For Registration Please Contact John Cronin: jcronin@warwickmills.com

Michigan Department of Corrections
Ionia Maximum Correctional Facility (ICF)
1576 W. Bluewater Highway
Ionia, MI 48846

The workshop begins at 9:00AM and ends at 10:30AM

AGENDA:
9:00AM Set-up & arrivals
10:00AM Start workshop
Lecture
- Armor Types & Components
- NIJ Stab Standard 0115.00
- How armor works
- BVP Funding
Interactive
- Stab testing
- Best practices discussion
10:30AM End

Attendance is strictly limited to corrections professionals, which will be granted admittance at the sole discretion of Warden Willie Smith. Preregistration is required.

Offering high dexterity with the most comfort in a protective Law Enforcement Glove, the new TurtleSkin Alpha and Bravo gloves set a new standard for dexterity and protection.

The new gloves were developed in response to requests from police and corrections officers for dual function gloves, which offer comfortable fit and flexibility as well as puncture and cut resistance. Each model of the gloves has been designed with unique features that address specific use-environments. The overall performance and protection of the Alpha and Bravo represent a significant advancement in protective law enforcement gloves.

The hands of law enforcement and corrections professionals are at risk from cuts and needlesticks on a daily basis. They need a glove that protects against these threats, while offering a high level of dexterity and tactile sensitivity, providing the officer with the ability to perform subtle tasks while wearing protective gloves.

The TurtleSkin Alpha glove offers excellent cut and puncture protection on the palm side of the hand as well as a high level of slash resistance on the back of the hand. They are an excellent solution for corrections professionals at risk of sharp threats. The snug fit and superior protection will also make these gloves popular with patrol officers. Grip pads on the thumb and index finger assist in subtle search situations.

Designed for warm weather, the Bravo glove is constructed with a mesh knit that provides excellent breathability combined with outstanding cut and puncture protection. Extremely lightweight, the Bravo is an excellent choice for officers in warm climates as well as indoor work for court officers and corrections. The overall comfort and functional performance of the Bravo makes this glove well suited for general patrol work.

Corrections Officer Raymond Gonsalves takes a stab at puncturing a panel of TurtleSkin, used for making protective vests, at Warwick Mills in New Ipswich.

NEW FABRIC COULD SAVE LIVES

By NANCY BEAN FOSTER

Union Leader Correspondent

NEW IPSWICH — On the street, law enforcement officers wear body armor that helps protect them against bullets, but inside the walls of a prison, corrections officers need protection from makeshift weapons. The company Warwick Mills believes their TurtleSkin body armor may be the perfect fit.

Founded in 1888, Warwick Mills specializes in high-performance fabrics, laminates and consumer products for use in personal protective equipment, aerospace technologies, industrial safety and defense applications.

On Nov. 8, a bus full of corrections personnel who specialize in training and educating corrections officers left the International Association of Correctional Training Personnel’s 26th Annual Conference in Boston to visit Warwick Mills in New Ipswich.

At the oldest continuously operating textile mill in New Hampshire, the trainers saw the newest technology in stabresistant body armor put to the test.

Specially designed machines delivered simulated blows from knives and ice picks to fabrics used to make body armor.

Warwick Mills Product Manager John Cronin illustrated the strengths and weaknesses of a lot of the body armor used by correctional officers.

The ice picks were stopped by the way the body armor fabric is woven, Cronin explained.

“As the pick moves through each layer of material, the fibers grab it tighter and tighter,” he said.

But when the knives were tested, the results were less comforting; the blades sliced through the fabric and came out the other side, revealing about an inch of blade. Though the fabric met the standards set by the National Institute for Justice for stab-resistant armor, Cronin said, the corrections officers seemed to balk at the idea of being stabbed, even if the wound was just an inch or so deep.

Warwick Mills product manager John Cronin explains the vulnerabilities in the fabrics that comprise most protective vests worn by corrections officers.

“I think many corrections officers think of their armor as being ‘stab-proof,’” said Cronin. “In reality, the vast majority of vests provide good resistance to ice pick-type weapons, but no meaningful resistance to knives.”

Then Cronin conducted the same tests on Warwick Mills’ TurtleSkin, a flexible composite that combines textile and metal to dull the blows from even the sharpest weapons. Instead of piercing the armor, the weapons bent under the force of striking the TurtleSkin, and the blades became tangled in the layers of fabric.

Despite his best efforts, trainer Raymond Gonsalves couldn’t stab through the TurtleSkin with a knife.

By providing officers with protection from blades and ice pick-like implements, Warwick Mills believes serious injuries can be avoided and lives can be saved.

“The fact is that inmates manufacture both types of weapons, so armor should protect against both threats,” said Cronin.

For more information, visit www.turtleskin.com.

TurtleSkin and IACTP Host Stab-Resistant Body Armor Training Workshop

TurtleSkin MFA flexible stab armor is designed and built at the US manufacturing facility of Warwick Mills in New Ipswich, NH.

October 11, 2010, New Ipswich, NH – Corrections professionals attending the IACTP 26th Annual Trainer’s Conference in Boston on November 7-10, will have the opportunity to participate in an excursion to the TurtleSkin Body Armor manufacturing plant in nearby New Ipswich, NH. The tour will feature information and training sessions related to the testing, application, and use of stab-resistant body armor.
A live demonstration of body armor testing procedures will immediately follow a tour of the manufacturing and research facility. A hands-on interactive session of stab testing with a variety of edged weapons and a discussion on the test standards and procedures according to the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) is also part of the evening’s event.

