Firefighters used to bring only firefighting equipment on calls, and paramedics used to bring only medical equipment and supplies. But for many fire departments and emergency medical services, that has changed. Given the rise in America of shooting incidents, firefighters and paramedics are more at risk to gunfire while on scene.
That's why the Fond du Lac Fire Department recently purchased 25 bullet-proof vests and helmets.
Each vest weighs about 25 pounds, said Assistant Chief Todd Janquart. Though the vests hinder mobility, the added safety outweighs the inconvenience of wearing them, he said.
"The vests are worn at the discretion of the firefighter or chief based on the level of danger encountered. The vests will be kept in the trucks and used on an as-needed basis," Janquart said.
The vests consist of a plate of metal in the front and back made to withstand rounds shot from a high-powered rifle. The shoulder and waistline plates are slightly thinner but tough enough to withstand handgun rounds.
In recent years, first responders have encountered their share of violence.
In January, an Arkansas firefighter was shot and killed while responding to a call of a person having a seizure, and in 2012, four Webster, N.Y., firefighters were shot, two of them fatally, after a man set his house on fire and ambushed them as they approached.