The NEW NIJ 06 Standards for Body Armor are now in place! These standards do not invalidate the previous NIJ 0101.04 or 2005 Interim Standards. The goal of the new standards in body armor is to improve performance so that officers receive adequate protection, provide adequate protection against threats likely to be faced in the next decade and to provide assurance that body armor will provide protection through the life of its warranty.
For an excellent, quick video and other information regarding body armor and testing standards, from a nationally recognized third-party source go to www.JustNet.org.
These standards are specific to body armor. Some products do not qualify as body armor and can not be certified to the standard. However, the ballistic materials used are tested to the NIJ standard and are the same ballistic resistant materials used in body armor.
Ballistic-resistant body armor has been widely available for use by law enforcement personnel for more than 30 years. The dramatic reduction in officer homicides following the introduction of body armor attests to the protection it provides. This success story extends far beyond protection from handguns—more than 3,000 lives have been spared, including cases in which body armor prevented serious injuries to officers from other types of assaults or accidents.
The National Institute of Justice (NIJ) has developed standards for body armor performance through its Office of Law Enforcement Standards (OLES). The standard for ballistic resistance of body armor was first developed 36 years ago and has since gone through five revisions. In September 2000, NIJ introduced its standard for stab and puncture resistance of body armor.
Body armor is tested as a part of the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center (NLECTC) voluntary equipment testing program to determine compliance with the NIJ standards, and NLECTC disseminates those test results and other pertinent information to the law enforcement and corrections communities. (reprinted from www.justnet.org).
Monday, March 1, 2010
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Why did BulletBlocker decide to make bullet proof clothing?
We have many projects in the pipeline but this one needed to be brought forward and made into a reality. Since the 2008 elections we have been experiencing a dramatic increase in demand for bulletproof products. It seems as though many people from a variety of walks of life and ideologies are interested in protecting themselves from the hazards that exist in such a large and diverse society, as well as the increased risks any of us may face in the event of a large scale crisis. As we watched the election progress and the inauguration unfold we here at BulletBlocker became aware of a Colombian company that was supplying anti-ballistic clothing to the Secret Service. http://www.miguelcaballero.com/ is called the "Armani of Armored Clothing". At that time we felt as though we needed to develop an American made product that would meet the same need.
Now our models on our website are no where near as hot as the models on miguelcaballero.com but we also keep prices well under $1500 per garment. We also base our levels of protection on the well researched NIJ Standards for Body Armor, as opposed to the "light,medium and heavy" choices offered by the Colombian company. I think that we give the bullet proof purchasing consumer a little more credit for being informed and educated than they do. Pictures of guns that are "protected" against is misleading: Using a government and industry based standard to identify what kinds of bullets have been tested is about as definitive as you can get. Not to mention that prices are hard if not impossible to find on his site. Based on our experience in using our patented technology to integrate anti-ballistic body armor insert panels into everyday items like backpacks and notebooks to make bulletproof backpacks and bullet proof notebooks, bullet proof clipboards and stand-alone bulletproof panels for the user to place where they need it, it was just natural for us to become the first American maker of bulletproof clothes.
Just so you know, making bullet proof clothes or anything isn't easy: First of all, nothing is really "bullet proof". Enough firepower concentrated in one area too long, or shots from odd angles or hand made over-charged bullets may all defeat the integrity of any piece of body armor material. Now figure in the need for seams and closures and a degree of concealment and comfort, which both mean less material, and you can see that a lot of factors need to be considered to make a safe, effective and comfortable garment. As a result, we felt that a line of jackets would be the most versatile and realistic bullet proof clothing we could offer at the protection level we consider to be the standard for protection from just about every handgun bullet most of us would encounter, which is the NIJ Threat Level 3a standard. Threat Level 3a covers all the most accessible bullets: 9mm full metal jacket (Uzi), .44 Magnum, .45 cal., .40 cal, .38cal., .357 Magnum, .380 auto, .32 cal., .25cal., .22 short and long rifle, shotgun slugs and shot. Because of the decision to offer this "FULL" level of coverage we had to accept that we would not be offering "light" armored golf shirts and dress shirts. Our bulletproof clothing line will pretty much always need to be in the form of a piece of outerwear.
