4 PPE Tips For Police & Law Enforcement During A Pandemic
Our police officers and other law enforcement personnel often don’t have the luxury of a protective six feet of space from potential corona virus carriers. Emergency calls put these brave men and women in close contact with people, day in and day out. With so much conflicting information out there and a market flooded with “protective” equipment, how can you be sure your first responders safe?
- Know what is considered PPE in regard to the current pandemic.
- Optimize your PPE supplies.
- Source protective gear from reputable suppliers.
- Stay up to date with changing standards as this pandemic evolves.
1. Protective Outerwear For Law Enforcement
During the current COVID-19 pandemic, the CDC recommends that law enforcement officers follow the same PPE guidelines they have created for EMS teams. Because your policing activities may include the need to access your duty belt and associated gear, the CDC has stated that you can do without the gown or overalls as long as you are able to disinfect your duty belt and gear after contact with individuals.
The minimum PPE requirements for EMS and police include four main pieces of gear.
- A pair of disposable examination gloves.
- A disposable isolation gown or single-use/disposable coveralls.
- A NIOSH-approved N-95 or higher-level particulate respirator.
- Eye protection including goggles or a disposable face shield that fully covers the front and sides of the face.
You may want to implement an accountability tag system, similar to our firefighter ID tags, for your department. These quick check-ins can help you to make sure each officer has the proper protective equipment on hand before answering calls.
2. Tracking PPE Supplies
In order to make sure each officer has access to the correct protective equipment it’s important to have enough on hand. Tracking what you have coming in, what you have going out, and how quickly your supplies are being used can keep you aware and prepared.
Because the CDC has found that viable viruses can be detected for days to weeks on non-porous surfaces (like plastics), if you are using reusable half or full-face mask respirators, it’s important to disinfect them between uses.
Consider using equipment marker decals to easily identify which items have been through decon and which still need attention.
3. Make Sure Your Masks & Gowns Are Legit
Protective gowns, respirators, and clothing go through an extensive oversight process to make sure they actually provide the protections listed in materials and product specifications. As the market ebbs and flows, we go from PPE shortage to an excess of options to try and meet today’s demand. Unfortunately, many of the items up for offer may not meet the safety standards we need as first responders.
It’s important to make sure you are ordering from reputable suppliers throughout the corona virus pandemic.
If you regularly record the nights responses on an incident command board or other types of incident tracking system, this may be a good place to note where other departments you talk to on a typical night, like fire personnel and EMS teams, are getting their gear. Keep and note this information as a backup in case your reliable supplier runs short.
4. Have Standards Changed? Be Aware.
Have respirator standards changed from N-95 to P100? Have we learned more about surface contamination? Am I responding to a scene in a high-risk area? Keep yourself and your enforcement crews up-to-date. Record and track the latest information for the CDC so you can stay flexible and safe as we all work together to stay safe.
Ask about our command board customization options. We may be able to supplement the systems you have in place with easy-to-learn and use solutions.
Order Tracking Tools For Police During Pandemics
At American Trade Mark, we want to help you protect police and law enforcement during this and future pandemics. We invite you to assess your current labeling and tracking systems and contact us for solutions wherever you could use a helping hand. We supply and customize decals, accountability tags, and dry erase board systems made to stand up to the wear and tear of firefighting. We look forward to serving you.
Related Posts
American Trade Mark wants to ensure that every hero gets home safely, which is...
At American Trade Mark we know firefighters encounter dangerous conditions on a consistent basis,...
When it's time for a firefighter to retire, how do you say thank you...
Learning key emergency management principles and implementing them within your current incident command systems can help...
Desperate criminals and lives on the line—no one wants to be on the front...
First responders go all out for their communities daily, without any thought of recognition,...
American Trade Mark provides mobile incident command systems to emergency responders nationwide. For EMS...
Police investigation management is incredibly complex. When someone at an active crime scene dials...
Locate victims while keeping your first responders as safe as possible with ICS for...
Motor vehicle accidents happen every day. In order to protect first responders like firefighters,...
Police incident command is essential for ensuring the safety of officers and the public....
EMS and paramedics are often the first lines of help on an emergency scene....
COVID-19 has impacted our communities in every way. Surprisingly, however, despite warnings to distance...
During a time of mask-wearing and social distancing are firefighters really at risk? After...
Hotel and resort fires are unique because of the sheer size, height, and number...
Share information quickly and clearly in an emergency. Efficient resource allocation, firefighter safety, and...
