Thanks to a contribution from a downtown business, the Oxford Village Police Department has a new piece of equipment that will enable officers to better protect themselves and others should an active shooter incident occur at a school, church, business or other gathering place.

Curtis Insurance Agency, located at 25 N. Washington St., donated $800 to the department to purchase a tactical vest.

The vest’s purpose is twofold.

One, it serves as a piece of body armor that’s stronger than the bulletproof vests officers currently wear on a daily basis.

“This will actually stop a rifle round,” said Police Chief Mike Solwold.

The everyday vests worn by officers will protect them from handguns, he explained, but a rifle bullet would “go through (them) like butter.”

“If these guys are going to be running into a building where there’s an active shooter and they need some better equipment so they (can) survive (and) help the kids, help the teachers . . . I can support that anytime. We wanted to get involved,” said Greg Clay, who co-owns Curtis Insurance Agency with Brenda Gyomory.

In addition to offering a higher level of personal protection, the tactical vest has multiple pockets where officers can store things such as additional ammunition, extra pairs of handcuffs and tourniquets.

According to Solwold, having these items already packed together and ready to go with the vest, instead of stored in the trunk of a patrol vehicle, will save officers time and in an active shooter situation, “seconds count.”

The chief estimated that gathering needed items can take an extra 20 or 30 seconds and while that may not sound like a lot, he said “that’s an eternity” when a gunman is attacking.

“(A shooter) can do a lot of damage in that amount of time,” Solwold said.

The vest’s storage capacity saves time, which could ultimately save lives.

“You can just throw this on and go,” Solwold said.

Solwold would like to secure three more tactical vests.

“We have four cars, so I’d like to have all four cars outfitted,” he said.

“We’re happy to donate the first vest and we’re working  with some other folks, like the Oxford Chamber of Commerce, to find more people to help donate the three additional vests that are needed,” Clay said.

Solwold is grateful to Clay and Gyomory for the support, but if the tactical vest does nothing but gather dust, that would be just fine with him.

“It’s one of those things (that) you hope you never have to use,” he said. “I’d rather have it and not need it, then need it and not have it.”