Guest guest Posted July 7, 2008 Report Share Posted July 7, 2008 Yes, wearing a ballistic vest is a very good safety measure. The DuPont Survivor's Club, the membership of which is limited to people whose lives have been saved by DuPont Kevlar products, boasts many people whose survival stories are about collisions, rather than assaults. When I worked for Austin EMS in the early-90s, I wore an under-the-shirt ballistic vest when I was on the truck. Advantages - I only had to remember to put it on when I was getting dressed, as opposed to every time there was a possible threat. Think of it as putting on your seat belt when you get in the car, rather than waiting until you think you're about to have a wreck to put it on. Another advantage is that it made me look " buffer " than I really was (and am). Disadvantage - Hot, didn't breathe very well (there are breathable undergarments available now). I had a couple of carriers so that I could switch the sweaty one for a clean one when I needed to mid-shift. There are external carriers available, which allow the wearer to don and doff the vest as they feel necessary, which may be an advantage. The main disadvantages, in my opinion, are that they generally look like the wearer is looking for a fight and, again, you're unprotected until you take the time to don it (QUICK - we're about to have a wreck - everybody put your seat belts on!).Phil Reynolds Jr. 115 Harold Dr. Burnet, TX., 78611 HP CP Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 7, 2008 Report Share Posted July 7, 2008 Phil thanks for the information. Renny > > Yes, wearing a ballistic vest is a very good safety measure. The DuPont Survivor's Club, the membership of which is limited to people whose lives have been saved by DuPont Kevlar products, boasts many people whose survival stories are about collisions, rather than assaults. When I worked for Austin EMS in the early-90s, I wore an under-the-shirt ballistic vest when I was on the truck. > Advantages - I only had to remember to put it on when I was getting dressed, as opposed to every time there was a possible threat. Think of it as putting on your seat belt when you get in the car, rather than waiting until you think you're about to have a wreck to put it on. Another advantage is that it made me look " buffer " than I really was (and am). > Disadvantage - Hot, didn't breathe very well (there are breathable undergarments available now). I had a couple of carriers so that I could switch the sweaty one for a clean one when I needed to mid- shift. > There are external carriers available, which allow the wearer to don and doff the vest as they feel necessary, which may be an advantage. The main disadvantages, in my opinion, are that they generally look like the wearer is looking for a fight and, again, you're unprotected until you take the time to don it (QUICK - we're about to have a wreck - everybody put your seat belts on!).Phil Reynolds Jr. > 115 Harold Dr. > Burnet, TX., 78611 > HP > CP > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 8, 2008 Report Share Posted July 8, 2008 Phil, Excellent points you made...just one piece I would like to echo...if you desire or have the need to wear soft-body armor, you must wear it ALL THE TIME.? Paramedics and EMT's are rarely if ever shot on scenes of shootings, stabbings, or domestic violence...because we stage until PD arrives and secures the scene...EMT's and Paramedics are shot on " sick person " or " chest pain " or " unknown medical " calls when we walk into a situation that has not been identified by any one in the 911 chain as a potentially violent scene... Having it and only wearing it on scenes that " sound " dangerous is equivalent to agreeing to only wearing your gloves and face protection on calls with patient's who tell you they have HIV or Hep C...just doesn't make sense and it won't work for you. Dudley Re: Body Armor Yes, wearing a ballistic vest is a very good safety measure.? The DuPont Survivor's Club, the membership of which is limited to people whose lives have been saved by DuPont Kevlar products, boasts many people whose survival stories are about collisions, rather than assaults.? When I worked for Austin EMS in the early-90s, I wore an under-the-shirt?ballistic vest when I was on the truck. Advantages -?I only had to remember to put it on when I was getting dressed, as opposed to every time there was a possible threat.? Think of it as putting on your seat belt when you get in the car, rather than waiting until you think you're about to have a wreck to put it on.? Another advantage is that it made me look " buffer " than I really was (and am). Disadvantage - Hot, didn't breathe very well (there are breathable undergarments available now).? I had a couple of carriers so that I could switch the sweaty one for a clean one when I needed to mid-shift. There are external carriers available, which allow the wearer to don and doff the vest as they feel necessary, which may be an advantage.? The main disadvantages, in my opinion, are that they generally look like the wearer is looking for a fight and, again, you're unprotected until you take the time to don it (QUICK - we're about to have a wreck - everybody put your seat belts on!).Phil Reynolds Jr. 115 Harold Dr. Burnet, TX., 78611 HP CP Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 8, 2008 Report Share Posted July 8, 2008 I agree with Dudley on this one. Wearing body armor only when it is " needed " is like wearing gloves was done back in the " good old days " - when we only put them on for the " messy " calls, especially for OB