In the blink of an eye, it can mean the difference between life and death.
Most law enforcement officers regard it as necessary equipment, perhaps the most important
protective gear they may use in a day.
To ensure body armor provides the best protection for you, three things must be considered:
proper selection, proper measurement and fit, and proper care.
Proper selection of body armor means choosing a model that meets your needs as an officer
and that is certified by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ).
First, the threats that you are most likely to face are the most important consideration
in selecting your body armor.
For everyday wear, you should, at a minimum, select the level of armor that will protect
you from your own handgun in the event that it is taken from you during a struggle.
Additionally, you may want to consider some common threats you may encounter on a daily basis.
After identifying the appropriate level, you should choose an armor model that has gone
through NIJ's compliance testing program and is listed on the NIJ Compliant Product List.
Guidance related to protection levels and a list of compliant products can be found on POLICEARMOR.ORG.
Proper measurement and fitting is the second key to a vest that protects you well.
FBI Uniform Crime Reports show that, for the past 10 years, 28% of officers killed while
wearing body armor were killed by rounds hitting unprotected areas of the torso.
While body armor is your most important protective equipment, a single round exploiting a gap
in a poorly-fitting armor could have devastating results.
Being properly measured for your body armor and having it fitted and adjusted to you are
both necessary to obtain sufficient coverage of your torso and vital organs while allowing
you full range of motion to perform your duties.
It is to your advantage to understand measurement and fitting, and NIJ provides free access
to an ASTM Standard Practice for Wearer Measurement and Fitting of Body Armor – this document
gives detailed descriptions and instructions for necessary measurements plus guidance on
how to assess whether your body armor fits.
NIJ has also developed 3 brochures that you can download for free.
Two are measurement data sheets – one for males and one for females - and the other
is a personal armor fit assessment with steps you can take to check whether your body armor
fits and has sufficient coverage.
The personal armor fit assessment is so important that we'd like to walk you through the steps.
After you receive your body armor and while wearing your typical undershirt, duty belt,
and pants, you should put it on and adjust it according to the manufacturer's instructions.
Then, perform the following checks to assess the fit and coverage: Take 5 deep breaths.
If you are not able to take deep breaths without restriction, loosen the side straps slightly.
Repeat this step until you can take deep breaths comfortably.
Next, check your body armor for proper coverage: Sit comfortably with your arms at your sides.
Check the front panel to ensure the top edge reaches your suprasternal notch (V) at the
base of your neck and the bottom edge reaches the top of your duty belt.
Note: If the armor seems to be too high or low on your torso, adjust the shoulder straps,
and repeat this step.
Stand comfortably with arms at your sides.
Check the front panel to verify the bottom edge is no more than 2 to 3 finger widths
from the top of your duty belt.
Check the armhole area to ensure the armor is flush with your torso and there are no
gaps between your torso and the armor.
Check the back panel to ensure the top edge extends vertically to the most prominent vertebra
at the neck and the lower edge is near the top of your duty belt and is level with the
lower edge of the front panel.
Stand comfortably with your arms raised slightly out from your sides.
Check both sides of the armor: The top edge on each side should be no more than 3 inches
from your armpit and the bottom edge should be near the top of your duty belt.
There should be at least 2 inches of overlap of the front and back panels.
Make sure that the upper and lower edges between the front and back panels on each side line up.
Check your body armor to make sure you can perform your duties while wearing it:
Assume your handgun shooting stance.
There should be little to no bicep rubbing or discomfort, tingling in arms or hands,
or interference with arms.
Reach to the center back of your duty belt, as if reaching for restraints, to ensure there
is no interference when reaching back.
Squat for 10 seconds to ensure the vest does not cause pinching at your sides or near your
duty belt and does not cause choking at your neck.
Sit in the driver's seat of your vehicle, fasten your seatbelt, and place your hands
on the steering wheel.
The vest should not cause pinching at your sides or near your duty belt and should not
cause choking at your neck during these movements.
