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Is body armor truly coming for fire services
Fire personnel faces a variety of threats every day and as a result, the need for body armor is increasing. Now, firefighters must attend scenes of incidents not only prepared for fire, debris, heat, and explosives but they must also be prepared for violent encounters and active shooters. This comes as The Fire Services Department Operational Considerations and Guide for Active Shooter and Mass Casualty Incidents now describes incorporating tactical medicine into active shooter events. This is due to the increased risk of firefighters becoming injured by an active shooter or other violent encounters.
In preparation for these conflicts, fire departments are increasingly adopting wearing ballistic vests and tactical helmets to protect their firefighters. The ballistic vests supplied tend to be stab-proof to supplement firefighters existing uniforms and better protect them against a wider variety of attacks.
The vests worn are usually Level II vests as they have been tested to the National Institute of Justice's Ballistic Body Armor, NIJ Standard-0101.06. This is a minimum performance standard developed in collaboration with the Office of Law Enforcement Standards of the National Institute of Standards and Technology and provides an excellent balance between sufficient protection while remaining comfortable and lightweight.
In preparation for these conflicts, fire departments are increasingly adopting wearing ballistic vests and tactical helmets to protect their firefighters. The ballistic vests supplied tend to be stab-proof to supplement firefighters existing uniforms and better protect them against a wider variety of attacks.
The vests worn are usually Level II vests as they have been tested to the National Institute of Justice's Ballistic Body Armor, NIJ Standard-0101.06. This is a minimum performance standard developed in collaboration with the Office of Law Enforcement Standards of the National Institute of Standards and Technology and provides an excellent balance between sufficient protection while remaining comfortable and lightweight.
