Responder Ballistic PPE Vest RTF System

Key Specifications

Product Overview

The NAR Responder Ballistic PPE Vest RTF System is purpose-built for the Rescue Task Force model of Fire/EMS active shooter response, where EMS and fire personnel enter active threat environments alongside law enforcement to render immediate care to casualties. RTF protocols, which have been adopted by fire and EMS agencies nationwide following mass casualty events in the 2010s and 2020s, require first responders to have both ballistic protection and hemorrhage control equipment immediately available and integrated — not separated across multiple bags or stored in vehicles. The RTF System pre-integrates these two requirements into a single, donnable system.

The ballistic vest component provides NIJ 0101.06 Level IIIA protection — the standard for stopping the handgun threats most commonly encountered in active shooter events — at a lightweight 7 lbs. The special threat testing for fragmentation, 5.7×28mm ammunition, and 9mm +P+ rounds adds performance confidence beyond baseline NIJ testing, reflecting NAR's understanding that first responders are not operating in controlled threat environments. The PFAS-free construction addresses long-term occupational health concerns for personnel who wear armor daily across careers spanning decades.

The four included C-A-T® (Combat Application Tourniquet) devices are CoTCCC-recommended for the treatment of extremity hemorrhage — the most survivable but most rapidly fatal injury in mass casualty events when untreated. Having four CATs integrated into the vest system means RTF responders arrive on scene with sufficient tourniquets to treat multiple casualties simultaneously without needing to access a vehicle or additional kit. The C-A-T is the most widely used CoTCCC-recommended tourniquet in U.S. military and law enforcement, with extensive clinical evidence supporting its effectiveness in stopping limb hemorrhage when properly applied.

RTF Protocol Alignment

The Stop the Bleed and Hartford Consensus frameworks that underpin RTF protocol development emphasize immediate hemorrhage control as the highest priority intervention for survivable injuries in active shooter events — before airway, before chest injuries, and before anything that requires advanced equipment. The four C-A-T devices in the RTF System directly address this priority, providing the hands-on intervention capability that first-arriving RTF personnel need to make an immediate difference in casualty outcomes before the arrival of additional medical assets. Pair the RTF System vest with additional hemorrhage control supplies and chest seal and thoracic supplies from MED-TAC International for a fully equipped RTF medical kit.

See also: Ballistic Protection Collection | CAT Gen 7 Tourniquet | Massive Hemorrhage Control

All products sourced from the actual brand manufacturer or authorized master distributors. CoTCCC recommendation status verified where applicable. Ships from MED-TAC International, Pembroke Pines, FL — clinician-founded, veteran-led, SDVOSB-certified.