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Houston firefighters to wear bulletproof vests when responding to ‘dangerous’ calls

The first responders are now getting trained to work during active shooter situations or when the fire department rolls in before police backup arrives.

HOUSTON — On the heels of Monday’s deadly shootout inside a home along the 7800 block of Harding in southeast Houston, there’s a race to better protect firefighters on the frontlines.

Images from Monday’s firefight, which ended with a husband and wife dead and five Houston police officers hurt, remind us that sometimes firefighters make it to the scene before police backup can arrive.

Back in 2016, after a shooting in a West University neighborhood, the Houston Firefighters' Association called for firefighters to be supplied with bulletproof vests. The City of Houston almost immediately began to study the protective effects of the potential multi-million dollar investment.

In September 2018, Houston Fire Chief Samuel Pena announced with the financial help from a federal grant, the department would receive 900 bulletproof vests. The vests are set to arrive at Houston fire stations in late February or early March.

During a press conference in the hours after Monday’s shooting, Chief Pena said, “There’s some real evil in this world, and I think today was evident. This incident was evident, as far as the dangers that our first responders are facing every day out here on the streets.”

The first responders are now getting trained to work during active shooter situations or when the fire department rolls in before police backup arrives.

“The equipment that they normally carry is heavy enough,” Chief Pena said. “These vests are going to add another 30 pounds, maybe, to what they're carrying around. But again, it's about protecting those that are protecting our community.

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