WISCONSIN DELLS, Wis. — The industry of law enforcement has been changing rapidly over the last few years, and we understand that officers have more on their plates now than ever. This added pressure of being an officer can turn into more stress and anxiety, leading officers to sweat more and overheat while on the job. Being hot and sweaty can make officers uncomfortable, which leads to a cycle of being overwhelmed and overheated.To help lighten the load of officers and cool them down while on the job, we recommend BlueStone Safety Load Bearing Vests.
Over the last few years, the health benefits of wearing BlueStone Safety’s load bearing vest carriers have been explored in great detail. After completing a research study, the Mayo Health Clinic and University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire found that BlueStone Safety’s custom load bearing vests help improve officer’s posture by reducing slouching/ rounded shoulders, and they help alleviate hip, lower back, and sciatic pain. While this is all true, BlueStone LBVs also do something else extremely important: they help reduce heat rash and heat exhaustion.
Police officers work 8 hour, 10 hour, and even 12 hour shifts each week to protect and serve their communities. When heat exhaustion and heat rash are added to the equation during the warm months, this makes their job even more stressful. Without a load bearing vest, officers wear their body armor underneath their uniform shirt, and they usually have an extra shirt beneath the body armor as well. Adding the weight and extra layers on an already hot day makes officers experience sweat, heat exhaustion, and potentially heat rash from the friction.
When an officer wears a BlueStone load bearing vest however, the body armor is placed in the outer carrier and it is worn over the uniform shirt. With this setup, the officer is able to air out their vest a bit by simply undoing one of the Velcro side straps and lifting the vest up a bit. If the officer has a bit of down time, or if they are in the department, they can easily remove their load bearing vest, which will make them significantly cooler, and remove about 20-30 pounds of body armor and equipment.
Former Chief of Police Vernell Dooley from Glenn Heights Texas had ordered BlueStone custom load bearing vests for his department back in 2019, and he found the vests to be a great relief while on duty. “Instead of keeping all that heat inside, this allowed some breathability and that’s crucial in Texas heat,” Dooley said. During a particularly warm summer day, Dooley had to wear the vest for 14 hours. “I was hot but I wasn’t near as hot as I would have been. Normally, I’d be physically just beaten down, but while I was walking around, I was comfortable,” Dooley said.
When an officer doesn’t need to deal with heat exhaustion and heat rash, they are able to handle day-to-day situations with a much clearer head and less stress. “If you’ve got an officer that is more comfortable, he’s not at the end of his shift just super tired, super cranky, super ready to go home,” Dooley said. “If you’ve got an officer that is actually comfortable, he or she is going to provide that higher level of customer service that we need to have in law enforcement.”
BlueStone Safety load bearing vests are backed by a 2 year warranty for stitching and craftsmanship, and are built to last much longer than the competition. These LBVs are custom made to the Chief or Sheriff’s exact specifications and needs, providing officers with superior comfort while maintaining a Class A uniform look. Each vest is fully custom made, and allows officers to choose the pouch locations for their handcuffs, magazines, flashlights, etc.
Lighten the load a bit; You don’t need to be left uncomfortable this summer wearing your body armor under your uniform shirt. For more information or to order a BlueStone Safety custom load bearing vest carrier, please visit: https://bluestonesafety.com/custom-vest-carrier.
About BlueStone Safety Products
BlueStone Safety Products is a state-of-the-art defense company that manufactures custom load bearing vests / outer carriers for LE. Mayo Health Clinic and the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire completed a research study with the Eau Claire Police Department, and concluded that wearing BlueStone load bearing vests effectively reduced officers’ lower back, sciatic, and hip pain; Eau Claire then chose BlueStone to be their direct manufacturer. You can find this case study on our website.
BlueStone takes great pride working with some of the finest Sheriffs and Chiefs across our nation. No matter your department size, we’ll assist you. We specialize in keeping officers in good health, good posture, and pain free while on the job.
Our vests give officers a uniform look, made to the Chief’s or Sheriff’s exact specifications. If you can dream it we can make it; all of our vests are proudly made in the USA (not overseas), and made custom to each officer’s measurements. BlueStone vests are a long-term investment to protect your officers from poor physical health, keeping our officers healthy and able to support their communities.
We also offer our brand of multiple armor threat levels.