Bullet Proof Vest!

[Gray]

Well yes I know that nothing is stab/bullet proof, I just dislike the term body armor. It's reminds me of the Swat Gear look.

 

[subliminal1284]

As I said at best we keep them alive long enough for the doctors to do the actual save. For example if someone is bleeding out sure we can control the bleeding and keep them alive to get to the hospital, but it is the surgeons who are going to be the ones who actually correct the problem and save the patients life.

 

[Seaglass]

Just because no one else touched on this: there is no such thing as a bullet proof vest. There are varying degrees of body armor that protect against an increasing types of rounds (a level IV vest can stop anything a level III can for example). If you don't know what type of armor you I've it's important to look it up. Unless it has hard plates in it, the max level of protection is IIIa which can stop 9mm JHP rounds and hollow points/soft points in most larger pistol calibers. It won't stop rifle rounds.
Soft Kevlar does absolutely nothing against stabs, but any armor with a hard plate will.

Even with a high level vest, protection doesn't mean you won't get hurt if you get shot. It just turns it into blunt, rather than penetrating, trauma. Wearing a bulletproof vest doesn't mean that going into an unsafe scenario is suddenly OK, and I really wish some of the cowboys out there would get that through their heads. Most of the time, in EMS, if you need a gun/vest/ninja skills, you're doing something wrong.

Sorry to break the news to you but if you want to save lives you should of become a doctor, at best we keep them alive long enough to reach the hospital but it is the doctors who do the actual saves.

Actually, if you really want to save lives, go be a food scientist or sanitation engineer in the Third World.

 

[82nd medic]

Blunt force trauma from a bullet is a bit spread out and even more so with a plate. Yes you can still get hurt but your less likely to get actually injured

 

[82nd medic]

As I said at best we keep them alive long enough for the doctors to do the actual save. For example if someone is bleeding out sure we can control the bleeding and keep them alive to get to the hospital, but it is the surgeons who are going to be the ones who actually correct the problem and save the patients life.

Pt w/ vfib gets shocked into normal rhythm by the responding EMT... All the dr is doing after that is diagnosing, controlling, and preventing... The actual life saving was done by the EMT. Just my 2 cents

 

[Seaglass]

Blunt force trauma from a bullet is a bit spread out and even more so with a plate. Yes you can still get hurt but your less likely to get actually injured

Depends on the location and displacement. I don't think anyone's saying they don't help at all, but the picture that's emerged in the past few decades really isn't all that rosy.

Here's a random assortment of some relevant articles, for anyone who's interested. At least some, like the third down, are free to the public... not sure about most, though.

 

[82nd medic]

Kevlar works by spreading out force, and when a plate is hit the force is applied to the entire plate. I've yet to see anyone hit in a plate that wasn't penetrated that had any injury worse than some bruising. The worst I've heard of from soft Kevlar is a fractured rib, which is still better than an entrance wound, cavity, and exit wound

 

[Breakers1]

vests

During the gang war back in the early 90's in Hartford, we got the older vests the PD was switching out. I wore it every night... you would hear the gunfire from the hospital ER parking area and had 2-3 times holes were found in Trucks. We beat the PD to some calls and found ourselves in real bad situations where we left the scene without getting out to wait for PD arrival. The shooter could have still been there.......it's dangerous out there. It does keep you nice and warm in the winter and offers back support as well, and with the proper undergarments, it can be tolerable in the summer, ask any Iraq or afgan vet.

 

[rmabrey]

My first ride along I was paired with the only EMT and Medic in the city that wear a vest. When I asked, I got the answer I expected, "no EMT or Medic has ever been shot here, but we dont want to be the first"

my 2 cents

 

[emt seeking first job]

in Hartford, we got the older vests the PD was switching out.

Except in very special circumstances, nobody should be issued used equipment.

 

[SanJoseEmt]

If I worked 911 in this area a bullet proof vest would be something I would seriously consider. I work IFT with some 911 roll overs and we have 2 units with bullet holes in them. We have medics in the area who have had rival gangs follow them to the ER and fire into the back of the ambulance on the ramp to kill the target, people coming back on scene to kill the victim, all kinds of crazy stuff.

WHERES THIS?

 

[Ensihoitaja]

WHERES THIS?

San Jose

 

[SanJoseEmt]

San Jose

Okay

 

[akflightmedic]

Nearly a 7.5 year resuscitation!! Not the record, yet impressive.

 

[johnrsemt]

Detroit has had some trucks shot at, so has Chicago;
and it is getting more and more common