Our current offerings in bulletproof clothes that are made in the U.S.A. are a BulletBlocker Classic Jean Jacket, a BulletBlocker Traditional Barn Coat and a more dressy BulletBlocker Blazer in black or navy. All 3 bullet proof jackets are lined with NIJ Threat Level 3a body armor liners. The liners are cut in a form that is very close to that of traditional police body armor, offering added side and collar bone/shoulder protection as part of the 2 front and 1 back panels. The front is made up of 2 panels that overlap and close with hook and loop closures within the normal jacket opening. The lightweight panels add protection but there is a cost: Upon close inspection and with movement the jackets do not drape and flow like normal clothing. There is a little added thickness (approx. 1/4 inch) but not much weight. The body armor panels are semi rigid and need to be kept close to the body for the best protection.
I look at active shooter situation reports all the time and I always think about the dozens or sometimes hundreds of innocent people that truly felt threatened that day. Even if you are in the next building over or 20 floors above a shooting you think to yourself, "What if I was going to my car, was in the elevator...". When I picture myself in my office and hearing gunshots ring out somewhere I think of the peace of mind I would get knowing that I could put that bulletproof lined jacket on that has been hanging on the back of my door for years now and taking my briefcase with the liner and I could tuck in tight under my desk wrapped up and tucked under hundreds of square inches of material that can stop most bullets. I would take that moment and reflect on how little it cost to do everything I could to insure that I could come home to my family that night. Then I would have to think about the drills that they do at my son's school for active shooter scenarios and I would picture my son tucked under his desk, or in the utility closet or under the jackets thinking about what would happen if a bad person came into school shooting people. It's thoughts like this that created the bullet proof backpack. I already thought about it and rather than feel helpless my son will at least feel as though he is taking an active step to defend himself. In the process he will come to understand cover versus concealment a little bit better. But if I hadn't already, as I would hide to live another day at my office, I would vow to make sure that my children had at least the same protection I have in life.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
BulletBlocker Adding Mini-Blogs
The difficulties of mainstream media are associated with overly generalized content. This applies to newspapers, radio and television - a program schedule and content designed to try to get everyone's attention. It's the idea of providing a little something for everyone - though you will have to find it or wait for it. In line with this consideration, BulletBlocker's pulling away from one single generalized blog to develop multiple more specialized "mini-blogs".
Our aim is to consolidate "the best of information" applicable to each area of what we do - we make and sell products designed to help save lives. Topically, this comes down to Occupations, Communities, Interests and Concerns. The interests of an executive protection specialist, a parent with schoolchildren in Michigan or Texas, and a hunter in Maine or Colorado are all completely different. They are somewhat related where it concerns protection, but vary according to the types of protection needed, the root causes of why protection is needed, and with that all of the information, news, organizations and other resources available to them.
So, we have, are, and will be developing numerous mini-blogs to address each of these niches. Our aim is also to become more community interactive, network with other specialists, and engage to provide both product and information-based solutions. The key process of resolving problems is to achieve an understanding of the nature of a problem, collect all of the information relative to it, organize it, and increase accessibility to that information. This, in turn, facilitates communication and interaction to cultivate better responses and solutions.
This is an ongoing process with the intention of continuously improving the mini-blogs as we learn and discover more. The current phase is focused on establishing proof of concept, to basically get something for show. Following this, we are very much open to developing dialogue with others specializing in subjects in developing our list or resources, adding mini-reviews, and eventually interviews, too.
For examples of what we are working toward - we welcome you to check out the following mini-blogs that we've just started:
We've got a lot more lined up that we are working on, so this general blog will serve to provide announcements of new mini-blogs as they are added, and to cover other important developments, too. We will be adding more feautures including a forum to support discussion on a per topic basis, and eventually moving on to develop white papers. Our products are designed to help save lives. Our next phase is developing the information, awareness and consolidated lists of resources where anyone concerned about their personal safety can turn and find something intrinsically useful.
Our aim is to consolidate "the best of information" applicable to each area of what we do - we make and sell products designed to help save lives. Topically, this comes down to Occupations, Communities, Interests and Concerns. The interests of an executive protection specialist, a parent with schoolchildren in Michigan or Texas, and a hunter in Maine or Colorado are all completely different. They are somewhat related where it concerns protection, but vary according to the types of protection needed, the root causes of why protection is needed, and with that all of the information, news, organizations and other resources available to them.
So, we have, are, and will be developing numerous mini-blogs to address each of these niches. Our aim is also to become more community interactive, network with other specialists, and engage to provide both product and information-based solutions. The key process of resolving problems is to achieve an understanding of the nature of a problem, collect all of the information relative to it, organize it, and increase accessibility to that information. This, in turn, facilitates communication and interaction to cultivate better responses and solutions.
