DQE
DQE Inc. is an Indianapolis-based emergency preparedness company founded in 1990 that designs, manufactures, and distributes decontamination systems, PPE, medical surge equipment, HazMat response kits, and facility evacuation devices for U.S. hospitals, fire departments, and law enforcement agencies, via direct e-commerce and consultative phone sales.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1990
- HeadquartersIndianapolis, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What DQE does
DQE Inc. (DBA DQE Ready) is a privately-held Indianapolis, Indiana–based emergency preparedness company founded in 1990 by emergency physician Howard Levitin, MD, FACEP. The company designs, manufactures, and distributes specialized equipment for decontamination, personal protection, medical surge capacity, alternate care site setup, HazMat spill response, rehab and heat stress management, and facility evacuation. Its end customers are primarily U.S. hospitals, fire departments, law enforcement agencies, HazMat teams, and other public-safety and workplace preparedness buyers, with a stated installed footprint across thousands of institutions.
The product portfolio is a physical-goods catalog organized into proprietary sub-brands — including Quick Response (decon showers), MasCas and MasCache (mass casualty and medical surge), Indestructo, Doff-it, Don-it, StatPaq, Sani-Bag+ (bedside commode liners), Kore Kooler and 37C Keep Your Core (heat stress), Evacuation Slyde (evacuation), and Sentry Shield SP — alongside authorized distribution of leading third-party brands such as 3M, Kappler, Guardian, Dunlop, Tingley, Vikan, International Enviro Guard, Glacier Tek, Indian Springs, and Edwards and Cromwell. Unit prices span roughly $4.90 (decon sponges) to over $1,400 (Kappler Zytron 500 Vapor Level A suits). There is no disclosed software or integrated platform component; the catalog functions as a standalone but related family of preparedness SKUs.
Revenue mechanics are hardware sales executed through direct e-commerce (dqeready.com) and consultative phone sales (800-355-4628), with freight-paid terms on orders of $10,000+ within the contiguous U.S. The go-to-market is sales-led and vertically segmented (Healthcare Preparedness as the primary segment, Public Safety & Emergency Response as a co-primary segment, Workplace Preparedness as secondary). Customer acquisition leverages industry partnerships, social media, and a long-standing reputation built through federal engagement — including CDC panel work on chemical weapons stockpile community preparedness, U.S. military contracts to prepare medical facilities in the U.S., Europe, and Japan, and co-development of the Domestic Preparedness Program training delivered to hospitals in over 100 major U.S. cities. Most recently, on 2025-01-07, DQE acquired Cap Adresse for an undisclosed amount, signaling renewed inorganic growth activity after several years of primarily organic operation.
DQE firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- DQE
- Legal name
- DQE Inc.
- Website
- https://dqeready.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1990
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- DQE Inc. is an Indianapolis-based emergency preparedness company founded in 1990 that designs, manufactures, and distributes decontamination systems, PPE, medical surge equipment, HazMat response kits, and facility evacuation devices for U.S. hospitals, fire departments, and law enforcement agencies, via direct e-commerce and consultative phone sales.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
DQE industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Emergency Preparedness Equipment
- NAICS
- Surgical Appliance and Supplies Manufacturing (339113), Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing (3391)
- SIC
- Wholesale-Medical, Dental & Hospital Equipment & Supplies (5047)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) (Gloves, Masks/Respirators, Gowns, Face Shields) (HLAHANAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- PPE, Safety & Infection Control Supplies Distribution (JanSan-adjacent) (CRAOAGAK), Lab Safety, PPE & Contamination Control (Hoods, Biosafety Cabinets, Clean Air) (HLAGAIAK)
Keywords
Where DQE is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Indianapolis
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
DQE business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Product Sales: DQE generates revenue through the design, manufacture, and distribution of emergency preparedness products including decontamination equipment, PPE, medical surge supplies, and related accessories. Products are sold directly through their e-commerce platform and via phone sales.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Individual decontamination supplies priced from $4.90 to $104.26 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Water management equipment priced from $28.66 to $383.95 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Pump sprayers and wands priced from $14.93 to $142.80 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Privacy screens priced from $16.48 to $399.58 |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
DQE product offering
Product offeringCore offering
DQE designs, manufactures, and distributes emergency preparedness products for hospitals, fire departments, law enforcement, and other public safety responders. The product portfolio spans decontamination shower systems, personal protective equipment (PPE), medical surge and alternate care site supplies, HazMat spill kits, facility evacuation devices, and heat stress management equipment. The company also resells complementary products from third-party brands such as 3M, Kappler, and Guardian, and delivers training and exercise expertise alongside its products.