To learn more and pre register for the workshop, visit http://bit.ly/IACTPpr Space is limited to 50 visitors. Transportation is provided. The workshop is not open to the public.
Warwick Mills, makers of TurtleSkin materials, specializes in high-performance fabrics, laminates and consumer products for use in personal protective equipment, aerospace technologies, industrial safety, and defense applications. Warwick has a legacy of research and development in flexible composite safety materials and remains at the forefront of textile technology innovation.

Founded in 1974, the International Association of Correctional Training Personnel is an international professional association of trainers, training administrators, and educators representing all aspects of the field of adult and juvenile justice.

For artwork or information contact:
John Cronin, Product Manager
TurtleSkin Body Armor
phone: +1.603.291.1002
jcronin@warwickmills.com

Officer Testing TurtleSkin Stab Armor

Read below what one officer said about our Armor Technology Day in a post workshop survey:

• Was this a valuable learning experience?I will classify the workshop as a great and valuable learning experience. Witnessing and learning the production and testing process was very valuable and made the whole process much more understandable.
• Would you recommend this workshop to other corrections professionals?I would definitely recommend the workshop to other corrections professionals. Understanding the production and testing process of vests used in a correctional setting makes you know what you are looking for when inquiring about and purchasing equipment for your own department.
• How can we improve the Armor Technology Workshop?I do not believe that the workshop needs any improvement. I was very impressed with the production of vests.

TurtleSkin Armor at the 2009 Mock Prison Riot

TurtleSkin will be attending the 2010 Mock Prison Riot in Moundsville, West Virginia, May 2nd – 5th.  The Mock Prison Riot is an intensive 4 day corrections and tactical training exercise held at the former West Virginia State Penitentiary.  The Mock Riot invites corrections officers from all over the country to participate in skills competitions, product demonstrations and certificate workshops.

TurtleSkin Corrections Stab Armor and Law Enforcement Gloves will be exhibited, demonstrated, and made available for use to the correctional personnel in varying simulated threat scenarios.  The Mock Prison Riot is the only arena in the world where corrections officers can try new corrections technology in actual threat scenarios and get the full experience of what these products have to offer.

The mock prison riot is free of charge to all participating correctional teams and observers.  For more information visit the Mock Prison Riot Website.

2nd Annual Armor Technology Day is focused on Corrections Protection and Stab Armor.

I specifically looked at your TurtleSkin stickproof gloves. At the time I thought they were a bit costly and decided to continue using the CSC (Correctional Services Canada) issue gloves. I thought maybe some time in the future I might buy myself a pair of the TurtleSkin gloves if I had a few extra dollars to play with.

A few months later I was involved in searching cells in a living unit. I was searching a cell with another officer when I was poked with a tattoo needle the inmate had hidden behind a ledge. I can remember looking down at my hand with disbelief and thinking, “That didn’t really happen.” I pulled off my glove and sure enough, I could see a small needlestick mark on my finger. My partner told me to go to healthcare immediately and have them look at it. i reported the incident to my supervisor, who reiterated the need to immediately attend healthcare.

I had to rush to the hospital for blood tests and to be placed on HIV protocol. I became sick from this medication and combined with not knowing what the future held, fear crept into my mind. The next week I was in a state of shock. My wife too felt the stress and fear from this incident. It was a very tough time that first week. Over and over I kept asking myself why I had not bought those gloves. The price seemed insignificant compared to the stress both me and my family were facing.

I was lucky, the blood tests came back negative. The stress is now gone, but the fear of another needle stick is always in the forefront of my thoughts when conducting searches. I know that I do not want my family to feel the fear or stress that they felt while awaiting the results of those blood tests again. I know this will not happen because I will be wearing my TurtleSkin gloves the next time I conduct a search.

On April 15, Warwick Mills makers of TurtleSkin Body Armor will be hosting the 2nd Annual Armor Technology Day, located at our facility in New Ipswich, NH.  This event will focus on Stab Armor and the Corrections industry.

During the workshop officers will learn about National Institute of Justice armor standards, armor grant opportunities, different types of armor, manufacturing processes, and lots more. There is no charge for admittance to the workshop.

This is a great opportunity to learn about corrections armor and to network with other corrections professionals from the region. A similar event was hosted last year for patrol officers and focused on ballistic resistant armor. Here’s what a few of them said when asked if this was a valuable experience:

“Absolutely. This is very valuable for someone who has never seen a live fire demonstration of body armor. I think we were educated about what protection is available and how unprotected we are currently.”
-Chief Garret Chamberlain, New Ipswich Police Dept.

“After nearly 20 years in law enforcement, I now understand the NIJ standards and how they apply. Any agency who supplies vests for their employees should attend this workshop.”
-Sgt. Patrick Caggiano, Plaistow Police Dept.

“It was fascinating.  I had never seen the production side of the one piece of gear we as police officers often take for granted.”
-Sgt. Cori Casey, Training and Services Division, Concord Police Department

Here’s a brief description of what will be covered – full agenda is attached:

Classroom (10:00am)

• Review of armor standards, weapons, vest materials, and federal grant opportunities

How It’s Made (11:00am)

• Tour of body armor manufacturing line to see step-by-step how body armor is made

Lunch provided by Warwick Mills (12:00pm)

• Sandwiches, pasta salad, etc…

Body Armor Stab Testing (1:00pm)

• See how body armor testing is conducted in a laboratory environment with NIJ threat implements and inmate fashioned weapons.
• Feel free to bring one of your vests to see if it meets your expectations

Attendance is for  corrections, military, law enforcement and security professionals only. This event is not open to the general public. If you are interested in attending our next Armor Tech Day or have a group that would be interested in a presentation, please contact us for more information.

Stab Armor Workshop