This is an ongoing process with the intention of continuously improving the mini-blogs as we learn and discover more. The current phase is focused on establishing proof of concept, to basically get something for show. Following this, we are very much open to developing dialogue with others specializing in subjects in developing our list or resources, adding mini-reviews, and eventually interviews, too.
For examples of what we are working toward - we welcome you to check out the following mini-blogs that we've just started:
- Social Networking
- Personal Security Instruction
- Civilian Contractors in Iraq
- Police Officers
- Disaster Preparedness/Survivalists
- Violent Crime in Texas
- Gang Violence
We've got a lot more lined up that we are working on, so this general blog will serve to provide announcements of new mini-blogs as they are added, and to cover other important developments, too. We will be adding more feautures including a forum to support discussion on a per topic basis, and eventually moving on to develop white papers. Our products are designed to help save lives. Our next phase is developing the information, awareness and consolidated lists of resources where anyone concerned about their personal safety can turn and find something intrinsically useful.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Gang Violence - MiniBlog
Despite what appears to be a lull in activity on the blog, writing continues. We are in the process of migrating everything over into mini-blogs to better cover a wider range of topics and interests. Check out the full Gang Violence Mini-Blog - we'll be improving upon it as we move along, expect to see more like this very shortly!
Gang Violence:
Size: According to the FBI, gang population was estimated to be up by 200,000 in January of 2009 from 2005. That brings estimates up to about 900,000 gang members with about 147,000 more in prison or jail. Bear in mind that the prison population in the United States in 2008 reached over 2.3 million with another 1.5 million under some form of state or federal jurisdiction or supervisory program. Per the National Drug Intelligence Center, "Gangs are present in every state and U.S. territory and some particularly violent urban gangs have expanded from inner cities to suburban and some rural areas. Gangs increasingly represent a threat to many smaller communities, and they control most retail-level drug distribution nationally. Gangs are also increasing their involvement in wholesale-level drug distribution."
Scope: In another report, "As of 1995, gang problems had been reported for all 50 States and the District of Columbia, for about 700 counties, and for about 1,500 cities and towns... States accounting for 100 percent of the population of the United States, cities and towns accounting for 50 percent of the total municipal population, and counties accounting for almost 80 percent of the all-county population reported the existence of youth gang problems." Gang activity can take place anywhere and everywhere - and that's based upon a 1995 report. Today, with the ongoing financial crisis in the United States and around the world, government budget cuts are forcing early releases of thousands of criminals. Federal courts in 2009 have mandated for California to reduce its prison population by 36,000 to 57,000 inmates over the next two to three years.
Solutions? Obviously, there is no single miracle solution for fighting gang violence; there are numerous root causes to tackle. Root causes can only be addressed at the family and community levels. There are eight basic layers of response:
1. Parents
2. Teachers
3. Neighborhoods
4. School Systems
5. Police
6. Courts
7. Prison
8. Government
The higher up this chain you have to go, the less effective the problem solving is - as it turns more and more from prevention to response and punishment. Quite obviously, *overall* none of these are working very well - not to say they are not trying. Everyone has their own pressures from work to paying the bills - life is getting harder for everyone. Families need to work together, develop buddy systems, communicate more and perhaps stop minding their own business a little less. It is one thing if one parent chastises a kid for spraypainting a wall, but when everyone is on the watch and children know they are being watched, and that their parents will be told - they will think twice.
When the next round of budget cuts starts hitting the ranks of the police and law enforcement, the matter will get worse. This is inevitable - 41 of 50 states are having budget problems in 2009 and anticipate it to continue well into 2010. Fifteen of these states have budget deficits in excess of 18% of their annual tax revenues. Consequently, local communities will by necessity need to step up to confront the presence of gangs or face even greater risks to safety and security. Communities which develop aggressive neighborhood watch programs that work together with local police are effective. There was an incident in which a store clerk was shot and those within the store simply continued to shop. Only one person called 911. If someone believes they can get away with anything, the odds are higher they will try to get away with anything. That's really what it comes down to.
One or two people trying to do this all on their own makes them vulnerable. Get the whole community involved - and it is the gang members, their methods of operation, and their entire organizational basis that becomes vulnerable. We can actually kind of take a look at foreign policy - if a country is unwilling or unable to police themselves, it increases the odds another country will step into police things. That's not very effective either, but when you start getting multiple communities communicating and working together to solve problems, things will change. This is what needs to be done. Community organization.
