August 03, 2021 4 min read
Special weapons and tactics teams are critical to our nation's law enforcement efforts. SWAT units are typically responsible for handling some of the most intense situations that can involve high levels of risk, such as hostage situations, terrorist threats and riots. Anytime a SWAT team gets called into action, each officer puts their safety on the line to protect others. In 2019, 48 law enforcement officers died in the line of duty. Of these, nine were carrying out tactical operations.Â
There's no doubt SWAT officers encounter a lot of risk on the job, but the good news is that officers can maintain their safety in most situations with the proper training and personal protective equipment. An essential piece of PPE that all modern SWAT officers should have is a helmet. A SWAT helmet from Hard Head Veterans can help you stay safe amid danger.Â
SWAT teams need their helmets to meet specific criteria. A SWAT helmet should provide the following characteristics.
Fortunately, Hard Head Veterans prioritizes providing SWAT teams with helmets that meet all these criteria. We understand budgets are tight, so offering these high-quality helmets at a budget-friendly price point has always been a top objective for our company. Â
SWAT teams can use a few types of helmets for protection. Options include low-cut and high-cut ballistic helmets and bump helmets.
For maximum coverage against blunt force or ballistic threats, low-cut helmets are the way to go. These helmets cover all or part of the wearer's ears. The extra material in low-cut helmets can make them a bit heavier, but our BTE® Ballistic Helmet is surprisingly lightweight thanks to its DuPontâ„¢ Kevlar® shell.Â
This helmet also features memory foam and a modular design for a perfect fit every time. Older versions of low-cut helmets were sometimes unpopular with wearers because they were uncomfortable, especially when worn for long periods. By design, our low-cut SWAT Kevlar helmet provides maximum comfort and coverage.
When you would prefer to leave your ears uncovered, you need an above-the-ear design, such as the HHV ATE® GEN2 Ballistic Helmet. ATE, or high-cut, helmets still provide coverage to most of an officer's head, but tend to be lighter because they include less material.Â
The primary advantage of high-cut styles is that they accommodate a headset. This quality can be helpful when SWAT officers are communicating over the radio to coordinate their movements during an arrest, hostage situation or other tactical scenarios. These helmets make it easy to add the accessories you need via a rail mounting system.Â
When you don't need protection from ballistics, but you want to protect against other hazards, a bump helmet — such as the Tactical Helmet ATE® Bump — is a wise choice. These helmets are lighter than ballistic helmets, so they are an excellent option at times. They're still heavy-duty enough to protect an officer's head during a riot if a violent protestor throws a rock or another heavy object.Â
In addition to offering tactical helmets, Hard Head Veterans also carries a wide selection of accessories that can help you enhance your helmet's comfort and functionality. Accessories bring the following benefits.
Today's SWAT officers regularly enter high-risk situations and deserve advanced body armor to stay protected. Hard Head Veterans is a veteran-owned company, and all our team members have a connection to law enforcement or the military. We sell tactical ballistic helmets designed with the needs of SWAT teams in mind. Shop our online store to find the right SWAT ballistic helmet and accessories for your needs.