PHOENIX — A local firefighter and father made it his mission to create a lifesaving vest for kids and adults, in the case they’re confronted with an active shooter.
The idea is simple.
Regardless of where you are, if you find yourself in an active shooter situation, the first thing you want to do is get your bulletproof vest, open it up, put it on and get to safety.
A vest, Fire Captain Kevin Goodman hopes will save a life.
“It is scary. We all want our kids to be safe,” he told ABC15.
Goodman is a father of four. He says his biggest fear is sending his kids to school and not seeing them ever again.
“There’s been 300…over 300 school shootings since 2000. 300…and people don’t realize how many. The shooting in Texas that was only a month and a half ago, there’s been six since then…including the one in Michigan,” he said in disbelief.
This is why he founded Escape Armour and created a lightweight vest with front and back bulletproof plates.
You can find the vest in three sizes, each of them weighing around three pounds.
“It weighs less than a 40-ounce water bottle,” said Goodman.
Goodman also says it is easy to use.
“In an active shooter event…you’re going to be…it’s going to be extremely stressful," he said.
This is why, when designing the vest, he avoided zippers and buckles, and made it compact.
“You can carry it in your bag that you carry to work. You know, whether you’re a nurse, teacher, you work in an office…you just throw it in your desk,” he told ABC15.
The fire captain says when putting it on, you want the plate to cover your vital organs.
“You’re trying to cover your heart, your lungs,” Goodman added.
He also says the plates are bulletproof and stab-proof.
“It can really change the outcome of a horrible tragic event like that,” he said.
Should you find yourself in an active shooter situation, Sergeant Andy Williams with the Phoenix Police Department says protocol is to run, hide, and fight.
“Something to consider about that is every situation is unique. You may not have anywhere to run but you can hide, or you may find yourself in a situation where the only thing you can do in that moment is fight,” added Sgt. Williams.
Goodman tells ABC15, designing the vest and getting it manufactured had its challenges, but…
“If it saved one life…like…if one person was saved by it, it would all be worth it,” he said.
Click here for more information about the vest.
