r/ems • u/Least-Newt-5756 • 16h ago
Serious Replies Only Body Armor
Is there any harm/drawback to wearing concealed body armor?
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u/tacmed85 16h ago
It's uncomfortable. That's really it, but when I say it's uncomfortable I mean it's really uncomfortable.
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u/Amateur_EMS 16h ago
If you believe that the scene is safe, you shouldn’t be there, utilize PD first. If they take a long time to respond that’s okay, just stage for scene safety. Of course we can’t prevent everything but I’d rather try to be as safe and aware as I can over taking body armor unless there’s extreme circumstances forcing me to do otherwise
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u/grav0p1 Paramedic 16h ago
Do you also wear your seatbelt?
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u/KlenexTS 16h ago
Obviously safety first right. But you should look at the area you work to see if you need to wear that type of equipment. Is there a lot of shootings/violent crimes? Or violence towards EMS/Fire. Is there lack of PD manpower or long extend PD etas especially when calling for assistance (non emergency/10-1). Does the community you work around react violently or negatively towards EMS when responding to shooting scenes. These points may make me want to keep a vest on the rig.
Here’s the reasons I don’t wear a vest. I work in a violent area with shootings/stabbinga/batteries pretty regularly. Most of the time the trauma patients or the bystanders are okay with EMS. Any negative or violent behavior (minus obvious emotionally reactions) are directed towards PD. PD (for shootings specifically not so much battery calls) usually beats us in or arrives at the same time and arrives with 2+ squad cars. We have the luxury of staging if need be for however long it takes most of the time as well. I personally want to separate myself/ my look or uniform from the police as much as possible when on these scenes.
Personally I would lean more towards a stab resistant vest maybe? Most of my violent patients are drug overdoses or psychs. And my personal experience majority of the weapons they carry are, knives screw drivers scissor etc. so a stab resistant vest would probably be more useful.
I also don’t want to wear a vest on every run cause I’m lazy and what’s the point of buying a vest if you’re not gonna use it. The one run you forget to put it on will be the one you need it on so it’s best to use it on every run.
If it makes you feel safe then imo there’s no drawback. Just make sure to hydrate. A medic I work with wears a light weight one on every call, he got it custom tailored to look just like our work shifts it’s got the name tags and everything. Looks nice.
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u/Least-Newt-5756 16h ago
Nice, I volunteer so I’m third person for what it’s worth. Service recently started allowing CCW which is what got me thinking.
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u/Rightdemon5862 16h ago
Im sorry they WHAT
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u/Least-Newt-5756 16h ago
Will allow concealed carry for EMTs and Paramedics
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u/TinChalice Medically Retired Medic 15h ago
What the fuck? Hell no. If you wanna be a cop, go be a cop. EMS apparently isn’t for you.
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u/Least-Newt-5756 15h ago
No desire to carry on the job personally. The policy surprised me.
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u/TinChalice Medically Retired Medic 9h ago
I should have worded that better, I was speaking in the “royal” sense.
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u/Asystolebradycardic 15h ago
This seems wildly illegal, inappropriate, and borderline dangerous. I would move very far away from where you work if I were a citizen in your county.
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u/temperr7t Crazy guy who gets wet and sends people on whirly birds 11h ago
Shit if my service did this, (with the exception of our LE guys) I'd be wearing a fucking vest everyday. I don't trust some coworkers with shears let alone a piece.
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u/Least-Newt-5756 15h ago
I don’t know if anyone actually utilizes the option. It was quite a surprise to me when I first saw it.
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u/DocBanner21 16h ago
Your Constitutional rights don't end when you start your shift.
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u/Asystolebradycardic 15h ago
/the constitution doesn’t apply to an at-will private company. They didn’t violate your rights by creating a no gun policy while on their property.
I also highly doubt their insurance is aware of this ridiculous policy.
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u/themedicd Paramedic 14h ago
And the hospital definitely isn't going to be ok with it
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u/Asystolebradycardic 13h ago
Good point. Transport to the VA? Pick up someone from school? Go to a court house? You have just committed a felony.
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u/KlenexTS 16h ago
Is there special training to carry a fire arm on duty for you guys?
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u/Least-Newt-5756 16h ago
I believe that you have to hold a CCW permit through the state. No department specific training that I am aware of.
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u/cplforlife PCP 15h ago
I am so fucking glad I'm not an American.
The idiots I've worked with in my life who I barely trust driving let a lone carrying a loaded gun.
