http://www.theppsc.org/Staff_Views/Czarnecki/ergonomics_and_safety_in_law_enforcement.htm. Worn vehicle cushions can exacerbate the discomfort by allowing the officer to sink lower into the middle of the seat. Copyright 2022 Police departments should consider different options to reduce duty belt discomfort. Modern Sam Browne belts are half or fully lined to stiffen them and support the weight of the equipment worn on them, and incorporates a false buckle with hooks on the back to attach to hardware on the opposite end. Recommendations to ease the pain of critical equipment for police officers. and manufacturers. By submitting your information, you agree to be contacted by the selected vendor(s) This may be called Tools or use an icon like the cog. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. BDB (Better Duty Belt) New from Spec.-Ops. Brand: An improved version of the load carrying / duty / pistol belt favored by Military and Law Enforcement. The tacplates use Velcro to mate to the base plates threaded onto the underbelt. This is a one-time fitting process, although the ties can always be cut off and the process repeated if adjustments are needed. Tim has written more than 800 articles for nearly every national law enforcement publication in the United States. The addition of radios and extra handcuffs, handguns and spare magazines can add 3 to 4 pounds to the belt. The rectangular brass buckle can be 2 inches wide by nearly 3 inches high and places uncomfortable pressure on the front of the pelvis and abdomen when driving and/or sitting for extended periods of time. Alternatively, post a comment by completing the form below: Your email address will not be published. Wearers usually had to grasp the frog with their left hands while drawing the sword with the right. Of course, if youre living with chronic back and/or hip pain from a duty belt, getting rid of it for that price is a great bargain. Many leather duty belts can take several years to break in. Informa PLC is registered in England and Wales with company number 8860726 whose registered and Head office is 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG. Copyright 2022 Request product info from top Police Duty Gear companies. Nylon belts that are 2 inches wide resulted in increased officer comfort with fewer complaints of the belt digging in under the ribs and on the rim of the pelvis. Duty belt equipment can include a handgun, handcuffs, flashlight, latex gloves, baton, radio and pepper spray canister and can weigh up to 20 pounds when fully loaded. Required fields are marked *. Spec.-Ops Brand creates combat-grade, rock solid tactical nylon products for organizing weapons and gear that improve performance in the field. Look for a box or option labeled Home Page (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari) or On Startup (Chrome). Pain in the low back, hip and pelvis can be caused by pressure exerted by the edges of the duty belt, holster shank and other equipment attached to the belt. Water plants do matter to the general [], Traffic signal technology tapped to reduce congestion in Portland's metro area, A 2020 survey of traffic congestion in cities around the globe ranked Portland, Ore., as the 14th worst metro area in the nation and 115th worst in the world. A belt that is too tight creates excessive pressure on the officers pelvic and hip areas. He is the author of The Truth About Cops, a collection of answers written for Quora.com. This website uses cookies, including third party ones, Tim holds a bachelors degree in biological science from San Jos State University, a masters degree in criminal justice from The University of Alabama, and the Certified Protection Professional credential from ASIS International. All rights reserved. Learn more here. The feet are actively being used and cannot be used to support and stabilize the lower body as normally happens when they are placed on the floor. Duty belts are designed to carry equipment in a readily accessible manner while leaving the officers hands free. Get the latest news and special offers. The precise position of the tacplates is determined by the wearers anatomy and the placement of the gear on the belt. He continued his military career, but had some difficulty carrying his officers sword in a scabbard on a traditional belt. Your email address will not be published. Unlike regular sitting in a chair, when a patrol car is in motion, the seated body is subject to different forces: accelerations and decelerations, lateral swaying from side to side, and whole-body up and down vibrations. Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Some options to consider would be: The 2003 U.C. Kathy Espinoza is a board certified professional ergonomist. Select the option or tab named Internet Options (Internet Explorer), Options (Firefox), Preferences (Safari) or Settings (Chrome). He now writes on police applications of technology in law enforcement from his home in SE Washington state. to allow for analysis of how people use our website in order to By continuing to use our website, you agree to the use of such cookies. This keeps the belt from sliding around the circumference of the waist. Lower profile, with a 2-inch thickness (top to bottom) of belt and buckle. Leather gear is generally regarded as having a more traditional and professional appearance. According to a University of California, San Francisco/Berkeley Ergonomics Program study (see Reference 1), discomfort from wearing a duty belt is driven by the amount/weight of equipment on the belt, the placement of those items against the body and the force exerted on the equipment when the officer is seated in the patrol vehicle. Copyright 2022 Informa PLC. finds relevant news, identifies important training information, Its possible to use regular belt keepers in place of the zip ties, if desired. Police gun belts or duty belts are often called Sam Browne