Essex-Windsor EMS Designs and Deploys New Chest Harness

A chest harness designed and developed by Essex-Windsor EMS Paramedics for Essex-Windsor EMS Paramedics has been approved by management and is being rolled out to all frontline staff who request one.

The adjustable harness meets or exceeds all safety requirements and has features that make it especially useful during a pandemic.

Traditionally, Paramedics wear their portable radios on their hips, which makes them difficult to access when they are wearing Tyvek suits, but the chest harness has a holster custom-fitted for EMS radios and can be worn on top of PPE.

The chest harness is fully adjustable and can be fitted to individual Paramedics. It is made of durable Cordura fabric and is designed to fit close and move with the body while reducing the bounce or swing associated with standard harnesses. The harness has a custom 4-point break-away design to mitigate the risk of injury in the case of entrapment.

The harness is based off Conterra’s industry-leading product and also features a pen pouch, a large bellows cargo pocket and a mic clip on the left shoulder.

Acting District Chief Hannah Chevalier was the lead on this project and worked closely with Conterra, staff and the County’s Joint Health and Safety Committee to successfully complete it despite shipping challenges and world-wide supply shortages related to COVID-19.

The harnesses are not mandatory but are being made available to all frontline staff who request them.