Gang Violence:
Size: According to the FBI, gang population was estimated to be up by 200,000 in January of 2009 from 2005. That brings estimates up to about 900,000 gang members with about 147,000 more in prison or jail. Bear in mind that the prison population in the United States in 2008 reached over 2.3 million with another 1.5 million under some form of state or federal jurisdiction or supervisory program. Per the National Drug Intelligence Center, "Gangs are present in every state and U.S. territory and some particularly violent urban gangs have expanded from inner cities to suburban and some rural areas. Gangs increasingly represent a threat to many smaller communities, and they control most retail-level drug distribution nationally. Gangs are also increasing their involvement in wholesale-level drug distribution."
Scope: In another report, "As of 1995, gang problems had been reported for all 50 States and the District of Columbia, for about 700 counties, and for about 1,500 cities and towns... States accounting for 100 percent of the population of the United States, cities and towns accounting for 50 percent of the total municipal population, and counties accounting for almost 80 percent of the all-county population reported the existence of youth gang problems." Gang activity can take place anywhere and everywhere - and that's based upon a 1995 report. Today, with the ongoing financial crisis in the United States and around the world, government budget cuts are forcing early releases of thousands of criminals. Federal courts in 2009 have mandated for California to reduce its prison population by 36,000 to 57,000 inmates over the next two to three years.
Solutions? Obviously, there is no single miracle solution for fighting gang violence; there are numerous root causes to tackle. Root causes can only be addressed at the family and community levels. There are eight basic layers of response:
1. Parents
2. Teachers
3. Neighborhoods
4. School Systems
5. Police
6. Courts
7. Prison
8. Government
The higher up this chain you have to go, the less effective the problem solving is - as it turns more and more from prevention to response and punishment. Quite obviously, *overall* none of these are working very well - not to say they are not trying. Everyone has their own pressures from work to paying the bills - life is getting harder for everyone. Families need to work together, develop buddy systems, communicate more and perhaps stop minding their own business a little less. It is one thing if one parent chastises a kid for spraypainting a wall, but when everyone is on the watch and children know they are being watched, and that their parents will be told - they will think twice.
When the next round of budget cuts starts hitting the ranks of the police and law enforcement, the matter will get worse. This is inevitable - 41 of 50 states are having budget problems in 2009 and anticipate it to continue well into 2010. Fifteen of these states have budget deficits in excess of 18% of their annual tax revenues. Consequently, local communities will by necessity need to step up to confront the presence of gangs or face even greater risks to safety and security. Communities which develop aggressive neighborhood watch programs that work together with local police are effective. There was an incident in which a store clerk was shot and those within the store simply continued to shop. Only one person called 911. If someone believes they can get away with anything, the odds are higher they will try to get away with anything. That's really what it comes down to.
One or two people trying to do this all on their own makes them vulnerable. Get the whole community involved - and it is the gang members, their methods of operation, and their entire organizational basis that becomes vulnerable. We can actually kind of take a look at foreign policy - if a country is unwilling or unable to police themselves, it increases the odds another country will step into police things. That's not very effective either, but when you start getting multiple communities communicating and working together to solve problems, things will change. This is what needs to be done. Community organization.
Friday, June 12, 2009
Five Father's Day Gift Ideas - For Dads Who Kick Butt!
We're going to do a series about Gift Ideas - For Dads Who Kick Butt! Hard core guys who like cool things. Remember, Dad's Day is June 21st - third Sunday in June. So, let's kick this first series off with...
Okay - so there's a lot of cool stuff here, but it is easy to get carried away... like with the Hot Peppers. Dave's Insanity Salsa is about the hottest sauce anyone would want to try. It has a warning on the label to not eat it if you have heart or stomach problems. The sauce is made to be diluted, like a few drops for a full vat of chilli. I've had one drop on a chip and my face was red for a good 30 minutes. Dave's Insanity Salsa is more tolerable, but it is very, very hot. That's about 93,000 scovel units - meaning it would take like 93,000 equal parts of water to eliminate all trace of heat. Here's what happens when you try to take it too far, serious stuff. Yes, it starts out funny - but it can get extremely serious, real fast. So, use some common sense. Jalapeno peppers are one thing, a little bit of really hot salsa is another - but after that 100,000 scovel units, you really don't know how it will effect you... or your dad.
