Texas Donor Funds Body Armor for Local EMS Agency

The increasing level of violence in society is putting EMTs and paramedics in serious danger on the job, particularly during active shooter incidents. Mindful of this, a generous donor has stepped up to help Gonzales County Emergency Services District 1 (GCESD 1) EMS, which serves all of Gonzales County, Texas (population 20,828), to better protect their staff against gunshot injuries.

“This individual, Mrs. Ruby Alexander, came forward with a very significant donation of $75,000 to be used towards the purchase of protective vests and other safety-related equipment necessary in the ongoing protection of EMS personnel,” reported the Gonzales Inquirer newspaper. “‘I want to do something meaningful to help the fine EMS folks who serve Gonzales County. I hope this will help keep them safe as they do their jobs helping others,’ Alexander said.”

The $75,000 donation is a welcome and extremely timely gift, said Eddie Callender, GCESD 1's executive director and EMS chief. “While we have not yet personally suffered any attacks, we’re about three hours from where the Uvalde school shooting took place,” he told EMS World. “We know we need to do a better job to protect our greatest assets, which are our personnel.”

What They’re Getting

GCESD 1's EMS roster totals 50 in all. Of those, 30 are paid EMTs and paramedics. The other 20 are volunteers who make up its rescue division.

To keep them safe, this EMS agency is buying 50 First Response™ Multi-Threat Vests Level IIIA from Safe Life Defense. According to that company’s website at safelifedefense.com, “Safe Life Defense armor reliably defends against all common handgun rounds including .357, 9mm, 45acp, all the way up to .44 magnum—(plus) shotgun rounds including 00 buckshot, 12 ga slugs and even submachine gun rounds.”

These protective vests will be bright yellow and labeled with the letters “EMS” to differentiate them from black-clad tactical officers on scene. Callender plans to load the vests with soft goods such as tourniquets and chest seals for quick access by EMS wearers during mass shooter events.

Since there will be some donation funds remaining after this purchase, Callender is planning to buy protective headgear for his people and to train them to work in a “warm zone.”

“The way that EMS approaches mass shootings and similar events is changing,” he said. “We're no longer hiding blocks away and waiting for everything to be made completely safe. So we've got to change with the times. Even though we're rural in our setting, we are learning that things happen out here too. As well, there may be fewer of us responding to such incidents here than there are in the big cities, so we may have to do more with our law enforcement and fire partners. This is why some advanced training is something that this money can be used for as well.”

A Community-Minded Donor

Alexander, the person behind this $75,000 donation, is a local resident whose family has been served by GCESD 1's EMS unit in the past.

The start of her donation process was quite low key. “She just asked me one day, ‘do y'all have any needs that are unmet at this time?’” said Callender. “And I responded by telling her that I had been researching the concept of body armor for EMS personnel; what would be most appropriate, what the cost would be, and such. And she said, ‘Well, that sounds important. I have some money that I want to use for good, and that sounds like it would make a good project for doing good.’ And she wrote a check a few days later for $75,000 for our service.”                       

Not surprisingly, news of Alexander’s donation was greeted with enthusiasm by paid and volunteer members of GCESD 1's EMS division. “They are thrilled that we are doing this,” he said.

As for advising other EMS agencies on how to attract such largesse in their communities? “Now is the time to get out and go to the Rotary Club, the Lions Club and other service organizations and organizations that raise money for the good of the community, and ask for their help in funding protective equipment for EMS personnel,” said Callender. “I think that many such organizations would find this a very worthwhile project to sink some time and effort into fundraising for.”

James Careless is a frequent contributor to EMS World.