Keeping Your Cool: Dangers of Heat Stroke for Law Enforcement Officers
The brave men and women who comprise the thin blue line between law and order or chaos risk their health, well-being, and lives every day. Civilians owe them a debt of gratitude for their commitment to keeping everyday people safe and secure. Especially considering that the adversity police officers and others in law enforcement face are not limited to arresting criminals and reacting to riot situations.
The threat of being shot, stabbed, and assaulted is quite real and can happen without notice. But what civilians and law enforcement officials may not realize is that the very gear police officers wear to protect themselves from bodily harm may also put them at risk. Traditional riot gear, for example, can restrict necessary airflow and cause dehydration and overheating under strenuous conditions. When dedicated men and women strap on riot gear during critical times, sub-par riot suits could cause heatstroke. That’s why Haven Gear riot suits employ next-generation design and materials to keep officers cool when things get hot.
What Police Officers Need to Know About Heat Stroke
Heatstroke ranks among the most serious health risks, and people generally suffer it when body temperatures exceed 104 degrees. The condition often occurs when the body is tasked with intense physical exertion for an extended period of time under hot conditions. That scenario sounds eerily familiar to law enforcement responding to a substantial civil disturbance during hot summer months.
Add improperly ventilated, cumbersome riot gear on top of high temperatures, you’ve got a recipe for disaster. While officers are laser-focused on restoring order to our community’s streets, heat stroke is an extremely serious threat. These are symptoms you should be acutely aware of while carrying out their duties.
- Increased Body Temperatures: When core temperatures reach 104 degrees, a significant risk of heatstroke presents itself.
- Impacted Brain Functions: If your mental state includes agitation, confusion, headache, or you suffer slurred speech, heatstroke may be imminent.
- Hot Skin: If your skin feels hot to the touch or is flushed, you may be at increased risk of heatstroke.
- Stomach Irritability: Precursors to heatstroke also include nausea and vomiting.
- Hyperventilating: A common symptom before heatstroke is rapid and shallow breathing.
- Erratic Heart Rate: Many heatstroke victims experience increased or uneven heartbeats.
Heatstroke is an extremely serious condition and must be treated as soon as possible to prevent irreparable damage to the heart, kidneys, brain, and muscles. Law enforcement officers are too-often placed in harm’s way during civil discord, but few consider the risk of heatstroke. The condition can take an officer out for months and prove fatal if untreated. It stands to reason that departments should outfit officers with only riot gear that delivers protections against heatstroke and other related risks.
Haven Gear Riots Suits Protect Against Heat Stroke
It’s important to recognize that riot suits are generally part of rapid response teams that are deployed during a fast-escalating crisis. There is little time to strategize gear and riots suits must be strapped on at a moment’s notice. Traditional riot suits often fail to address weather conditions because the primary thinking behind designs was preventing hard impacts and penetrations.
At Haven Gear, we took extreme conditions into consideration when building durable, protective gear for officers. We integrated cooling and hydration systems into every one of our riot suits to keep officers safe from outside forces and harsh environments. It stands to reason that our front line officers should have only the best protection available.
Learn more about each of our riot suits and their integrated cooling and hydration systems. Each riot suit enjoys an ultra-lightweight design that helps reduce body temperatures during use. Areas such as the underarms and groin are protected but open for critical ventilation. Each model can also comes equipped with an integrated cooling system and/or hydration system. The cooling system uses frozen cold packs that are attached to the interior of the suit with durable hook and loop material. They remain cool for up to four hours and can be seamlessly replaced with new frozen packs to immediately alleviate excessively hot temperatures. The hydration system consists of a 1-liter bladder and hose setup that allows officers to easily access water to maintain healthy body temperatures and replenish the peace officer in drawn-out, harsh conditions.
Trust Haven Gear For Your Protection in Any Temperature
Law enforcement officers in every branch put themselves at risk so that everyday people are not subjected to crime and violence. They deserve the latest, next-generation riot gear to keep them as safe as possible from gunshots, stab wounds, hard impacts, and the weather. Haven Gear delivers all that and more. If you’re looking for a riot suit that goes beyond external protection and provides comfort in the harshest conditions, contact our sales team today. We want to make sure your officers come home safely, no matter how hot it gets.