Tracking first responders in hoarder home fires is crucial for safety, and at American...
Firefighters put their lives on the line day in and day out, year after...
Bolster your current wildfire fireground communications with incident command systems and tools from American...
At American Trade Mark, we manufacture and distribute custom products and accessories to compliment...
At American Trade Mark, we offer incident command boards for departments of all sizes...
Get, communicate with, and track the people and information you need during your next...
Ensuring effective fireground communications for both firefighters and incident command with strategic planning and...
American Trade Mark is committed to helping keep our first responders nationwide safe and...
Improve fireground communication and firefighter safety with fire department communication tips for bad weather...
At American Trade Mark, we understand that the incident commander and incident safety officer...
Track departments and communicate more efficiently with tools for coordinating emergency response from American...
American Trade Mark knows what it means to develop strategies for EMS safety. Our...
As fires in the wildland-urban interface continue to rise, so do the demands on...
Limit chemical exposure hazards in your firefighters with accountability tags from American Trade Mark....
Improve your firefighter safety and survival rates with these nine tips from American Trade...
Face the uniquely difficult set of challenges involved in high rise firefighter safety with...
We want to help incident commanders find ways to reduce firefighter stress with tips...
As a nationwide provider of firefighter accountability and incident command equipment, American Trade Mark...
Before diving head first into the latest and perceived greatest, at American Trade Mark,...
Incident command and firefighter safety have come a long way since Benjamin Franklin’s 1736...
Don’t get caught off guard on your next emergency response call. At American Trade...
Whether you are on a dedicated woodland fire crew or IC for a structural...
At American Trademark we've put together some high-stress fireground communication tips for when your...
At American Trademark, we understand that to run an effective emergency response team it...
During a time when first responders are being asked to be prepared for more...
Count on EMS command boards from American Trade Mark to promote safety and accountability...
If you're wondering how to keep firefighters safe during defensive firefighting, count on the...
At American Trade Mark, we serve nationwide as a leading manufacturer of wildland fire...
At American Trademark, we want to help you with risk management and firefighter injury...
At American Trademark, we've put together a list of useful tips for accountability officers....
At American Trade Mark Co. our priority is helping you stay safe from common...
At American Trademark, we want to make sure that you are aware of how...
At American Trade Mark, all of our products are made with the safety of...
When you’re a firefighter, everyone looks out for everyone else by wearing ID tags—and...
The most important job of the Incident Commander is firefighter scene safety. Communication, organization,...
Equipment accountability is important for first responders which is why American Trade Mark offers accountability...
At American Trade Mark, our magnetic and dry erase command boards can streamline and...
At American Trade Mark, we offer law enforcement incident command boards for police and...
Custom reflective stickers for fire departments are necessary to quickly indicate to crews, safety...
To meet the needs of your specific fire department, at American Trade Mark we...
American Trade Mark specializes in the manufacturing of first responder scene safety products and...
As an industry leader in products dedicated to fire personnel tracking and accountability plan...
At American Trade Mark, we offer an effective range of accountability products geared towards...
American Trade Mark offers custom imprinting for firefighters and other emergency medical services. We’ve...
American Trade Mark offers a way to honor first responders with custom member cards....
American Trade Mark has custom license plates for all types of emergency services. No...
Here at American Trade Mark, we understand that choosing the right command board for...
American Trade Mark provides multiple custom engraving and color options for our accountability tags....
When you want more from a company than just pushing sales, you need to...
American Trade Mark Co. is a well-known leader in the firefighter accountability system field...
Safeguard your firefighters with a Velcro accountability board offered by American Trade Mark. This...
Explore custom firefighter accountability tags by American Trade Mark Co. The site of a...
If your department is looking for additional funding to ensure your firefighters have all...
American Trade Mark is a leader in firefighter passport accountability systems (PAS) and supporting...
At American Trade Mark we understand the importance of using quality labels for firefighter...
At American Trade Mark, we serve communities by making it possible to keep track...
Enhance your fire department’s personnel accountability system with American Trade Mark Co. accountability tag...
Firefighter tracking systems are a vital part of first responder safety. They help Incident...
Having robust Incident Command Systems saves firefighters’ and EMTs’ lives by promoting personnel accountability...
Protect your firefighters with American Trade Mark Co. custom firefighter accountability tags. Our personnel...
Firefighter status boards are an essential part of managing successful fire ground operations. American...
American Trade Mark Co. is a leading manufacturer of firefighter equipment marker decals. Firefighter...