Safariland Saves Club Honors Three Law Enforcement Officers at SHOT Show

Safariland Saves Club Honors Three Law Enforcement Officers at SHOT Show
First Safariland Save and Recent Saves Share their Stories.

Safariland.com
Safariland.com

JACKSONVILLE, Florida –-(Ammoland.com)- Safariland, a BAE Systems line of business, will recognize three members of its Saves Club, which honors law enforcement officers who have been saved in the line of duty while wearing one of Safariland’s life-saving products.

This year, Safariland will honor one of its very first Saves as well as two more recent Saves. Each Save honored has already received their replacement vest.

At the SHOT Show presentation, they will receive a Saves Club commemorative coin, plaque and range bag.

Join us for the presentation at the SHOT Show:

Safariland booth #12762
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
3 p.m. – 4 p.m.

During the presentation, each officer will tell his/her story, which is summarized below.

A cold February night in 1976 marks the date that Richard (Dick) Sheehan’s life was saved by his Safariland vest. It was 11:52 p.m., and as a patrolman for the City of Colorado Springs, Colorado Police Department, Dick observed two individuals behind a local business. When they started to run, Dick exited his patrol car and began pursuing them around the corner of the building, where he lost sight of the individuals. That’s when he was shot in the back twice by a .22 cal rifle. The Safariland vest that he was wearing saved his life that night.

Officer Britt Sweeney, Seattle Police Department, had been on the job just seven months when she and her Field Training Officer were ambushed by an assailant who was wanted for firebombing several police cars. It was Oct. 31, 2009 and as Officer Sweeney and her partner were pulled off the highway writing reports, the assailant pulled along side and opened fire with a .223 rifle. Sweeney’s partner was killed instantly, and Officer Sweeney was struck on her ABA Xtreme HP across the back/shoulder area. She was able to radio for help and exit the vehicle where she returned fire striking the vehicle of the assailant who was later taken into custody.

Officer Al Fong, Saginaw Michigan Police Department, was executing a narcotics raid on Oct. 30, 2010 with his tactical team when the suspect opened fire. Officer Fong was struck in his chest with two rounds. His PROTECH armor defeated the rounds and the team returned fire striking the suspect, who was then taken into custody without further incident.

“We are honored and extremely happy to bring together one of our very first Saves as well as two of our more recent Saves,” said Ed Hinchey, Safariland Saves Club liaison, and himself a member of the Saves program. “Nothing reflects the spirit of Safariland and its people more than the Safariland Saves Club and its long tradition of honoring those who protect us. With each product we make, we put emphasis on protecting the lives of those who use them.”

About Safariland
Safariland, LLC is a premier provider of law enforcement and security products and services, delivering a full-range of customer-specific solutions. Offering many of the world’s most recognizable branded products in the public safety market, Safariland is committed to saving lives. For more information about Safariland and its body armor products, as well as information on the new NIJ-06 standard, please visit www.safariland.com.

About BAE Systems
BAE Systems is a global defense, security and aerospace company with approximately 107,000 employees worldwide. The Company delivers a full range of products and services for air, land and naval forces, as well as advanced electronics, security, information technology solutions and customer support services. In 2009 BAE Systems reported sales of £22.4 billion (US$ 36.2 billion).