belts, after British General Sam Browne. Once good placement is achieved for fit and comfort, the ties are closed and the excess material snipped off. Duty belts are typically 2.25 inches wide and made of leather. Tim Dees is a writer, editor, trainer and former law enforcement officer. A three-way buckle requires the wearer to depress a third release catch before the buckle can be separated, which decreases the chance of the belt being released by anyone but its wearer. and Privacy Policy. The cross belt has been eliminated from most police uniforms, but remnants of the original design are still in use. Much of the city itself is underwaterhundreds of homes, [], Cybercrime is on the rise, and water treatment plants are particularly vulnerable, With most town water treatment plants serving less than 50,000 people, theyre facing a problem: budgetary constraints preventing administrators from investing in their digital defenses, making them prime targets for cybercriminals. The scabbard attached to the belt with a clip called a frog, and the frog didnt grip the belt tightly. The wearer threads two zip ties vertically through the loops on the tacplates so that the ties will fit between equipment items. Many incorporate a three-way buckle system for added security. One option might be to try a belt that combines both materials, one where the belt is a manufactured nylon duty gear belt that has the appearance of leather, with a basket-weave pattern. The belt itself is another source of discomfort. Old West gunslingers wore their sidearms and ammo on a gun belt, and cops have been using that platform for their equipment ever since. Copyright 2022 Police1. With the addition of handcuffs, baton, radio, glove pouch, TASER, and whatever, the belt became heavier, and now theres seldom any room for more gear. Now that Sam Brownes have to accommodate a lot more hardware than a sword or a pistol, the best solutions to better distribute the weight thus far involve suspenders, a load-bearing vest, or some combination thereof to take some of the load off of the hips and lower back and shift it to the upper body. She has taught Ergonomics In the Workplace at UC, Riverside for the past 10 years. Bolsters on the sides of the seats can produce pressure on the sidearm and radio, which tends to push the officer forward, reducing the amount of low back support. The latest push to reduce that commute time by TriMet, the regions mass transit service, will bring [], Florida city's communication department recognized for its efforts by Bloomberg Philanthropies initiative, Translating ideas and 10-year plans created by administrators in a town office into concepts that are readily digestible by the general public isnt always easy; Port St. Lucie, Fla.s communication department is doing it right. Sign up for American City & Countys newsletters to receive regular news and information updates about local governments. Check the February issue of Government Product News for a Emergency Management and Response product section. Further compounding the problem is the length of time officers are required to perform their job behind the wheel of the patrol car. Beshear: Six children among those dead in historic Kentucky flooding, Appalachia is underwaterat least 16 people, including six children, four of whom were washed away by floodwater, have died in historic flooding thats brought Kentucky to its knees for the second time in two years, following the devastating tornado that cut across the state in December. improve your experience and our services. You must have JavaScript enabled to use this form. A contoured, upholstered lumbar cushion with a plastic insert to maintain its shape and straps to hold it in place around the backrest of the seat will provide additional lumbar support for the back. Lexipol. That year, commuters lost 27 hours stuck in traffic. Duty belt discomfort is a common complaint and a significant health and safety issue for uniformed police personnel. All rights reserved. The add-on consists of two carbon fiber plates attached to the inside of the duty belt at either side, and two base plates threaded onto the underbelt or trouser belt. The 2003 U.C. She has published 33 articles in the field of ergonomics, safety and workplace issues. The article can be found at http://www.theppsc.org/Staff_Views/Czarnecki/ergonomics_and_safety_in_law_enforcement.htm, Log in with your American City and County account. Enter https://www.police1.com/ and click OK. The wearer then applies belt keepers in front and back to stabilize the belt vertically. An added seat cushion with upholstered memory foam and a rubber layer underneath will decrease the tendency to slide as the officer enters or exits the vehicle. Well, Atlas Load Bearing Equipment(now sold by 5.11 Tactical) has developed a duty belt add-on that distributes the weight of the belt over a larger area of the hips and pelvis, taking some of the load off of the trochanter. Its definitely becoming a trendpossibly because ransomware has become a thing now where people can make money. 1. She has more than 12 years experience coordinating and teaching a chronic back pain program and wellness program for a major hospital. In so doing, he lost his left arm in a sword fight. Ergonomics Program study found the following belt characteristics effective in reducing duty belt discomfort: Traditionally, belts have been fastened with a metal buckle, but plastic buckles are becoming more common. The equipment is a necessary part of the job and must be carried on his/her body while working. Load-bearing vests are closely associated with combat troops, which is not the image most agencies want to present. Atlas LBE maintains that the tacplates act like a cantilever bridge to channel the load of your duty belt to the ground. The plates are almost completely hidden by the equipment on the belt, so there is no alteration to the traditional appearance to the uniform. All rights reserved. and that the data you submit is exempt from Do Not Sell My Personal Information requests. The backrest portion should be shaped to the preference of the user and supplemented by an optional upholstered lumbar pad. of Public Safety Standards & Training, providing in-service training to 65 criminal justice agencies in central and eastern Oregon. The design was copied in the British and other countries military uniforms, and was picked up by many police agencies to hold pistol holsters in place. She has worked with Torrance, Calif.