Body armor provides ballistic protection against the most common firearm threats. Armor is comprised of specialized ballistic materials designed to prevent bullet perforation by catching and slowing down a projectile. There are generally two categories of body armor: soft armor and hard armor. Soft armor is flexible and protects against handguns but is not rated to stop rifles. Hard armor or rifle plates are necessary to protect against rifle threats. No body armor is “bullet proof” so armor is tested against the most common ballistic threats first responders might face. The National Institute of Justice maintains the current body armor standards and testing protocols. It’s imperative that your body armor has been tested and certified by an approved NIJ laboratory to ensure your safety.

Firefighters and EMS personnel operate differently than law enforcement. This requires a different approach to body armor design. Most Fire and EMS agencies adopt a one size fits most approach since personnel will share ballistic PPE. The movement requirements for first responders providing medical care are different than law enforcement. This requires a deep understanding of how Fire and EMS personnel operate and designing body armor that allows the rescuer to perform their duties while keeping them safe. A soft armor ballistic vest should be the foundation of protection for first responders. FBI data clearly shows most people are shot with handguns and not rifles, but rifles are often used in active shooter incidents. Soft armor provides more ballistic coverage than hard armor and is better suited for routine wear. Hard armor plates can be rapidly inserted for Rescue Task Force (RTF) or active shooter incidents and can provided protection against rifle threats.

Body armor is manufactured from a variety of materials which are designed to prevent penetration and reduce the blunt force trauma to the wearer. Armor is always a compromise between weight, protection and functionality. If the armor is too heavy, bulky or uncomfortable then it is the wrong solution or design. Body armor should keep you protected while allowing you to perform your job functions.

Soft Armor offers critical protection against handgun threats along with the capability for extended daily wear. NAR provides an optimal over-the-uniform soft armor vest that features flexible layers of ballistic resistant materials constructed from synthetic Aramid fibers with a very high strength to weight ratio. These super strong fibers are woven into multiple layers that are stacked to create an armor panel. When a handgun bullet strikes the armor panel, it gets caught in a web of high-performance fibers that stretch and disperse the impact energy causing the bullet to deform or “mushroom”. This dispersion of energy not only prevents bullet perforation, but also helps minimize possible injury to underlying tissue.

Hard armor is designed to provide a higher degree of protection from rifle threats. Constructed from a variety of hard ballistic-resistant materials such as ceramic, compressed UHMWPE (ultra-high-molecular-weight-polyethylene), metallic plates, or a composite of multiple materials, each of these rigid materials offer their own unique properties. The hard armor plates offered by NAR are stand-alone (no soft armor required) and multi-hit rated for armor piercing threats such as 5.56 mm “Green Tip” (M855).