Turns out that burning buildings aren't the only dangers local firefighters face. On Tuesday night, a Pierce County fire agency pulled the trigger on purchasing body armor for its crews.
The vests can adjust to different body types and are built to stop a rifle round fired into the chest. However, it's a level of protection many people don't associate with firefighting.“It's the new reality,” said Chief Bud Backer, with East Pierce Fire & Rescue.
Pierce County recently adopted new protocols for active shooter incidents. According to Backer, crimes like the Cascade Mall shooting in Burlington last September, or the murder-suicide at a San Bernardino school last week, show that firefighters can't always wait for police to secure a scene before they go in to treat the wounded.