Wake County first responders to get tactical gear

Oct 25, 2023

by: Gilat Melamed

Posted: Jun 7, 2023 / 11:03 PM EDT

Updated: Jun 7, 2023 / 11:27 PM EDT

RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — First responders say their job is becoming more dangerous and additional protection is needed. Wake EMS and the Wake County fire departments will receive tactical gear under the county's new budget.

Every call first responders go to comes with a level of uncertainty. That's why Garner Fire-Rescue Chief Matt Poole said firefighters need tactical gear.

"I think 10 years ago, none of us really thought that we would need this equipment on fire trucks, but with the active shooter situations increasing daily, it's not a matter of if, it's a matter of when," Poole said.

He said the gear could help in other situations too.

"You can go to domestic abuse calls and those type of scenarios, fights, and overdose calls, all these things," Poole said. "I think in today's time and era, certainly we need a higher level of protection or at least to provide it for them so they could make the decision on if they should wear it or not," Poole said.

Due to concerns about needing to respond to potential active-shooter situations, Garner Fire-Rescue already purchased a few bulletproof vests and helmets with money they raised.

Now under Wake County's new budget, all fire departments, except for Raleigh and Cary which are separate from the county, will receive bulletproof vests and ballistic helmets for all staffed units.

Poole said the equipment will be stored in each truck so it's available at all times.

All roughly 475 Wake EMS employees will receive tactical gear too.

Wake County EMS Director Chris Colangelo said the department's working on guidelines for when to wear the gear, he noted there are dangers on non-shooting calls, like when an EMS employee was hit by a stary bullet while responding to an injured person at a park.

He expects wearing the vest will become more of a standard and the helmets will be more for active-shooter situations.

CBS 17 asked Colangelo if EMS providers had any gear to protect them from gunshots when they responded to the Hedingham active-shooter situation.

"So initially we did not, so the initial crews that responded, we don't currently have any type of ballistic protection," Colangelo said.

He said as the events unfolded, crews received gear from the Raleigh Fire Department that brought equipment to a central location.

Beyond shooting calls, Colangelo said he's increasingly concerned about non-violent calls too after reports of EMS providers being assaulted over the years.

He believes the added physical protection could protect mental health too.

"It's not going to take all the anxiety away from responding to these types of incidents, but it does help with staff, it helps them to focus more on the patients because they have one, you know, an additional layer of protection," Colangelo said.

The gear costs about $900,000, according to Wake County Commissioner Matt Calabria. The departments hope to have it in a few months.

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