AFPD looks at body armor

The Ashland Fire Protection District continued its consideration of body armor for the firefighters at last week’s meeting. Matt Krembs, representing Armor Express based in North Carolina, attended and brought along several items to demonstrate to the board. These included the vests, called “plate carriers” because the vests are not themselves armored but carry pouches into which the armor plates are inserted. The armor itself comes in two categories: a softer, more flexible option that allows the wearer more flexibility and hard plates which has more resistance to incoming bullets. He also brought helmets to the meeting. In his presentation, Krembs urged the board not to purchase armor with vibrant colors.