calls, GI bleeding, homeless patients and puking patients. As for when we are shot at, I can personally vouch for this one. My ambulance took rounds - later determined to have been one group of drug dealers taking shots at another group - while pulling into a housing project to pick-up a " sick person " deemed to low on the urgency scale by the city EMS provider, and " turfed " to the private agency I worked for. When mirror and side window on the low-top Chevy van we were in shattered, we beat feet out of there. I have a friend, who works for a major East Coast fire department, who ran a cardiac arrest with the dept's Paramedics, and got a " cannon " shoved in his face when the Medics terminated a CPR after twenty-some minutes of unsuccessful efforts. More deaths occur from ambulance incident-related head injuries than chest or abdomen injuries, so soft - or even body armor with ceramic trauma plates - won't do much good. Perhaps we should consider wearing fire-type helmets or rescue-type helmets while responding, but would they get treated like reflective vests, seatbelts, backing spotters and soft body armor - ignored unless the supervisor or media has arrived. Barry McClung, EMT-P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 8, 2008 Report Share Posted July 8, 2008 Barry, The helmets are a great idea...but a no brim helmet is the way to go...a fire helmet with the big rear brim is believed to not be appropriate.? There is work being done to design an EMS specific helmet designed for wearing in the rear of the ambulance...there is a vendor or two that is trying to sell one now...but it is just something they are marketing... Some industry experts recommend an X-games type helmet that provides full head coverage (not face), until real EMS specs are released. Dudley RE: Body Armor I agree with Dudley on this one. Wearing body armor only when it is " needed " is like wearing gloves was done back in the " good old days " - when we only put them on for the " messy " calls, especially for OB calls, GI bleeding, homeless patients and puking patients. As for when we are shot at, I can personally vouch for this one. My ambulance took rounds - later determined to have been one group of drug dealers taking shots at another group - while pulling into a housing project to pick-up a " sick person " deemed to low on the urgency scale by the city EMS provider, and " turfed " to the private agency I worked for. When mirror and side window on the low-top Chevy van we were in shattered, we beat feet out of there. I have a friend, who works for a major East Coast fire department, who ran a cardiac arrest with the dept's Paramedics, and got a " cannon " shoved in his face when the Medics terminated a CPR after twenty-some minutes of unsuccessful efforts. More deaths occur from ambulance incident-related head injuries than chest or abdomen injuries, so soft - or even body armor with ceramic trauma plates - won't do much good. Perhaps we should consider wearing fire-type helmets or rescue-type helmets while responding, but would they get treated like reflective vests, seatbelts, backing spotters and soft body armor - ignored unless the supervisor or media has arrived. Barry McClung, EMT-P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 8, 2008 Report Share Posted July 8, 2008 Seems like the ground helmets used by the Air Force Pararescue would work just fine. Maybe a little more " civilianized " , but other than that.... http://assassin.files.wordpress.com/2007/01/sealhelmet1.jpg Jeff Subject: Re: Body Armor To: texasems-l Date: Tuesday, July 8, 2008, 10:32 AM Barry, The helmets are a great idea...but a no brim helmet is the way to go...a fire helmet with the big rear brim is believed to not be appropriate. ? There is work being done to design an EMS specific helmet designed for wearing in the rear of the ambulance... there is a vendor or two that is trying to sell one now...but it is just something they are marketing... Some industry experts recommend an X-games type helmet that provides full head coverage (not face), until real EMS specs are released. Dudley RE: Body Armor I agree with Dudley on this one. Wearing body armor only when it is " needed " is like wearing gloves was done back in the " good old days " - when we only put them on for the " messy " calls, especially for OB calls, GI bleeding, homeless patients and puking patients. As for when we are shot at, I can personally vouch for this one. My ambulance took rounds - later determined to have been one group of drug dealers taking shots at another group - while pulling into a housing project to pick-up a " sick person " deemed to low on the urgency scale by the city EMS provider, and " turfed " to the private agency I worked for. When mirror and side window on the low-top Chevy van we were in shattered, we beat feet out of there. I have a friend, who works for a major East Coast fire department, who ran a cardiac arrest with the dept's Paramedics, and got a " cannon " shoved in his face when the Medics terminated a CPR after twenty-some minutes of unsuccessful efforts. More deaths occur from ambulance incident-related head injuries than chest or abdomen injuries, so soft - or even body armor with ceramic trauma plates - won't do much good. Perhaps we should consider wearing fire-type helmets or rescue-type helmets while responding, but would they get treated like reflective vests, seatbelts, backing spotters and soft body armor - ignored unless the supervisor or media has arrived. Barry McClung, EMT-P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.