

The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) is the result of an amalgamation of four separate facilities - the Queen Street Mental Health Centre, the Clarke Institute of Psychiatry, the Addiction Research Foundation, and the Donwood Institute. 

Located just inside Canada’s National Capital Region is the small town of St. Albert, Ontario. The small, Franco-Canadian community is located within what is known as The Nation, a municipality in the united counties of Prescott and Russel. In addition to having a rich history including a nearby ghost town, St. Albert is also home to one of the nation’s oldest cheesemakers.

In the fall of 2022, we were contacted by a school in the region that was looking to perform some upgrades and modifications to one of its rooms. Looking to create a room for students requiring a safe and calming space, key stakeholders from the school were looking for a custom padding solution that could cover both the flooring and the walls of the room.

Managing long-term relationships with our customer base over the last 40-plus years has been one of the many factors that has contributed to our longevity as an organization. While we revel in developing new relationships and customers, it is our repeat business that has been a constant factor in our company’s success.

Recreation centres provide community members with access to a variety of resources. With intentional efforts made to promote inclusivity, programming can range from bingo for the elderly
to after-school programs for children and swimming facilities for families. However, catering to a diverse community also presents challenges. For individuals with physical, cognitive, or behavioural challenges, these centres must also provide properly trained staff and additional accommodations in their buildings. With organizations such as the Dovercourt Recreation Centre, special attention has been placed on meeting the needs of those experiencing behavioural difficulties. To address the centre’s goal, our team was brought in to provide a safe “calming space” for their facility.

Vermont, known as the “Green Mountain State,” has a strong reputation for its beauty. With scenic mountain overlooks, thick, green forests and wildlife of all varieties, it’s a dream come true for any nature enthusiast. Despite its breathtaking scenery and often tranquil environments, however, the need for proper law enforcement and infrastructure still exists. Recognizing the need to maintain public safety, the town of Wilmington recently requested the assistance of Sport Systems in the renovation of their police station’s holding cells.

With business connections extending overseas, families geographically scattered, and new vacation destinations continually being introduced, most find themselves in an airport at one point or another. While flying is one of the most common modes of transportation, its biggest deterrent is discomfort. Teaming up to address the potential concerns of travelers, the Halifax-Stanfield International Airport has worked hard to address the physical discomforts of travelers while the US Customs and Border
Protection services (USCBP) maintains safety as its highest priority.

In a world that is becoming increasingly competitive, the beneficial aspects of collaboration can go unrecognized. The term “group project” can evoke a sense of dread, whether one has experienced a team assignment from the perspective of a slacker or team leader. While collaborative efforts can pose significant challenges, the complementary pairings of experts are well worth the risk. Recently, the partnership between Sport Systems and RMG Contract Interiors Inc. (RMG) provided an extremely successful outcome for three Ontario schools.