Is it time for EMS and other First Responders to wear bullet proof vest?
Kevlar vests, also known as bulletproof or ballistic vest are worn by Military Soldiers throughout the world to protect themselves from harm and it is not only Soldiers wearing these types of vests anymore now Police Officers worldwide are wearing the Kevlar vest due to the rising number of firearm related death and a rise in homeland terrorism. However, the real questions arise when you look to the other first responders who put themselves in harm’s way such as the EMS. EMS and Firefighters are called to the scene of almost every incident no matter how dangerous and can be put in harm’s way themselves without any protective gear. So, is it not time for the EMS and other first responders to start wearing Kevlar and bulletproofing vest to keep the lives safe as well. EMS and Firefighters are more likely to come into conduct with stabbings from knives and needles then they are to be shot at. But this does not take away the need for the vests or the danger they will face. Kevlar vest today can easily stop a stabbing attack from either a needle or a knife to a specific area. So, it is time to re-evaluate the need for EMS, paramedics, and Firefighters to see if part of their essential life save gear should be a Kevlar or other type of bullet proof vest that they wear in order to save their life so that they may save the lives of other!
There is no guarantee that the attacker will aim for where the vests are protecting. However, the case, when it comes down to it would not you rather have a smaller chance for that attacker to be able to hit your vital organs and mid-section. Along with the knife attacks comes still the threat of the EMS or Firefighters being shot at while attempting to do their job, which just so happened in Selma, Al. in 2016 when 2 EMS were attending to a local call (though it seemed strange when it came through) and were checking a patient’s blood pressure when multiple shots rang out heading towards the EMS workers though luckily neither of the 2 were injured. (Dunigan) Seeing this should put the image in your mind that no one of our First responders are safe and now need body armor and companies like The Best Body Armor are here to provide such needed items. Selling the greatest and latest in the technologies of bulletproof vest exceeding government standard, with NIJ levels up to NIJ 5 you can easily get what you need to keep you and your loved ones safe and out of harm’s way. With products ranging in all different sorts of colors and designs you are sure to find what you are looking for, also looking for trauma pads?! They have them, so whatever you need is and want desires The Best Body Armor has got what is need to ensure that your loved you or our EMS and Firefighters are dully protected.
The above attack is only one example of an attack on a crew of First Responders with attacks on the rise the departments are scrambling to come up with ways to figure out how to keep the paramedics and Firefighters safe and out of unnecessary harm’s way. Some departments have thought about having police escort firefighters to and from the scene, though this would take a lot of valuable time away from the lifesaving ability of the Firefighters. So instead of this what needs to be done is the purchasing of Kevlar vest and other types of ballistic vest so that Firefighters don’t have to worry about being escorted and can quickly respond to the emergency at hand. Likewise, EMS also face the similar problem and it too can be answered in the same fashion, with the purchasing of Kevlar vest so that it takes away the risk harm for the EMS worker and they can carry out their job quickly and efficiently as possible. There are concerns over buttressing our EMS and paramedics as it will seem to be militarizing our paramedics when can be off-putting to some people as we are not a militarized state. However, in a time when people are willing to attack first responders whom are just attempting to save the lives of innocent people it may be time to get over the fear of buttressing the EMS and Firefighters and give them the equipment needed to keep them alive and safe so that they can return home every night. This does not turn us into a militarized stated you see, just a well prepared and well-functioning first aid responding unit. As well as this problem, the vest may be restrictive to the EMS and paramedics as to where they will not they will not be able to do their job efficiently and quickly. What is meant by this is the fact that EMS personal need to be very agile and light on their feet in order to respond to the needs of the patients they are seeking to save. Will the body armor restrict their movements too much and keep them from doing their jobs effectively and efficiently? Will body armor make Firefighter and EMS targets for attacks if they are wearing them? Some people believe so, especially if they are wearing the differentiated colors to distinguish between police and EMS/Firefighters. So, people believe that why wear the different colors, but then the EMS/Firefighters will look just like the cops and as mentioned above the First Responders will soon look like a militarized police force which people will fear and hesitate to utilize.
On Oct. 26, 2015, shots rang out striking the main firehouse in Grand Rapids, proving that these first responders are getting closer and closer to the danger zone a daily basis even when they are still at their “Home Away from Home.” And if they are not truly safe there then they are definitely not going to be safe out in a field environment going up again who knows what exactly. Then another day Firefighters were attacked by a man wielding a box cutter and unfortunately two of the men were injured. Now if they had been wearing vests then very possibly they could have escaped without any type of incident. This is where the companies like The Best Body Armor come back into play with the manufacturing of Kevlar and bulletproof vest that will decrease the chance of anything happening to a loved one wearing them. With products exceeding government standards and NIJ levels all the way up to level NIJ 5, The Best Body Armor produces a various design of vest from ACU Camo, Black, Multi Camo, to Tan Camo so the customer can always get what they need and want in order to keep themselves and others protected. If EMS, Firefighters and other paramedics start to purchase Kevlar and other types of bulletproof vests the questions arises how will they sustain their equipment and supply budget for such things. Because, we all know once a vest is struck it is no longer good, so it has to be switched out, or that a vest can and will expire after a certain amount of years. So, the question arises how will they corral this problem? One way would be to have the personal purchase the device themselves or get grants from the government to purchase these lives saving devices. However, this does not stop the vest from becoming expired if not (hopefully) ever being used. Having this problem would likely cause the EMS and other departments to defer from purchasing the bullet proof vest.
In conclusion, with everything that is going on in this world, even the EMS, Paramedics, and Firefighters are no longer entirely safe from people seeking to do them harm while they are just attempting to save the lives of people in need. So, the question has arisen is it time for these heroes themselves to wear bulletproof vest and Kevlar vest so that they can become as safe as possible while on the job. However, people are concerned of the militarization of the EMS and Firefighters and how the public would react to that since we are not a non-militarized state, how would these departments afford such life saving devices and the price of the upkeep of the vest. Also, EMS are concerned with the maneuverability restrictions that would be put upon them if they were to wear a vest, but does that out way the cost of wearing the vest? So, what can change and happen? The Best Body Armor can happen, with top of the line bullet proof vest exceeding government standards and requirements EMS, Paramedics and Firefighters can get the best type of gear for what they need to keep their lives and comrades safe. With all different NIJ levels up to NIJ LEVEL 5 they are sure to find what they need to get the safety that is required to keep them alive.