Product overview
DQE is an emergency preparedness company specializing in the design, manufacture, and distribution of dependable products for emergency management since 1992. The product portfolio consists of a comprehensive suite of emergency response equipment organized into two primary market segments: Healthcare Preparedness and Public Safety & Emergency Response. Core product categories include decontamination systems (portable shower systems, collection pools, wastewater containment), personal protective equipment (PPE kits, gloves, respiratory protection, coveralls), medical surge care products (alternate care sites, emergency beds, privacy screens), rehab and heat stress management equipment, and facility evacuation devices. The product line operates as a platform of related but standalone products that scale from single-victim to mass casualty events, rather than an integrated software platform. DQE also represents several industry-leading third-party brands including 3M, Kappler, Guardian, Dunlop, Edwards and Cromwell, Indian Springs, Tingley, Vikan, International Enviro Guard, and Glacier Tek. The company's proprietary brand portfolio includes sub-brands such as Quick Response, MASCAS, Decon-in-a-Bag, Doff-it, Don-it, Sani-Bag+, MasCache, StatPaq, 37c Keep Your Core, Kore Kooler, Easy Roller, Safe Pack, Evacuation Slyde, and Sentry Shield SP.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Quick Response: Multi-functional and expandable decon showers
- MasCas
- Indestructo
- Doff-it
- Don-it
- StatPaq
- MasCache
- Sani-Bag+
- 37C
- Decon in a Bag
- Decono Decon Shower
- Easy Roller
- Incident Solutions by DQE
- Kore Kooler
- Safe-Pack
- Evacuation Slyde
- Sentry Shield SP
Products and services
- Decontamination Showers and Systems Portable decontamination shower systems for emergency response, covering responder decon, victim decon, mass decon, and gross decontamination applications. Designed for hospitals, fire departments, and HazMat teams.
- Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Full range of PPE including gloves, respiratory protection, chemical PPE kits, biohazard PPE kits, law enforcement PPE kits, hoods and shields, coveralls and suits, boots and liners, and PPE support supplies. For healthcare workers, first responders, and law enforcement.
- Alternate Care Site & Medical Surge Care Products Products for alternate care sites and medical surge situations including emergency beds and carts, portable privacy screens, medical surge kits and supplies, pandemic screening, fatality management, and potable water storage.
- Sani-Bag+ Bedpan and Commode Liner Disposable bedpan and commode liners for healthcare and emergency settings, designed for bedside use and field sanitation.
- Hospital Incident Command Products Products and supplies designed to support hospital incident command during emergencies and mass casualty events.
- Rehab and Heat Stress Management Products Products for responder rehabilitation and heat stress management including rehab shelters and supplies, and core cooling equipment.
- HazMat Spill Kits and Tools Spill kits and tools for hazardous materials incidents including leak control tool kits, plugging supplies, spill cleanup tools, sorbents, and spill berms.
- Facility Evacuation Equipment Equipment and supplies for facility evacuation during emergencies, including the Evacuation Slyde device.
- Collection Pools and Elevation Grids Containment pools and elevation grids used for collecting wastewater during decontamination procedures.
- Wastewater Containment Systems Systems and equipment for containing and managing contaminated wastewater from decontamination operations.
- Victim Decon Privacy Kits Privacy kits designed for victim decontamination procedures to maintain dignity and protection during emergency response.
Quantifiable outcome
- Products designed to scale up or down depending on needs
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use DQE
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
DQE technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
DQE partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- 3MminorDQE stocks and resells 3M products as part of their emergency preparedness product portfolio.
- KapplerminorDQE is an authorized distributor of Kappler chemical protective clothing and Zytron suits.
- GuardianminorDQE stocks and resells Guardian chemical gloves including butyl smooth gloves in various thicknesses.
- Dunlop Protective FootwearminorDQE represents and stocks Dunlop protective footwear products.
- Edwards and Cromwell Spill ControlminorDQE offers Edwards and Cromwell Leak Control Tool Kits as part of their HazMat spill containment products.
