By Bryan Boggiano
The city commission will consider approving a contract that provides all firefighters with ballistic rifle plates at their Wednesday meeting.
The commission will vote on authorizing the Coral Springs-Parkland Fire Department to purchase the rifle plates from Slate Solutions, LLC, through their distributor, GL Distributors, Inc.
The cost of the rifle plates through an existing state contract is $65,440, which would come from the city’s approved operating budget with a grant offset.
According to a city document, utilizing the existing state contract would result in a 30 percent discount.
Since the vote on the rifle plates is part of the commission’s consent agenda, they will not need to discuss the contract formally before voting.
The move comes as the fire department determined that the rifle plates, together with current ballistic soft armor, are in the best interests of each firefighter’s safety.
Fire department personnel would wear these vests when responding to an active shooter, hostage, stabbings, or other violent incidents or other emergencies where their safety is at risk, according to the document.
Combined with their current armor and the proposed ST Level III ICW ballistic rifle plate, firefighters will have protection not only from handgun rounds but also from rifle ammunition such as 5.56 x 45mm, 7.62 x 39mm, and 7.62 x 51mm, according to the document.
The document states that the plates meet the National Institute of Justice’s safety standards for body armor.
Coral Springs Police recommend these ballistic plates. Before the recommendation, they researched and tested multiple different plates from different vendors, according to the document.
The plates also enjoy a 10-year warranty rather than the industry’s standard five-year period, meaning that the fire department will save money.
The commission will vote on awarding the contract at their March 2 meeting, beginning at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall, located at 9500 W. Sample Road.
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