chutchinson

In this article I am going to talk about body armour. I am sure you all know that body armour saves lives. No one has actually collected the stats on the number of saves from all the different vests however Dupont Kevlar has registered over 3000 saves. Not all vests use Dupont so the actual number is unknown, but 3000 is very impressive. More impressive is that fact that not all officers saved were saved from bullets. In a news release I read on the DuPont website I learnt that Sgt. Eadie and Cst. Falle of the Ontario Provincial Police were saved from a fire because of their vests. Both officers received 2nd and 3rd degree burns and credit their body armour with protecting their torso and saving their lives.

So it seems pretty basic doesn’t it? Everyone should wear a vest. Well in a recent study only 59% of U.S Law enforcement agencies required their officers to wear vests. Not a great number but it’s a start. The more worrying thing is that I still meet officers that refuse to wear their vest despite the fact that they know it could save their life.

The most common complaint I hear about body armour is that it is uncomfortable. Well so is having a sucking chest wound. Every few year’s new fibres and standards are coming out that make body armour better and more comfortable to wear. One method that I have heard is officers sleeping in their armour to ensure it feels more comfortable. I have never tried this but it sounds like it could work. My recommendation would be to wear the vest everyday at work. You will soon become accustomed to it.

Another common complaint is that it is hot, especially during the summer. Again the only way to get used to it is if you wear it everyday. Go out and buy yourself some moisture wicking under shirts. Trust me they feel so much better then wearing cotton under shirts. Also make sure you stay hydrated. I was once doing private security for a major event. I spent hours in the baking sun while wearing my vest. After 7 hours I felt dizzy and I couldn’t think straight (truth be told I thought I was about to collapse). My fellow officers dragged me to the EMS tent where I was diagnosed with heat exhaustion. I had only had one 500ml bottle of water at the start of shift and nothing else since. Since then I always bring 2 litres of water to every shift.

I also hear officer’s complaining that body armour is useless against rifles or other high powered weapons so they refuse to wear it. While this is true I don’t see how this is a good enough reason. The idea behind body armour is not to make you invincible, rather it is to give yourself every chance of survival. Short of some Robocop type suit you will always be at risk of being killed or injured but if you can improve your odds slightly then isn’t that enough of a reason?

Most people believe that it is a personal choice to wear their armour. This is true but the choice doesn’t just affect you. Other law enforcement officers may have to put their life on the line to drag you to safety, while your family and friends might be upset about your untimely death.
External vests are used more and more now with some that look like the front of a shirt. I have found that officers prefer to wear external vests so that while in the office they can take it off and keep cool. I have never worn an external vest so I cannot comment on them much. If anyone here has worn them let me know what they are like.

It is my belief that anyone that puts on a uniform for security or other law enforcement is a target for the criminal elements of society. I once read an FBI study that showed that officers wearing body armour are 14 times more likely to survive a deadly force encounter. With that in mind I would recommend that anyone in a uniform should do whatever they can to improve their chances of survival. It doesn’t matter what your job is or how often you work in the field. If you wear a uniform then look into getting a vest.

One of the most often overlooked elements about body armour is the way it was cared for. UV rays and water will destroy the fibres and weaken the vest. For more information of how to select body armour and care for it check out: http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/189633.pdf

Stay Safe,
Chris