Being any kind of first responder (FR) is dangerous work. Law enforcement officers (LEOs) may typically be the first line when dealing with armed assailants, but they’re not the only FRs at risk of serious injury in the line of duty; fire and EMS responders are too.
Whether you ride in an ambulance or a fire engine, EDI-USA has custom-designed gear to keep you safe from gun, knife, and other attacks. Firefighters can protect their heads and torsos with EDI-USA MICH ballistic helmets and custom-designed FIRE ballistic vests and plate carriers, all in bright red.
We also carry custom-designed ballistic vests and plate carriers for EMTs and paramedics in blue or high-vis yellow. Depending on visibility and head-protection needs, EDI-USA carries a wide array of ballistic helmets with custom colors and suspension systems available.
But why is this level of protective gear even necessary for Fire and Medical FRs?
It’s common knowledge that Fire and EMS are typically dispatched to active-shooter situations to provide emergency medical care. Yet how, where, and when they administer life-saving care has been changing in recent years.
Historically, medical FRs have worked in “cold zones”, outside of active danger areas. But it’s increasingly common for them to suit up in body armor and ballistic helmets and work in semi-cleared “warm zones” under second-line police coverage.
While operating in “warm zones” can provide earlier access to victims—potentially making the difference between life and death—it also puts medical FRs at greater risk of being caught in the crossfire. Training in tactical EMS may be crucial, but so is having the right protective gear.
Even when not dealing with active shooter situations, EMS personnel and FF-EMTs can be at risk of stabbing, shooting, or “struck by” assault when responding to seemingly innocuous calls.
Luckily, EDI-USA also carries lighter-weight stab-resistant vests, and most of our ballistic vests and armor plate inserts can also be custom manufactured with added anti-stab (NIJ levels 1 or 2) and/or anti-spike (level 1 to 3) protection upon request.
Concerned about the added bulk (or the look) of an outer ballistic vest or carrier?
EDI-USA also carries lightweight concealable inner ballistic vests that can be worn comfortably and discretely underneath uniforms.
How much risk are EMS providers really at in the line of duty?
Recent studies have found that EMS personnel are significantly—perhaps 14 times— more likely to be assaulted by patients than firefighters during rescue operations. In a study from 2018, a majority (65%) of EMS personnel reported being assaulted by patients, with 1 in 10 of such assaults involving a weapon.
According to the US Fire Administration, almost three-fourths of fire departments’ work nowadays involves providing emergency medical care rather than putting out blazes. Though fighting fires is incredibly dangerous work, providing emergency medical care is not without risks either.
In recent years, EMTs and FF-EMTs have been shot and even killed in the line of duty, be it in Upstate New York, Minnesota, North Carolina, or Tucson, AZ. In some cases, EMTs making routine wellness checks have been mistaken for home intruders and shot.
Emergency medical personnel across the US have also been stabbed by assailants or patients—frequently in the confines of an ambulance—in cities like Philadelphia, Manhattan, Boston, St. Louis, and Grand Rapids, but also in rural municipalities.
Having the right body and head gear can also protect lessen the impact of more common blunt attacks from agitated or erratic patients, and even provide limited impact protection during vehicle collisions
*First responders providing life-saving emergency care deserve to feel safe too.*
Don’t wait! Contact us today and one of our experts will help you select and order the right protective gear for your EMTs, paramedics, and firefighters.