FOND DU LAC, WI (WHBL/KFIZ) - Nearly every police department has body armor for its officers in case a situation for it use arise. In Fond du Lac, the use of body armor will also be used by other emergency responders.
Fond du Lac firefighters and paramedics completed training this week to use this piece of equipment after the department bought 25 sets of body armor that can be worn during active shooter situations.
Assistant Fire Chief Todd Janquart says waiting until it’s completely safely could mean the loss of lives. “Law enforcement will address the immediate shooter threat and clear areas for EMS and law enforcement to go in together and be able to treat some of those victims and prevent them from dying from bleeding out or airway issues or anything like that.”
Janquart says the body armor weighs about 22 pounds and it’s not too restrictive. He adds in their line of work they take educated risks, and he believes the armor will work in tandem with law enforcement and in doing their job while also protecting their members. “We want our personnel to be able to go home to their families every day when they’re done with their shift. So it’s affordable protection for our department. It’s really life saving equipment that can be used, and we feel that it’s a good purchase.”
Over the past five years Fond du Lac has had three incidents in which police officers were shot at, and in two of them killed. When Officer Craig Birkholz was killed during a standoff in March of 2011 police found bullet holes in an ambulance standing by at the scene.