In this next section, we're going to discuss the North American responder vest. We're going to go over some of the key features of the vests and describe how it was designed, why it was designed the way it is. In the past, most of the body armor for first responders was designed for rescue task force.
Essentially, what that meant is you had a rectangular panel on the front and rear with a large wraparound cummerbund. Now, often this was set up to fit the largest member of the department, and then everyone else had to size off of that. It equated to a vest that did not fit most people in the department very well.
You had excessive ballistic overlap and it was very large and bulky, and frankly just didn't fit or feel comfortable. In the North American Rescue responder vest, we took a different approach. We wanted to have a solution for 80% of the population, meaning this is going to fit 80% of your folks very, very well and is adjustable.
Responder Ballistic PPE Vest System
So the idea behind the design of the responder vest is we wanted to have a vest that could be used for rescue task force or tactical EMS very well. You can add plates if you wanted to, but we also wanted to have a vest that any first responder, whether it's an EMT or paramedic or a fireman, can have this next to them in the backseat of their truck.
So while they're operating, while they're on their way to a call, they can quickly don this vest, adjust it to their person, and stay safe on any potentially dangerous scene. The North American Rescue Ballistic responder vest is the premier armor solution for first responders. Extensive prototyping and development was conducted to obtain the optimal armor cut, designed for full ballistic coverage and the unique physical movements necessary for medical care.
The shoulder straps are adjustable to any size so quickly, you can either cinch the straps up or let them out while you're wearing the vest. The armored cummerbund has adjustability in the front and the rear to reduce ballistic overlap. The NAR responder vest is MOLLE compatible, so you can easily adapt this to pouches or necessary gear.
We have external plate pockets, front and rear. Now, this is important because you can add rifle plates while you're wearing the vest. You don't need to take the vest off, so therefore, the external plate pocket is easily accessible and more comfortable than an internal one on the inside of the vest. We have comfortable padding and we also have mesh that allows for moisture-wicking.
The NAR responder vest comes with a standard sized cummerbund that has the option to fit any responder. However, we do offer a smaller version of the armored cummerbund for smaller or petite personnel that will allow them more of a custom fit. We also offer an armored ballistic abdomen piece, which essentially velcros at the bottom of the vest, and hinges when you sit.
Now this provides additional ballistic protection for larger members, and it also gives you a platform to attach additional gear. The NAR responder vest comes in a variety of colors. Navy blue, black, red, or coyote. The vest is available with MOLLE, no MOLLE, and a variety of reflective tape options. We recommend you have body armor available on any dangerous scene, obviously something involving gunfire or violence, civil disobedience, or frankly, any call that could escalate into a violent scenario.
New Threat Levels (Released July 2025)
HG1 = formerly Level II under standard 01010.06, HG2 = formerly Level IIIA under standard 01010.06, RF1 = formerly Level III under standard 01010.06, RF2 = formerly Level IV under standard 01010.06
