FDMC Digital

— Staff Sergeant Rusty Dunagan has received brand new smart home in Oklahoma through the Gary Sinise Foundation with support from IT and Media Solutions and Core Brands.
The Gary Sinise Foundation, with the support of Core Brands, other technology manufacturers, and on-site contractors, unveiled the latest in a series of specially adapted custom “smart homes” built through the Foundation’s R.I.S.E. Program, specifically to make everyday home life as easy as possible for severely wounded vets.

In September of 2010, was training a group of soldiers when he encountered a roadside IED, causing him to lose both legs and his left arm. Today, after more than 30 surgeries, Dunagan and his family moved intoa new Edmond, Oklahoma home that will give Rusty all the independence and comfort modern technologies and design can provide.

The home was built with Rusty’s mobility at the forefront of the design. “As the 23rd surviving triple amputee, Rusty needed a home that allowed him maximum mobility in his wheelchair,” Otter continued. “Due to the nature of his injuries, Rusty does not use prosthetics, so this was the key component for helping Rusty regain his independence.”

The Gary Sinise Foundation relied on individual, corporate, non-profit donors, in-kind sponsors, and the local community’s support to make this project a reality.

“I worked closely with the Gary Sinise Foundation and an incredibly supportive group of manufacturers, builders, designers and contractors who donated their time, their skills and their products to make this home a reality and give Rusty as much control over his home life as possible,” said Joel Berrettini of IT and Media Solutions, who designed and installed all of the life-simplifying electronics in the Dunagan’s new home. “The main way the family experiences these technologies is through the ELAN control system that allows them to control their lighting, heating, TV, music, security and door locks from touch panels mounted throughout the home, ELAN remotes, even their iPad.”

With everything in the home custom-considered for Dunagan’s use, it looks a bit different than your average Oklahoma home. The doorways in this single-floor residence are all four feet wide and are completely flat to making moving from room to room easy. The kitchen island and some countertops are up to10 inches lower than standard, the master bathroom has a vanity with room underneath for his wheelchair toget up close, and the wheel-in shower has a tiled bench so he can get in and out completely on his own.

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