Aurora, Colo.-based UCHealth will join an increasing number of hospitals and health systems across the country who are outfitting their emergency medical technicians and paramedics with bulletproof vests to protect them from harm while on the job, according to the Coloradoan.
All 160 EMTs and paramedics employed by the health system will be required to wear bulletproof vests while on the job. UCHealth will reportedly front the cost of the vests, which may cost between $400 and $500 and weigh approximately 10 pounds each. The initiative will reportedly cost roughly $64,000 to $80,000, according to the report.
Officials said they do not have a timeline in place for implementation and do not know when the health system will receive the vests, according to the report. A UCHealth spokesperson also told the Coloradoan the health system is discussing plans to equip its first responders with ballistic vests as well.
In a survey conducted by the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians, roughly half of NAEMT's members reported being assaulted while on the job. In 2016, the organization received 25 reports of violence against EMTs, compared to the 39 reports it received the year prior, according to the report.