Stab Vests and other protective gear...?

OreoThief

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In EMT school, during my clinical rotation, my medic wore a stab vest. All the time, every time. I asked her why, and all she would tell me is that she had a close call, and will never get close again.

I am curious, who here wears a stab vest or bullet proof vest regularly, and what type of service do you work for?
 

Ridryder911

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Personally, I think it is all dependent upon where you work. The type of calls one is routinely sees, etc. I know some areas of the nation, I would demand to wear one, I even wore one in a Trauma Center where I worked (as others suggested to). Yet, in my area, no one wears one.

R/r 911
 
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OreoThief

OreoThief

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If so, without spending hundreds and hundreds of dollars, would I stab vest be better, or a ballistic vest? I've heard that ballistics won't cover stabs, and obviously vice versa. Maybe I've heard wrong.... :unsure:
 

firecoins

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Its true. Its one or the other.

The only people in my region wearing them work in tough NYC, Jersey City or Newark neighborhoods. Its usually bullet proof vests. Some choose not to wear them. Don't hear of anyone getting shot or stabbed. Doesn't mean it doesn't happen. Just don't hear about it.
 

medicdan

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At MDA, the medic chair in the back of the ambulance wears two bulletproof vests everyday, but they are only utilized at Terrorist attacks, because of the high probability of secondary attacks.
With the exception of Lod (characterized as the Harlem of Israel, and home to the largest international airport), and military injuries, there are very few, if any GSWs or stabbings. A much bigger daily threat here is car accidents. Today alone I went to four scenes, and there were six deaths in my region. We do have reflective vests, and wear them at all MVAs.
On a related issue, many of the drivers carry a gun at all times-- it is not seen as abnormal in Israel, where on every street corner you see a soldier carrying a semi-automatic weapon, waiting for a bus.
 

JJR512

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If so, without spending hundreds and hundreds of dollars, would I stab vest be better, or a ballistic vest? I've heard that ballistics won't cover stabs, and obviously vice versa. Maybe I've heard wrong.... :unsure:
As firecoins responded, you heard correctly that a vest features one type of protection or the other. However, a ballistic vest does can offer stab resistance over the breast area if it features a trauma plate as extra protection for the heart. The trauma plate is basically a hard plate that slips into a pocket over the breast area. The rest of the protected area is still, of course, not protected from stabbing.

I believe there is a type of vest that offers both forms of protection; I'm not sure if it was offered by only one brand, or if it was a prototype, but I know I've seen something about it somewhere. I'll let you know if I can find it.
 
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OreoThief

OreoThief

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I'm surprised there aren't more replies to this thread. I was hoping for some more feedback, really. :rolleyes:

Any chance I can request this from my employer, or do I need to just deal with it and purchase one, if I truly want one. Rid had mentioned that he would "demand" one, but as a newbie, just don't think I have that much say.

Anyone?
 

eggshen

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I can't recall the manufacturer but someone makes a vest that covers both. What I do recall is that you will spend many monies on it. That being said I would rather have a ballistic vest on if I get shanked than my uniform shirt only. A lot of the folks 'round here wear ballistic vests. It never really gripped me all that much. The one time I almost took a round a vest would not have made a difference. I own three of them and can just never seem to complete the shift wearing one.

Depending on where you work I would spring for one and give it shot (no pun intended). If you can manage it great. If not...well now you can look cool for girls, or boys.

Egg
 

eggshen

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We posted at the same time so I'll get to the second part.

My employer gives us several hundred dollars each year for a uniform allowance. That cash can be put towards a vest. As far as demanding one? Good luck, at least here. I would check with your service and their uniform supplier for the rest.

Egg
 
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OreoThief

OreoThief

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Our clothing allowance is about $180, I believe. I'll have to survive a few years to save up for it. :D
 

r6yr

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this is a complete shock to me. why wear bullet proof vests? who is shooting you? do you guys work in hard neighboorhoods or is this just everywhere? i live in a relatively nice place and i have never seen any one wearing a bulletproof vest. i of course am completely new to all of this and know nothing at all about most of the things your talking about. ill be starting school soon and this kind of just shocks me...
 