These steps and more are detailed in the personal armor fit assessment, and we recommend that
you assess your fit whenever you receive new body armor or if your weight changes significantly.
Any problems found during the assessment should be brought to the attention of your supervisor.
The final key to ensuring your body armor protects you well is proper care.
It is recommended that you periodically remove your ballistic panels from the carrier and
inspect them.
Check for cuts, tears, stitching separation, sealing problems and excessive wear, all of
which could expose the ballistic materials to moisture and other degrading factors.
Carriers that rub the panel covers as a result of normal flexing can wear through the cover
and expose the ballistic material to moisture.
This could cause degradation of the material and lessen the body armor's effectiveness.
Also, periodically inspect the label.
If the label is becoming illegible or shows signs of excessive wear, it should be replaced.
It is important that you be able to identify the model and protection level of your body
armor in case there is a safety recall.
When checking the label, note the issue date and compare it to the manufacturer's ballistic
warranty which is also on the label.
If your vest is close to or beyond its declared warranty period, you should talk to your supervisor
about your departments planned replacement policy.
A second aspect of proper care is cleaning.
Periodically remove your ballistic panels from the carrier and clean them
per the manufacturer's instructions.
The general cleaning instructions include the following: The general industry procedure
for cleaning armor panels is as follows: Remove the ballistic panels from the carrier.
Wipe the outer panel cover using a damp sponge or soft cloth and cold water.
Air-dry the panels flat, avoiding folding or creasing the panels while they dry.
Once dry, re-insert the panels into the carrier ensuring that the wear face of each panel
will be toward your body when you put the body armor on.
No chemicals, other than those specified by the manufacturer, should be used when cleaning
the panels.
Bleach or starch, even when highly diluted, may reduce the protection level.
Do not rinse, soak, submerge or spray the armor panels.
Any superficial smudges, marks or soiling that remain should not harm the armor panel
integrity.
Never dry soft armor panels outside, even in the shade, as exposure to ultraviolet light
is known to cause degradation of certain types of ballistic materials.
It is also necessary to periodically clean the carrier, and the general industry procedure
for cleaning carriers is as follows: Remove detachable straps and fasteners from the carrier.
If straps and fasteners are not detachable, place them in their secured position.
Unless the supplier specifically advocates machine washing, hand wash the carrier in
cold water with a mild detergent for delicate fabrics.
Rinse the carrier thoroughly and hang up indoors to air dry.
Improper cleaning can damage a ballistic panel, and damaged panels can cause the body armor
to fail when shot.
You should never dry-clean, machine wash, or machine dry your ballistic panels.
Detergents, dry-cleaning solvents, and laundry equipment can damage or degrade panels.
The final step for proper care is storage.
You should always store your body armor as recommended by the manufacturer, but some
general guidelines include the following: Store your body armor flat at room temperature
in a dry place that minimizes exposure to direct light.
If you prefer to hang your body armor, hang it from a specially designed robust hanger
made for body armor.
Do not hang your vest by the carrier straps, as this may cause the straps to stretch and
lose their original shape and fit.
If your body armor is damp, turn it inside out or open and lay it flat to allow moisture
to evaporate.
You should always air-dry damp armor prior to storage.
You should not store your body armor in a low airflow environment, such as the bottom
of a locker, nor in a potentially extreme hot or cold place, such as the trunk of a
car.
Of course, your body armor does not make you bullet-proof, but it does greatly increase
your chances of survival if you are shot.
It is critical that you select an appropriate model based on protection level, make sure
it fits and is adjusted properly to you, and care for it properly.
One final note of caution is that ballistic-resistant body armor is not designed to protect against
edged blades or stabbing weapons.
Stab armor standards and compliant products can be found on POLICEARMOR.ORG, too.
The bottom line is: Wearing body armor provides an added level of protection for you as you
perform your duties on the job.
Body armor has saved the lives of many of your colleagues.
It can be a life-saver for you, too!
Stay Safe.
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