-based Keenan & Associates for seven years providing workstation assessments, solutions and employee training. Updated monthly since 1978, our exclusive Municipal Cost Index shows the effects of inflation on the cost of providing municipal services. Click here for more information on our. He can be reached at tim@timdees.com. Over the last five years, the citys communication department has earned more than 100 state, local and national awards for [], How governments can keep employees safe as they return to work, Preventing cyber-attacks needs to be a priority for local governments, Building community and officer wellness through data sharing, California city combines advanced technology with dedicated public safety team for comprehensive emergency management. A belt that is too loose can be problematic in the event of a foot pursuit. General Browne won the Victoria Cross, analogous to the U.S. Medal of Honor, for his actions to take down a gun crew that was firing on his men. The company is innovative and committed to creating smart solutions for the everyday tactical equipment needs of the military, law enforcement, homeland security, and other demanding applications. Rounded, padded edges on the top and bottom. interacts online and researches product purchases The Resale Insights Dashboard provides model-level data for the entire used equipment market to help you save time and money. Belts with a hard edge tend to dig in under the ribs, whereas a belt with rounder, padded edges on the top and bottom conform better to the body. It's the most comprehensive and trusted online destination for law enforcement agencies and police departments worldwide. Ergonomics Program study found the following vehicle support measures effective in creating comfort while driving: Another potential solution is to change driving habits when on patrol and on the drive home. There is a video on the Atlas LBE website that describes the process of applying the tacplates and how they work to better distribute the weight of the duty belt. To compensate, Browne added a cross belt going from his left hip to his right shoulder, which held the frog in one place. For more information on duty belt ergonomics, consult Ergonomics and Safety in Law Enforcement, by Fabrice Czarnecki and Ira Janowitz, 2003. The tacplates attach to the duty belt with long plastic zip ties - a special low-profile, high-strength variant called a Cobra-Tie. Washable, moderately flexible nylon material. AIMPOINT OPTICS: FIRST RESPONDER DISCOUNT PROGRAM, The role of VR in police training and community policing, New tech may resolve back problems without a vest or suspenders. After 15 years as a police officer with the Reno Police Department and elsewhere in northern Nevada, Tim taught criminal justice as a full-time professor and instructor at colleges in Wisconsin, West Virginia, Georgiaand Oregon. Police1 is revolutionizing the way the law enforcement community The wearer first applies the strong or gun side, then wraps the duty belt around to mate the offside base plate and tacplate together. The more rigid the duty belt holster system, the more critical are its shape and location in obtaining a proper fit for the individual. These dont fit with the traditional appearance of a police officer, and suspenders have a way of getting caught up on whatever protrusions happen to be in the officers operating environment. Patrol vehicle seats can be another factor in duty belt discomfort. https://www.americancityandcounty.com/wp-content/themes/acc_child/assets/images/logo/footer-logo.png, Gov. Most of the weight of a Sam Browne is borne by a protrusion at the top of the femur (thigh bone), called the trochanter. Lexipol. A combination back and seat cushion with hinged back and seat sections will provide additional support for the back and pelvis, while enhancing comfort while driving. Lighter weight, increased comfort with more carrying capacity, all without sacrificing any of the characteristics that MLE professionals need for hard-core, professional use. Over the years, the discomfort felt from duty belts has gotten worse because of the increased time spent in vehicles and heavier gear carried on the belt. Atlas LBE offers a 60-day refund of the purchase price if youre not completely satisfied with the results. Leather belts with buckle closures have less adjustability than nylon belts and have adjustment holes for the buckle 1.25 inches apart, which can leave the belt too tight or too loose. He was also a regional training coordinator for the Oregon Dept. Want to reach our digital audience? At $170, this isnt an inexpensive piece of gear, but it is relatively risk-free. View our Terms of Service That extra and unbalanced weight brought on the added issue of back and hip pain, especially for officers of smaller stature. Do Not Sell My Personal Information, If you need further help setting your homepage, check your browsers Help menu, Individual Access - Free COVID-19 Courses, Open the tools menu in your browser. Nylon duty gear is generally less expensive, lighter, and easier to maintain than leather gear of comparable quality. The trochanter is the point of the hip at its highest point and farthest out to the sides from the midline. SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER
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