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Date: 3/1/2018
WEST SPRINGFIELD – The West Springfield Fire Department is taking a step forward in firefighter safety by providing bulletproof vests to on-duty firefighters.
The Department used $6,500 from a “planning and emergency” grant to buy seven ballistic vests and helmets. The vests will help absorb the impact of firearm-fired projectiles and aim to stop or reduce any penetration to the body. They are worn on the torso, and are made of many layers of woven or laminated fibers. While most have a ballistic plate inserted into them, metal or ceramic plates can be used with a soft vest – providing additional protection against rifle rounds.
The Department’s new, 15-pound vests are highly rated, and can offer protection from both handguns and assault weapons, according to Lieutenant CJ Bartone.
“Firefighters are used to carrying heavy gear, so that’s a good thing, but this is a little bit of a different situation,” he said. “Our job is to go out there to try to help people as best as we can. If we can’t protect ourselves, we’re not going to be able to render aid to those that need us.”
Bulletproof vests have long been a staple of police departments, but firefighters have rarely been granted the same levels of protection when serving alongside officers on special calls.
In West Springfield, the Fire Department administers Emergency Medical Services (EMS) on top of all fire-related services. The main duties of a full-time firefighter are to help protect the public in emergency situations. They respond to a wide variety of calls, such as car crashes, chemical spills, flooding, water rescue and general rescue, as well as fires. The West Side firefighters often assist the Police Department on dangerous calls to render aid to injured civilians or injured law enforcement.
Bartone said he believes the increasing climate of active-shooter situations played a role in the decision to purchase the vests.
“There was an incident a little over year ago involving some potential pipe bombs on Riverdale. It was an active scene – they [the Police Department] shut down Riverdale and the bomb squad had to come in, while the Fire Department was on the scene working in conjunction with the police,” he said. “We didn’t have these vests at the time, so that was one of the things that might’ve encouraged the chief to actively look into this type of protection, but, also, every time you turn on the news these days, active shootings just seem to be the world we live in now.”
Generally, on these types of calls, the Police Department will go secure a scene first. Once secure, the Fire Department will enter to administer aid.
The lieutenant added that he thinks the vests will be beneficial in getting help to the Police Department quicker. The vests will be worn in situations in which law enforcement knows an active shooter is on scene.
“I would’ve never thought firefighters would be wearing bulletproof vests, but with the way the job has evolved and changed, with the different calls and situations, I think it’s necessary to protect ourselves,” said Bartone. “Gone are the days where we would have to hang out a block away from the scene and wait for the Police Department to secure the scene. Now, with this protection, we can go alongside them and start rendering aid much quicker than before, so I think that’s a positive.”
The West Springfield Police Department plans to offer training tips to the fire department in terms of how to wear the vests, as well as the type of work the two departments will be doing together moving forward – such as the types of aid that will be rendered on scene while wearing the vests, and how far the Fire Department will follow the Police Department into a potential “hot-zone.”
Six of the velcro vests will go on the city’s ambulances, and one in the incident commander’s vehicle.