Mo Hotta, Mo Betta! - You may have heard about Dave's Insanity Sauce and Salsa, consider Dave's Special Reserve - a veritable collector's item weighing in at a cool 93,000 scoville units. In comparison, a regular jalapeno is only about 2,500 scoville units. There are "sauces" out there that can get up over a million. Trust me, 93,000 scoville units will make a grown man cry. One jar of Dave's Insanity Sauce is sufficient for more chilli than your Dad is likely to eat in a lifetime, unless he really likes hot chilli, double chilli-cheeseburgers with extra jalapeno peppers and of course chilli cheese-fries with extra jalapenos and a side order of chilli...and an Ice Cold Coca-Cola. There's more super hot sauce at Mo Hotta, Mo Betta than you'll know what to do with - and with all kinds of great names, like "Scorned Woman", "Lynchburg Tennessee BBQ - Firey Smokin' Hott (86 Proof)" and "Arizona Gunslinger Hot Sauce" - just to name a few. Then, there's the Ass Kicking Pistachios and Dave's Microwave Popcorn. So, if you want to see your father break into tears on Father's Day - this is the place to go. Personally, one of my favorite online stores in the whole world. If it doesn't make you cry, it ain't worth eatin'! - Available in Gift Certificates, too! Caution - see video below - read the warnings on the labels, they are serious.
Casio's G-Shock Watches - I guess you could say this is like the Samsonite of Men's Jewelry. The testing of these watches actually makes the 600 pound gorilla look gentle in comparison. There's the ice test, the underwater test, the drop test, and then there's the vibration test. If those four don't convince you, there's the piston test...and the HAMMER TEST! By golly, it looks like this thing is darn near indestructible! We could probably ship it over to North Korea to see whether it can stand up to their nuclear testing. So, if you're dad goes through cheap watches like underwear, get him a G-Shock Watch - he will probably never wear it, but it will keep him entertained for years!
Machines that Go BING! - Tech, high tech and cool stuff, and lots of it - too much tech stuff to cover so, we'll hand it over to Machines that Go Bing's Blog because that's what Steve does and he was very helpful in recommending the best Twitter application for Blackberries - that being UberTwitter.com. What kind of stuff does he cover? Let's start out with the Mazzer Robur - the MEANEST Espresso Grinder... ever....an Espresso Grinder so powerful it can reduce your coffee beans to dust. Then, there's the Dual Fuel Cocktail Shaker which puts a spin on the old twist and shake. Hard core tech stuff - Machines that Go BING!. While you're at it, make sure to follow him on Twitter at @meteorit.
Angler's Access - A fishing/hunting trip to Lake City, Michigan where you can stop by Angler's Access and meet Denny and Beth. Angler's Access is a "24 hour bait and tackle shop" located in downtown Lake City, Michigan. They provide everything you need - fresh bait, tackle, camping supplies and great conversation. They know what's best locally for lodging, for boat rentals, and everything else. It's summer and a weekend out to Michigan would be a good way to get away for a few days and let Dad relax. Okay, that last part about relaxing - that's not going to happen. But, it's the thought that counts. You can also hook up with them on twitter at @anglersaccess
BulletBlocker's Executive Briefcase - Yes, this is a shameless plug, but it fits perfectly for Dad's who are very protective about everything on their laptop than they are about themselves. Instruct your dad, that the briefcase is for him, too. This is a briefcase that will stop 9mm, .357 and .44 Magnum shells from penetrating and taking out his entire computer... and providing him some protection, too. It's airport friendly and has everything that other briefcases have - and it is bullet proof, too. If James Bond was going to a meeting, this is what Q would give him. And, of course, BulletBlocker has many other great products for men, women and children - bullet proof vests, bullet proof backpacks, and school safety kits, and more. Be prepared wherever you go - because you never know when something tragic will happen, but if something does, you'll have a fighting chance. Get us on Twitter, too at @bulletblocker
Okay - so there's a lot of cool stuff here, but it is easy to get carried away... like with the Hot Peppers. Dave's Insanity Salsa is about the hottest sauce anyone would want to try. It has a warning on the label to not eat it if you have heart or stomach problems. The sauce is made to be diluted, like a few drops for a full vat of chilli. I've had one drop on a chip and my face was red for a good 30 minutes. Dave's Insanity Salsa is more tolerable, but it is very, very hot. That's about 93,000 scovel units - meaning it would take like 93,000 equal parts of water to eliminate all trace of heat. Here's what happens when you try to take it too far, serious stuff. Yes, it starts out funny - but it can get extremely serious, real fast. So, use some common sense. Jalapeno peppers are one thing, a little bit of really hot salsa is another - but after that 100,000 scovel units, you really don't know how it will effect you... or your dad.
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