- International Enviro GuardminorDQE stocks International Enviro Guard products for infection control and protective equipment.
- Glacier TekminorDQE offers Glacier Tek products for core cooling equipment in heat stress management.
- Indian SpringsminorDQE offers Indian Springs Chlorine Leak Control Tool Kits as part of their HazMat spill kits and tools.
- TingleyminorDQE stocks Tingley protective footwear and boots.
- VikanminorDQE offers Vikan cleaning and decontamination tools.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
DQE competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- North American Rescue: North American Rescue designs, manufactures, and distributes tactical and emergency response medical equipment, including casualty care and decontamination-adjacent products, directly overlapping with DQE's public safety and emergency response catalog.
- Bound Tree Medical: Bound Tree Medical is a specialty distributor of emergency medical equipment and supplies to EMS, fire, and hospital customers, directly comparable to DQE's healthcare and public safety preparedness offering and similar sales-led GTM.
- Rescue Essentials: Rescue Essentials supplies emergency response, tactical medical, and disaster preparedness kits and equipment to first responders and government agencies, directly overlapping with DQE's PPE kits and emergency response product lines.
- First Line Technology: First Line Technology manufactures and supplies decontamination, mass casualty, and CBRN response products for military, EMS, and HazMat customers, directly comparable to DQE's decontamination shower and HazMat spill kit portfolio.
Broad incumbents
- Henry Schein: Henry Schein is a large diversified medical and dental supply distributor that serves hospitals, EMS, and public health customers with emergency preparedness and PPE products as part of a much broader catalog, competing for the same procurement budgets as DQE.
- Medline Industries: Medline is one of the largest medical supply manufacturers and distributors in the US, offering PPE, infection prevention, and patient care products that overlap with DQE's healthcare preparedness and PPE categories across similar hospital buyers.
- McKesson Medical-Surgical: McKesson's medical-surgical division distributes medical supplies including PPE and emergency response products to hospitals and public health agencies, representing the broad-line incumbent that DQE competes against for large healthcare preparedness contracts.
- Fisher Scientific (Thermo Fisher): Thermo Fisher's Fisher Scientific channel distributes laboratory safety, PPE, and contamination control supplies, comparable to the lab/contamination-control slice of DQE's decontamination and PPE portfolio across overlapping healthcare and industrial customers.
- Grainger: W.W. Grainger is a large industrial and safety distributor offering PPE, janitorial, and workplace safety supplies to industrial and institutional buyers, partially overlapping with DQE's workplace preparedness and PPE resale lines.
Emerging players
- Crisis Response Solutions: Crisis Response Solutions is a smaller specialist supplier of decontamination, CBRN, and mass casualty response equipment, directly comparable to DQE's decontamination shower and HazMat product lines but with a narrower catalog.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
DQE social profiles
Digital presenceDQE financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
DQE leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
DQE funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
DQE M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about DQE
What does DQE do?
DQE designs, manufactures, and distributes emergency preparedness products for hospitals, fire departments, law enforcement, and other public safety responders. The product portfolio spans decontamination shower systems, personal protective equipment (PPE), medical surge and alternate care site supplies, HazMat spill kits, facility evacuation devices, and heat stress management equipment. The company also resells complementary products from third-party brands such as 3M, Kappler, and Guardian, and delivers training and exercise expertise alongside its products.
Is DQE a public or private company?
DQE is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was DQE founded?
DQE was founded in 1990. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is DQE based?
DQE is headquartered in Indianapolis, United States, in the North America region.
How does DQE make money?
One revenue line is on record: product Sales.
Who are DQE's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are North American Rescue, Bound Tree Medical, Rescue Essentials and First Line Technology. Broad incumbents are Henry Schein, Medline Industries, McKesson Medical-Surgical, Fisher Scientific (Thermo Fisher) and Grainger. Crisis Response Solutions is listed as an emerging player.
Does DQE have an API?
No public API is recorded for DQE.
What industry is DQE in?
DQE's product category is Emergency Preparedness Equipment. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HLAHANAF, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) (Gloves, Masks/Respirators, Gowns, Face Shields), with a secondary code of CRAOAGAK, PPE, Safety & Infection Control Supplies Distribution (JanSan-adjacent). Its NAICS code is 339113 and its SIC code is 5047.