Ballistic Vests -- EMT's

[Grunt]

Wasn't sure where to put this so I am hoping this is fine. I have always been curious about this subject but never asked anyone outside my immediate AO. I was just watching Boston EMS on TV and heard one of the EMT's state that they are all issued ballistic vests and that very few of them ever wear them.

For all you EMT's here, are you issued ballistic vests and if so, do you wear them?

 

[Red Flag 1]

Wasn't sure where to put this so I am hoping this is fine. I have always been curious about this subject but never asked anyone outside my immediate AO. I was just watching Boston EMS on TV and heard one of the EMT's state that they are all issued ballistic vests and that very few of them ever wear them.

 

[Muppet]

Just north of Philly, mandated by job. This was a pediatric nurse bday, so I acted like a retard. Doing CPR / code stuff is fun in this also.

M.

 

[Ooh-Rah]

:-"

 

[Devildoc]

I work part-time for Durham EMS in the early 90s, we were issued vests. At the time we were the only one in the state. There are a couple housing projects that gave us 80% of penetrating trauma, and the people in those projects would shoot anything with a light bar and siren. At the time I think there were only about five or six systems in the US that issued vests. Now many many places do.

 

[Gunz]

It's not a stupid idea.

Fire trucks used to have open cabs.



There's a reason they ditched the open-cab design. Because in the 60's, during riots, people were setting fires so they could shoot firefighters. People are animals.

 

[Gunz]

Just north of Philly, mandated by job. This was a pediatric nurse bday, so I acted like a retard. Doing CPR / code stuff is fun in this also.

M.

You keep that vest on, My Brother.

 

[Muppet]

You keep that vest on, My Brother.

Will do bro. Maria and pop say the same....

M.

 

[trin]

It's getting more common. A nearby metropolitan area's EMS service recently began issuing them to their personnel. My agency is more suburban/semi-rural.

 

[SpitfireV]

Are they ballistic being ceramic plates or SRBA types usually? I'd imagine, going off no data at all, that knives would be a bigger risk than firearms, in general?

 

[CDG]

There's a reason they ditched the open-cab design. Because in the 60's, during riots, people were setting fires so they could shoot firefighters. People are animals.

It even happened to Edward Norton's dad!!

 

[Salt USMC]

Just north of Philly, mandated by job. This was a pediatric nurse bday, so I acted like a retard. Doing CPR / code stuff is fun in this also.

M.

Is the party hat standard issue?

 

[Muppet]

Are they ballistic being ceramic plates or SRBA types usually? I'd imagine, going off no data at all, that knives would be a bigger risk than firearms, in general?

Level 2A bro.

M.

 

[Grunt]

Other than firearms protection, I value my vest's ability to protect me from gut punches and injuries to my mid-section more than I do against edged weapons.

 

[Muppet]

Other than firearms protection, I value my vest's ability to protect me from gut punches and injuries to my mid-section more than I do against edged weapons.

Agreed.....

M.

 

[RustyShackleford]

Fire/EMS around here does not wear vests. They've kicked around the idea of having a couple sets of armor/helmets on each rig but realized real quick that there is no one size fits all solution.

 

[policemedic]

Many, but not all, of our paramedic units have helmets, vests with plates, and a TEMS style aid bag. The armor is issued to the truck not to the medic, so it's not the best solution. The idea is for them to be able to function as an escorted rescue team in an active shooter or similar event. They don't wear soft armor (hell, some don't even wear long pants in the summer...).

 

[Muppet]

We have TEMs bags, similar to an M9 aid bag style that can outfit an initial MCI. Each truck at the station has one, each truck in the county has one, supplied by the county. So, if I am sent to the mall for an active killer, we would be warm zone when the first LEO team enters to kill, entering with the second round of LEO's to establish a CCP, using fire dept. folks to transfer pt's. out.

M.

 

[snapt]

We're in a tiny rural resort town, We have a few vests and helmets in the tool room. No need but nice to know they're around if something crazy went down.

 

[policemedic]

We're in a tiny rural resort town, We have a few vests and helmets in the tool room. No need but nice to know they're around if something crazy went down.

Respectfully, that's the wrong answer.

If 'something crazy' goes down while you're away from the station, you're screwed. The fact is you won't know when it's going to happen.

I always tell people that if you know when and where you're going to be in a gunfight, you shouldn't be there. We carry guns precisely because we don't know when we will need them.

Here's the latest from my town. I handed off an opiate OD I narcan'd for transport to this paramedic just hours before this happened. Great dude, good medic. Trust me, they weren't expecting it.

Ambulance struck by bullet carrying injured patient