Ottawa police tactical unit to get new style of uniforms after June explosion
The Ottawa police tactical unit will soon be outfitted with new shirts and pants to better protect officers from burns, CBC News has learned.
It comes after a police and paramedic training exercise explosion in June that left two officers and three paramedics injured.
Acting Staff Sgt. Martin Rukavina told CBC News the explosion played a "large role" in the decision to purchase the new uniforms, but that it wasn't the only factor.
"Throughout the year we'll periodically look at the policies and the equipment that we have, undertake reviews to make sure we have the best we can afford to our city," Rukavina said.
"We decided that it would be appropriate to enhance our safety by giving us uniforms that were fire resistant."
'No melt, no drip' uniforms crumble away from skin
The new uniforms aren't fire retardant, but they're made of a material that crumbles away from the skin when exposed to flame or a hot flash.
Regular uniforms are made of a material that can melt onto the skin, leading to serious injuries.
The "no melt, no drip" uniforms — manufactured by Arcteryx and retailing for about $500 for a set at Millbrook Tactical in Stittsville — are about twice as expensive as uniforms being worn by the officers now.
Glenn Ashford, a salesperson at Millbrook Tactical, said the new uniforms should last about three times longer than the current uniforms.
SIU case expands to account for letters of concern
Meanwhile, the Special Investigations Unit continues to investigate the training exercise explosion.
Police sources tell CBC News the scope of the investigation has been expanded to account for two letters of concern sent to the SIU, signed by members of the tactical unit, which contained allegations about the actions of their supervisors (including Rukavina) before the explosion.
In previous interviews, only officers and paramedics who were present for the training incident were interviewed.
Now, all 27 members of the tactical unit and Insp. Mark Ford have been interviewed by the SIU about the explosion and the unit's management.
Some interviews of officers have lasted more than six hours.
