In 1912 the equipment won Fernez a Premier Grand Prix of small inventors and manufacturers at the Concours Lépine. In 1913 he received the gold medal at the Universal Exhibition in Ghent (Belgium) and the silver medal of the Society for the Encouragement of Domestic Industry. Fernez expanded his range of equipment to include respirators for use in mines, and during the first World War (WW1) produced gas masks for men, horses and dogs.