By Rachel Engel
Brownsburg, Ind. — In what department officials described as a proactive measure, each member of the Brownsburg Fire Territory is now equipped with body armor, NBC 13 reported.
Fire officials purchased the gear for all firefighters and paramedics over the summer, a big change, said Battalion Chief Ryan Miller.
“This is the last thing we would have thought of, but here we are,” he said. “The world has changed and again, we try to be prepared.”
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The agency plans to coordinate with local law enforcement on training with the body armor for active shooter events and emergency response plans.
“The last thing we want to do is get on scene and become part of the problem,” Miller said. “So we don’t want to go there and get ourselves into a situation which is actually going to make it worse.”
Miller referenced violent incidents involving first responders in other areas of the country and highlighted the importance of being a step ahead.
“We haven’t had any specific issues her in Brownsburg, but if you follow some of the different news headlines around the country, there have been other incidents around the country where firefighters, EMS and paramedics have been targeted,” he said. “We try to be prepared for everything, and this is just another piece of that.”