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Body Armor as the New PPE?

Body Armor as the New PPE?

When the call came into the Charleston, WV, Fire Department in August 2017, it was described as a "routine" medical emergency, the kind firefighters regularly respond to during their shifts without worrying about the potential for any violence.To get more news about bulletproof tactical helmet, you can visit bulletproofboxs.com official website.

An ambulance was dispatched to the city's west side, but instead of finding a patient needing help, firefighters were greeted with gunfire.

"There were multiple rounds fired, but the ambulance was only struck once," Lt. David Hodges, the department's EMS director. "But (the firefighters) were able to retreat and make it to a nearby station. However, we immediately started pursuing the body armor topic."

Firefighters becoming targets of violence prompted Charleston to spend a little less than $70,000 in surplus city funds to make ballistic vests standard PPE in the department. The need to keep first responders safe while they protect the public has prompted other departments to consider similar purchases, especially following the civil unrest around the country in the wake of George Floyd's death in Minneapolis.
This summer, firefighters in Rochester, NY, and Columbia, SC, were injured when they were caught in the middle of violent confrontations while responding to emergency and fire calls during protests and riots. Firecrackers and bottles also were thrown at crews in Atlanta, Cleveland and Grand Rapids, MI.

In Aurora, the second largest city in Illinois, a peaceful protest was held at the police department at the end of May, but the demonstration deteriorated as crowds moved downtown, said Battalion Chief Jim Rhodes. Stores were looted, and fires were set to police squad cars, dumpsters and businesses.
While firefighters weren't shot at, rocks and other objects were thrown at them, damaging vehicles.

"Our guys during that time—and this is something that we wouldn't normally do— they were wearing these ballistic vests under their bunker gear," Rhodes added.

Last year, the Aurora Fire Department purchased 60 vests and helmets for its members months after an active-shooter situation in the city. Six people, including the shooter, were killed and six others injured in the incident at Henry Pratt Company on Feb. 15, 2019.

Although the vests—which cost the city nearly $86,500—weren't acquired until after the shooting, plans already had been set in motion as part of ongoing rescue task force team training between fire and police departments. It's testament to our firefighters," said Rhodes, who was one of the first-arriving units at the scene. "Our guys went in with the training they had with our police departments. Unfortunately, we didn't have the equipment. But our guys knew that, and without hesitation … There was no issue about, 'I don't want to go in.' It was kind of the opposite. 'We'll go in. What do you need us to do?' ... Given the situation, when we were there, you could still hear the gunshots going off, and there was a lot of uncertainty."

Before Charleston's 2017 shooting incident, each of the department's ambulances carried expired ballistic vests from the Charleston Police Department. By early to mid-2018, all of the department's 169 members had their own vests, which are individually sized to fit.

"It gave the guys more security because it's properly sized to them. … And we wanted to have an accountability factor," Hodges said. "Just like your SCBA face piece, you're responsible for this. So, when it's part of your personal ensemble, they will definitely take more pride in it.


by freeamfva | 2022-11-30 13:06 | Comments(0)

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