AUSTIN, Texas — Soon, the Austin Fire Department (AFD) and Austin-Travis County EMS (ATCEMS) will have a full collection of bulletproof vests to keep them safe as they respond to dangerous emergencies.
The Central Texas Public Safety Commission (CTPSC) made a donation for both departments to buy the equipment they’ve needed for a while. With the funds, AFD was able to purchase about 200 vests, enough for every firefighter on each truck, and ATCEMS was able to purchase 85.
ATCEMS said with the new donation, they currently have enough for every frontline staff to use one on their shift, but are hoping that by next year, every staff member has one issued to them individually. Since the early 2000s, ATCEMS has had ballistic vests that were the soft style, but they said with more violence across the country, they needed an upgrade…