23 new vests gifted to Idaho State Police
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IDAHO FALLS — Two local organizations provided 23 new vests for Idaho State Police on Wednesday.
New “cooling” vests were given to Idaho State Police District 6 in Idaho Falls to help troopers cool off on the job. The vests were donated by the Greater Idaho Falls Police Foundation. The $2,000 donation was provided by a grant from the Idaho National Laboratory.
Capt. Chris Weadick explained that troopers wear ballistic vests against their T-shirts. It gets hot and damp.
“(The cooling vests) give us a tool to do our jobs in these unique working conditions. These crashes (that troopers respond to) — the pavement can be 120 degrees on a hot summer day,” says Weadick.
With the new cooling vests or Maxx-Dri Vests, they will help with the function of the job. The cooling vest is an addition to the ballistic vest and will not replace the ballistic vest.
“This mesh vest goes over the T-shirt and under the (ballistic) vest, and the theory being is that, that layer is going to allow some air to be able to come in. … And that will give them the ability to hopefully cool down while they are out on these crashes,” Weadick explained.
Weadick is grateful for the new vests and the support from the community and the foundation.
“This has been an avenue for us to be able to receive equipment that is going to help us keep our employees safe and cool,” he said.
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The Greater Idaho Falls Police Foundation approached ISP and asked if there was any equipment or tools they needed. Eric Isom, the foundation’s chairman of the board, says they saw this donation as a way to make “their lives a little bit easier” and to “give back and serve the people that serve us.”
The foundation formed a board of directors in 2020 and officially became a nonprofit in 2021. The foundation has helped law enforcement with a mental health training seminar, raising money for the local K9 programs and a jiu jitsu program.
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The foundation is always looking for donations of any amount.
“There’s a lot of programs that we hope to support with this. We are a fairly new organization, but we have already done quite a bit of good … for the law enforcement community,” Isom said. “We want to send a message that we appreciate what they do and we support them. We do that by raising money to supplement and enhance their jobs.”
Those interested in donating can click here.
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