Eugene Nielsen Eye protection only works when you wear it, so finding the right fit, form and functionality will help ensure that your eye pro becomes an essential part of your daily kit. You not only need to protect your eyes from the sun, but from unexpected eye hazards as well. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 2,000 eye injuries occur every day at work in the US. Wearing the proper eyewear could prevent more…
Bill Siuru, Ph.D., PE The 26th Annual Report on the Latest Advances in Ballistic Armor Technology and Design The big news for 2019 is the issuance of NIJ Standard 0101.07 (or the pending issuance) which comes over a decade after the release of NIJ Standard 0101.06. This new standard improves the test methods, along with the performance requirements, for the level of ballistic resistance body armor must have to protect the torso from handgun and rifle fire. The NIJ Standard…
Eugene Nielsen Incidents such as an active shooter or mass casualty call necessitate that law enforcement personnel be prepared to provide immediate life-saving first aid to injured civilians; fellow officers; and, perhaps, even themselves. Tactical Emergency Casualty Care (TECC) for EMS and law enforcement is an adaptation of military Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC), whose guidelines differ from the Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) guidelines on which civilian trauma care has been based. TECC teaches EMS practitioners and other prehospital…
As the saying goes, you’re only as good as your training. Learning proper tactical combat casualty care techniques and practicing them in the classroom and in field situations has proven beyond all doubt to save lives. The critical importance of training to gain muscle memory and self-treatment capability cannot be overstated. The Rescue Essentials TCCC IFAK is designed for use as a simulated medical equipment teaching tool for use by law enforcement and tactical medics and is not for field…
The 25th Annual Report on the Latest Advances in Ballistic Armor Technology and Design Rebecca Waters While great leaps in technology and product development are rare in any industry, each year sees stepwise improvements in existing product lines and the emergence of new products offering novel features, often developed in response to specific industry needs. This year was no different in the body armor industry where a plethora of small changes promise to improve the comfort, design or effectiveness of…
Rebecca Waters How does an officer’s physical appearance influence public opinion? Recent events involving police use of force have compelled law enforcement to spend more time considering their relationship with the communities they serve and how to improve the public’s perception of officers and their role in the community. In addition to public outreach programs designed to bring citizens in contact with officers in constructive, positive ways, recent research suggests that an officer’s appearance can influence public opinion. “It is possible…
Mike Boyle In recent years, the use of Weapon Mounted Lights (WMLs) has become prevalent in law enforcement. Ultimately, the holster you select to accommodate this accessory is just as important as the gun itself and is no place to cut corners. Integral accessory rails on popular police service pistols were introduced in the late 1990s and this enabled the end user to affix either a weapon mounted light or a laser aiming device. While both of these technological innovations…
Odor Crusher™ Can Make Your Job Easier Bill Siuru, Ph.D., PE Not only can law enforcement be a dangerous job, it can also be a smelly one. Clothes, body armor and tactical gear can smell of sweat, mildew, smoke, and other unpleasant odors. Also, police vehicles can be “scent-laden” after a day’s shift or after transporting a drunk or a homeless person who hasn’t taken a shower in a while. Or, how about canine units which carry a dog in…
The 24th Annual Report on the Latest Advances in Ballistic Armor Technology and Design Rebecca Waters “I was very lucky, actually. We had a traffic stop…and I initially thought the guy was in need of medical attention. He had blood on his face, he was drooling, vomiting, and I kind of looked over the car a little bit and said, ‘Hey, are you okay?’…. He had a .45 right under his leg…he pulled it out and shot me once in…
Solutions to the Problem of Getting Older Growing older remains one of life’s better practical jokes. Just when you’ve got it all figured out, the various parts of your body begin to betray you one by one. More so in law enforcement than most other professions, encroaching middle age can have an adverse impact on performance. Over time, many of us have found that heavy gun belts and long hours behind the wheel of a cruiser make for a perpetually…