Equipment & Apparel

The Individual First Aid Kit (Trauma Kit): EVERY OFFICER SHOULD CARRY ONE

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…


The Rescue Essentials TCCC IFAK

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…


Body Armor Update: 2018

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…


Public Perception

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…


Selecting a Light Bearing Holster

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

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…


Body Armor Update: 2017

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…


How to Go the Distance

 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…


Body Armor Update: 2016

The 23rd Annual Report on the Latest Advances in Ballistic Armor Technology and Design “During the past three decades, ballistic-resistant soft body armor has saved the lives of more than 3,000 police officers,” making it critical safety equipment for law enforcement, the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) reports. Ballistic armor technology is constantly changing: incorporating new materials, improving performance and enhancing wearability. This article will provide some background to help you make the right body armor choices. We’ll end with…