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OreoThief

OreoThief

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Sorry, we're not always in the greatest of situations. And drugs and alcohol.... heck, even diabetes can do some weird things to you. ;) Better to be safe than sorry, especially when I have 4 kids to come home to.
 

jordanfstop

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this is a complete shock to me. why wear bullet proof vests? who is shooting you? do you guys work in hard neighboorhoods or is this just everywhere? i live in a relatively nice place and i have never seen any one wearing a bulletproof vest. i of course am completely new to all of this and know nothing at all about most of the things your talking about. ill be starting school soon and this kind of just shocks me...

all depends on the neighborhood. i know fdny bronx guys who wear one. some people will shoot at you because you're trying to help the person that they just shot. my corps carries vests on our ambulances for the 'just-in-case' moments. my corps deals with a fairly large drug/crime area. in the past few years it's gone down a bit, but we still have the occasional shooting, stabbing, or severe assault. also, i know that my lt has been shot at once.
 

eggshen

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Our particular case is this. FD is loved by everyone regardless. Total PR machine that lot. One time is hated by nearly everyone. We (paramedics) are a step above them. Even though we are there to help there is a large portion of the population that sees us as the aggressor. This portion of the population has a tendancy to use violence as a problem solving tool. We are the perceived problem from time to time. Welcome to the city.

Egg
 

JJR512

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And that is part of the reason why some of my friends at work say EMS workers should go back to the Good Humor-type uniforms (white pants and shirts). FD uniforms now look so much like PD uniforms with dark blue pants, light blue shirts, silver badges, shoulder patches, radios, belts with stuff hanging off. Even if that's not what the local PD actually wears--brown and tan, black and white, other combinations worn by various PDs--the modern FD uniform looks so much like a cop to someone who is already half crazy to begin with, it's no wonder they don't know who they're shooting at.

I wonder...Do you think that if EMS/FD looked so obviously different from the PD (like with all-white uniforms) that the incidences of shootings at EMS/FD would go down, because the shooters intend to be targetting only cops? Or would it make no difference because the shooters don't care who they're shooting?
 

firecoins

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all depends on the neighborhood. i know fdny bronx guys who wear one. some people will shoot at you because you're trying to help the person that they just shot. my corps carries vests on our ambulances for the 'just-in-case' moments. my corps deals with a fairly large drug/crime area. in the past few years it's gone down a bit, but we still have the occasional shooting, stabbing, or severe assault. also, i know that my lt has been shot at once.

you saw my thread about the North Rockland stabbing. We just take our time to the cops get there.
 

kashton

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Good question! I have the same one. I am considering buying a very light and cool bulletproof vest to wear under my uniform. It can't hurt to wear one anyways. It is true that many EMS uniforms looks similar to polive uniforms and could easily be mistaken by a disgruntled person. :blink:
 
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katgrl2003

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Our clothing allowance is about $180, I believe. I'll have to survive a few years to save up for it. :D

Must be nice! The only things our company provides is 5 work shirts per year (which I was supposed to get six months ago<_<) and a coat.

I guess I really haven't thought about vests since I work for a private service. We very rarely get 911 rollovers, and even then cops and/or fire are already on scene. I can't think of a single person I work with that has a vest. Sheesh, I live a sheltered life!

-Kat
 

weretiger13

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Summertime

In my area, there are a number of people who wear a bulletproof vest in the summer. They tend to take them off in the winter, since there are fewer shootings then. It really depends on the number and severity of the riots that are happening.

Weretiger
 

SC Bird

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We talked about this the other day in class after going over hostile situations (which will never happen because the "scene isn't safe")....but regardless...

I am yet to see an EMT in my city wearing a stab vest or bulletproof vest....not saying that there is no need because there is a good bit of violence around the area, but I think it is just pushed to the side and viewed as unneccesary.

-Matt
 
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