Just Some of the Tactical Gear Available

Some of our gear available

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Its About Time! Introducing the B.U.G.G.

All I can say is "Oh My God! It's about damn time someone came up with this!"

Bulletproof vests have been a staple of Law Enforcement Officers since the 1970's (at least as far as every day practicality is concerned). But the downfall of this body armor is that it only covers the users upper body therefore leaving the rest of the body exposed.

This has now changed thanks to Bill Fearon, owner of No Games Gear (NGG) and developer of the B.U.G.G. (Ballistic UnderGarment Gear). See, Bill not only is the owner of the company and developer, but he is also a Law Enforcement Instructor as well as a State Trooper on the East Coast.

I had the pleasure of speaking with Bill this week and he explained the concept behind the BUGG. Wait a minute, what exactly is the BUGG? No, it's not a disease that can kill you. But if you don't wear it you may end up dying.

The BUGG is a pair of ballistic inserts (comparable to Level IIIa protection) that fit snugly into a pair of compression shorts and are designed to protect your thighs and femoral arteries. The bulletproof vest may stop the bullet to your chest but will do nothing for this all too often neglected vital area of the body.

Not only is it available in the compression shorts, but it is also available inthe BUGG Out BDU pants. Same concept. Same life saving capability.

Cool, huh? Let me tell you, I love these things! Departments across the country are starting to use them and I'm surprised that word has not spread faster than it has. Now back to my conversation with Bill.

he told me that he had been seeing a lot of injuries to the thighs not only on the job, but also during training. This is where he got his inspiration. Since not only have I worked on the streets as a Police Officer, but also working in corrections I, I asked him a question that came all too naturally to me: is it stab resistant? He chuckled and said "check out the video I have of me stabbing the insert." He also informed me although they are not "certified stab resistant, it won't be a problem having it done."

Now, I watched the video and not only was I impressed with it, but I also had the thought "If my wife saw me doing that on the dining room table like he just did, she would kill me unless she knew for sure it would not damage it."
Watch it here

I am very fortunate to have had that great conversation with Bill and I'm very happy to announce that Dydrostorm is now carrying the BUGG and BUGG Out BDU's!. And as No Games Gear says..."Because There are NO Games on the Street"

Oh! I forgot to mention one of the most important parts of this gear: $1 of every sale is donated to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial.

Bill, Thanks for such an OUTSTANDING and LIFE SAVING piece of equipment for all our brothers and sisters in uniform!

Do you have the right equipment?

Those of us in the Law Enforcement/Corrections community face a multitude of challenges every single day. Some we can control, others we don't. One thing that we can control is the equipment/gear that we utilize every day. Depending on the job at hand, do we have the right equipment/gear to do our job proficiently and efficiently??

What do you think that you need? Well, if you work on your feet all day you may want a good pair of boots that are comfortable. If you work nights or in low light areas, a flashlight is a must! How about gloves? Don't we go searching around in places that most people would not want to put their hands in, or on? After a while we know that we need to replace them since we use them that often. However, I am never surprised at the amount of officers that either seldom replace their gear, or just don't want to buy it in the first place.

Our safety must be first and foremost. If we don't take that into consideration, how can we protect the public and fulfill our primary mission??

Don't wait until it is too late to do what you know is right...

Your Feet Said What???

While working in a correctional facility there is nothing worse than getting home at the end of the day and your feet are screaming at you to get off of them. Working all day on concrete floors while on your feet for 8-16 hours takes a toll on you, not only your feet but also your knees and back. Add to that all the gear that you wear around your waist and it then becomes a chiropractor's dream. I know many officers that have visited a chiropractor at some point in their career. Some of these officers even have them on speed dial and even know their children's names.

Ask around and the officers that rarely, if ever, have sought treatment for back problems will tell you the same thing: invest in a good pair of boots. Regardless of where you purchase them, cost is sometimes, if not always, a factor in our decision of what to buy. There are many manufacturers of good, quality footwear and of course, prices vary. The footwear can range from $40-$110+ depending on the manufacturer and the quality of the boot. Think about it this way: Would you rather spend $1,500 on a used vehicle and then pay $6,000 or more to your local mechanic during the remaining life of the car, or pay $12,000 and not have to worry about repair costs for quite a few years with proper maintenance?

I completely understand that sometimes we can afford to drop $80-$110 on a pair of boots (especially with what we get paid these days) but I rationalized it to myself this way: I can spend $80 on the boots or I can spend $40 on the boots and then all the costs associated with going to the chiropractor and/or Primary Care Physician as a result of the pain? I chose the former. If there is no way that you can afford the cost for the new boots at this time, there are still things that you can do. These can include buying some gel inserts ($6-$10) from your local discount store (they work great!) all the way to being extremely nice to your spouse and hope you get a foot rub at some point.

The best advice that I can give you is the following:

1. Ask around your facility/work area and see what boots fellow coworkers recommend.
2. Figure out your budget and invest in a good pair of boots early on once you can afford it.

 If you take care of your feet, they are bound to take care of you (no matter how ugly they are).