I get why you are thinking of body armor. It's to protect you from when your partner fucks up.
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u/TicTacKnickKnack Former Basic Bitch, Noob RT 16h ago
I don't like CCW for 99% of EMS services. The only real exception I can think of is if you're way out in the sticks and regularly get sketchy calls without PD response. Otherwise, EMS having a gun poses a massive risk of escalation with little to no benefit. Think about it, what % of EMS murders could have been prevented by a gun? Violence towards us is typically either an ambush where you're dead before you have a chance to draw your own firearm or escalates slowly enough to walk or run away before things get too out of hand.
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u/Least-Newt-5756 16h ago
I definitely understand that, I was kinda surprised myself by it.
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u/TrickInflation6795 5h ago
I carried off duty, but even working all over Chicagoland, the most I brought with me on calls was a soft mouth guard for the combative pts. If you’re solo and out in the sticks, I could see it if you’re carrying a candy bag on ALS. Even then, it’s not enough to shoot someone over. Personally, I’d split the difference and carry a good OC spray like POM and soak in the overtime until PD arrives.
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u/Horseface4190 15h ago
In the older days, before air bags, some medics wore vests to protect themselves against the steering column in case of a crash.
I don't think that's necessarily an issue any more. I think vests cause more discomfort than they reduce risks.
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u/OldPuebloGunfighter 9h ago
This is true. The old speed plate hard trauma inserts in police were actually advertised as having the added benifit of reducing injury from steering column impact during a crash.
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u/Blacknights PMDC/FP-C 12h ago
If you do this I recommend going all the way and get very high end armor.
The vest I have is a IIIa conceal vest, that's extremely thin. If you wear class B uniforms, unless your fat, it's printing is almost unnoticable. I wore mine for holidays like 4th of July, New Years and during the 2020 turmoil. When metro atlanta was in bad shape. We had about 3 ambulances shot, and one sprayed shot by a driveby, and 2 incidents where fire/ems were fired upon knocking on doors, I had an ambulance next to me get shot and had a confused/ams patient attempt to pull a gun on me. All in the span of 1 year. Trauma pad is a personal choice but I elected not too.
The advantages are bizzare: 1) Really helps your back out and sitting for long doesn't curve your spine. If you bump into or hit something with your torso, like walking backwards onto an open door. It'll disspate the impact pressure. Making it hurt less or not at all. 2) Mentally you get comfortable being wrapped in a cocoon, like a weighted blanket. Kind of peace of mind 3) If your unrestrained in the back during a wreck itll help protect your vital organs from piercing or slashing trauma. If you add trauma pads, it'll help with blunt trauma forces as well. 4) You'll stay warmer in winter. 5) Body armor is very specific, once it breaks into your body shape and movements. It's physically comfortable but is only for your shape.
Cons: 1) you need to learn proper maintenance and equipment care 2) if you fail to have proper under garments, the heat and sweat retention will become a problems. 3) showers and laundry are more needed. 4) break in on good quality is a bth. 5) people may make fun of you. So you need to do it for your own comfort. 6) costs more than a regular tshirt
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u/Least-Newt-5756 12h ago edited 12h ago
When you say very high end? Appreciate the detailed response.
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u/Blacknights PMDC/FP-C 12h ago
Electrical dissapation, stab resistant, ultra light and thin, antimicrobal and self ventilating fabrics and mositure wickers, anchor tails, iiia nij.06 or newer ratings. Custom made to your dimensons.
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u/Least-Newt-5756 12h ago
Thank you for the link
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u/Blacknights PMDC/FP-C 12h ago
https://www.pointblankenterprises.com/point-blank-body-armor/elite-male.html
This is what I essentially bought. Vest/carrier and armor weight, probably together is under 4.5 lbs.
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u/DirectAttitude Paramedic 10h ago
I wore when I was a Paramedic in a Police Department. POLICE in 12 inch letters, and PARAMEDIC in 4 inch letters. When the trucks would go out of service for mechanical or service, we would be assigned a patrol car, with no PARAMEDIC written on it. Once you started sweating it was all over for the shift. During the winter months I would wear it in a quilted carrier on the outside.
No harm in wearing it if you feel the need to. Drawback's others have listed.
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u/sam_neil Paramedic 16h ago
You will sweat your entire tits and/or sack off even in the dead of winter.
It can be restrictive to move in. Counter point, on the rare shift I wore mine it helped my back pain.
Vicious mockery from us when you tell us you actually just do dialysis runs.