Humanitarian aid donations to the war effort in Ukraine have taken many forms and the Wood County Sheriff’s Office took part in the larger Ohio Department of Public Safety effort to supply used defensive equipment in 2022.
Wood County donated used gear that had expired warranty dates.
They contributed 20 ballistic vests, 13 ballistic helmets and six chest plates.
The estimated value, if new, would be $800 for the vests, $150 for the helmets and $300 each for the plates, totalling $19,750.
The chest plates are an additional layer of ballistic protection which covers the heart that can be inserted into the vests.
“I’m sure the vests, and other equipment, are fine at five years and one day of life, but something very drastic happened and they were in a shooting incident the manufacturer cannot guarantee that it will still protect,” Dep. Brianne Cooper, the Wood County sheriff’s director of human relations and finance, said.
Continued use after the five-year mark in the United States would create a liability and insurance coverage issue.
“We rotate them every five years and get our officers new ones, but it’s still better than nothing. That is why we donated them to the efforts for the war in Ukraine, to try to help people that didn’t have anything to help protect,” Cooper said.
The used equipment collection effort was state-wide and organized by Gov. Mike DeWine’s office.
“There were many agencies in Ohio that were able to help and make donations, including the Ohio State Highway Patrol, as a multi-agency effort,” Cooper said.
