Right now there is a program to raise money to buy protective gloves for every police officer on our police force. These gloves are made of Aramid fibers wound so tight the no needle can penetrate through them. These Aramid fibers are also known as kevlar and nomex.
Our officers are at risk everyday, when they search a suspected drug user or any potential criminal, of accidental needle sticks. These officers are at risk of contracting HIV and Hep C among other contagious diseases carried on these needles. It is estimated that anywhere form 65 to 90 % of IV drug users carry Hep C.
These accidental needle sticks actually happen about 5 times a year to our officers. Once these officers are stuck with the needle, officers must donate blood for testing to see if they have been infected with any disease. The results of this type of testing can take weeks, if not longer, to obtain. That leaves these officers with severe anxiety about what they may have contracted, and what they may be spreading to their families.
The Coastal Bend AIDS Foundation came up with the idea for these gloves for our officers last spring, after hearing so many similar stories of unnecessary needle sticks.
This campaign is called "Protect Our Protectors" and you will soon see billboard signs, tv announcements and literature being spread around the city in the up coming weeks. These advertisements are being paid for by a 5,000 dollar donation from BBVA Compass Bank. It is very nice to see a community business step up and assist our public safety sector.
Each pair of gloves retails for 80 dollars each, but the company Turtleskin, has lowered the price to 55 dollars per pair for our officers.
Police and fire/ems have used the old school latex gloves for years now, even though these gloves provide protection from fluids touching the skin of the hands, they offer no protection from needle sticks.
We see this as a great opportunity to protect our public safety employees and are glad to see that the public saw a need to protect them as well. Our city does not issue these gloves due to their budget can not afford them.
Hopefully these gloves are purchased and issued to every officer on our police force. Then the next thing that the police officers and their union needs to do is to get these gloves established as part of their everyday duty gear. This must be written into policy and for good reason.
You see if these gloves are not seen as part of the officers official duty gear and they use them and something goes wrong with the gloves, the officer will not be covered by the city for the injury. We have seen this in fire departments around the nation.
Fire departments provide their firefighters with qualified gear, not necessarily the best gear available. This is because their budgets usually do not allow the best gear to purchased. So many firefighters purchase their own gear, or parts of their gear anyways, that is much higher quality then what is provided to them. That sounds logical, they want the best protection available and they should have it. But let a fireman get injured or burned and have to file for a on the job injury, the first thing the city will say is "Well that firefighter was not wearing the protective gear that the city issued him/her and therefore the injury is the fault of the firefighter". This is ridiculous, things happen, even with the best protection gear available, things happen. To tell someone they are at fault for a on the job injury because they attempted to protect themselves to the best of their ability is wrong. But this does happen.
Police and Fire/EMS face dangers everyday on the streets. So anything that can be done to reduce the risk of injuries is greatly appreciated by both departments.
These gloves are a great step in protecting our officers. Now when they are finally purchased and issued, it is up to the officers and their union to get them designated as part of their official duty gear. This is also for their safety.
Do you think our Police and Fire/EMS are protected enough by the gear they are provided by the city? What do you think about this campaign to raise money publicly to purchase these gloves for our officers? Should more public businesses get involved in the protection of our public safety sector like BBVA Compass Bank did?
Tell us what you think?
2 comments:
Police and fire/ems are protected adequately if you consider all things mainly budget. However you can always be more protected and to think that a person is held at fault for purchasing is own gear that is tested and proven is ridiculous. Now this is not always the departments fault or even the city's. Every injury is investigated by the state whic in turn is passed on to the national level all so that there can be stats on injuries to work to prevent injuries. Now the problem is too many people have gotten involved, the federal government sets laws on the state the state sets laws for the city, the city sets policies for the department, and the department sets rules for the workers. With that many rules/laws/regulations the simple concept of safety becomes unclear and complicated. So now when the public service employee saves up to buy some type of gear for himself somehow it doesn't fit in with the rules to keep him safe. Crazy isn't it.
As far as the public getting involved, that's great however again a simple idea will become complicated because too many people will eventually be involved.
Ultimately it is the public service employee's safety on the line you would think they would have at least a little to say about what they wear to protect themselves.
@Jg thank you for your comment. Police and Fire/EMS are adequately protected according to their budget, agreed. But with all the budget cuts that are happening locally and nationwide to the public safety sector I believe safety is sometimes over looked. Do cities buy what they can to fit their budget? Sure are these items tested and pass certain standards, absolutely but that doesnt mean they provide the best protection. We agree with you that their are too many rules and regulations placed on the public safety sector from the national level to the state level to the city level. A police officer or fireman should be able to provide for him/herself the best protection available and as long as it passes the same tests and standards as the city issued gear there should never be a problem. As far as the public getting involved we think it is great also. It is not often that public gets involved in the safety of the public safety employee. The general public does not really know the dangers that these police and firemen/ems face everyday on every call. Will there be too many people involved in this lets hope not.
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