When Hopkinton paramedics arrived at the scene of a man barricaded in a small outbuilding with a sawed-off shotgun in December, the crew stood by wearing new gear: bulletproof vests and helmets.
While the nearly two-hour standoff ended peacefully, such equipment is becoming more common for firefighters and EMTs as they are increasingly thrown in the middle of hostile situations, including active shooter and mass casualty incidents.
During such responses, a perimeter is set up with three zones – cold, warm and hot. The “cold zone” is a secure staging area for responders and the “hot zone” is where police work to contain the threat.
The ballistics gear allows firefighters/paramedics into the “warm zone” alongside law enforcement to quickly provide life-saving first aid to victims such as trauma bandages and tourniquets.