N.C. Protect First Responders Act would create more than $10 million in grants for ballistic vests and backpack armor plates

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — An ambulance was struck by gunfire on Sept. 25 in Uptown Charlotte, but no injuries were reported. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police reported that the shooting took place around 2:30 a.m..

A Mecklenburg EMS MEDIC ambulance carrying a patient was hit in the passenger door, WBTV reported. Investigators do not believe the ambulance was the intended target. The patient was transferred to another unit and taken to the hospital. Two people were arrested, according to police.

| MORE: Personal protective gear to protect EMS providers from attack

WBTV reported that separately, lawmakers are advancing proposals to fund safety equipment for public safety agencies.

Cabarrus County EMS Chief Jimmy Lentz said the agency bought ballistic vests in 2016, and the high cost is driving state senators to push a bill to fund protective gear for crews.

“It is becoming more common in the field to see EMS providers in ballistic protection,” Lentz said. “We were fortunate that we were one of the first in the area.”

Cabarrus County EMS crews have worn body armor as part of their daily gear for nearly a decade, alongside self-defense training. The vests are costly, often ranging from several hundred dollars to over $1,000.

State lawmakers, including Mecklenburg County Sen. Woodson Bradley, have introduced the “Protect First Responders Act.” The bill would create more than $10 million in grants to help agencies, especially smaller ones, buy ballistic vests and backpack armor plates for paramedics and EMTs.

Bradley said the Uptown shooting underscores why first responders need better protective gear, since their work routinely puts them in harm’s way. The Protect First Responders Act remains in committee after the last session, and she aims to move it to the floor for debate in the coming weeks.