Ask any officer what their most repressed academy memory is, and I’d be willing to bet most would list OC (oleoresin capsicum) spray day. Understandably, recruits in training need to have some understanding of what OC spray feels like should they have to utilize it in the field. They should also be able to work through the physiological effects of the spray should they receive second-hand exposure, which unfortunately can happen. I can tell you first-hand that the day I received OC spray was unpleasant, to put it lightly.
For starters, the pain doesn’t completely subside once it’s rinsed off with water. There is, of course, some level of relief, but it’s still a painful ordeal even after rinsing with the oft-prescribed method of using dish soap to remove the lingering spray. However, even this is no panacea for the pain. You also need to worry about the reactivation of the OC you failed to completely remove once you wet the affected area – this can be from sweat, rain, or most commonly, showering.
A DIFFERENT SOLUTION
Reflex Protect Tactical offers a new type of spray with Presidia Gel which offers several solutions to problems that traditional OC or pepper sprays run into. I received a kit from the company that included a canister of Presidia Gel MK-III, which ostensibly appeared to be a traditional can of spray. However, there was more than meets the eye with this spray.
Also in the kit was a bottle of Reflex Remove. As the name implies, it is used to remove Presidia Gel after exposure. I attended a virtual class hosted by Reflex Protect Tactical and learned how Reflex Remove offers the ability to decontaminate those on the receiving end of a Presidia Gel exposure in mere minutes. Juxtapose this with traditional OC sprays that can take nearly an hour for decontamination, and one can come to appreciate the convenience of having a product that is packable in go-bags that can be quickly deployed to remove exposures to Presidia Gel in a few moments. This not only is beneficial for the intended recipient of the exposure but also for any unintended recipients as well. These are often officers who would normally require a considerable amount of recovery time with traditional OC sprays.
For example, imagine a situation where an officer utilizes traditional OC spray on a call outside on a windy day. The intended recipient receives an effective dose, but unfortunately so does the officer using the OC spray as well as his backup partner. With traditional OC sprays, both officers are going to need to have a lengthy decontamination time set aside before they’re recovered and ready to return to the streets. With Presidia Gel and Reflex Remove, what was often upwards of an hour for recovery before is now only minutes.
This fear of secondary exposure was also alluded to during the Reflex Protect Tactical training class. The instructor explained that officers often have a reluctance to use traditional OC sprays for fear of receiving the spray themselves. With Reflex Remove, these fears can be assuaged by the knowledge that should they be exposed, they have an effective means of being decontaminated in mere minutes. This allows officers to have confidence in Presidia Gel and makes them more likely to utilize it compared to traditional OC sprays, according to the company.
During the class, I also learned that Presidia Gel includes a UV dye that is visible under a black light. I thought this was well-thought-out by Reflex Protect Tactical and learned that it’s purpose-built with the ability of agencies to be able to identify recipients later. For instance, if a recipient fled after being sprayed with Presidia Gel, the UV dye would aid in their identification once they’re apprehended.
The UV dye can also be a great productivity booster when paired with Reflex Remove during training. Decontamination is doubly effective when Presidia Gel might remain on a recruit in the academy during training and is easily detected with the use of a black light and subsequently removed with Reflex Remove. This allows academies to maximize training time instead of having to spend longer periods for decontamination that comes with traditional OC sprays.
MY FIRST-HAND EXPERIENCE
I tested the MK-III Presidia Gel indoors from a distance of about six feet from my target. The pattern was indeed forceful and was less of a gel and more of a liquid. The first thing I noticed was that while I could indeed detect a perceptible odor from the Presidia Gel, it didn’t impact me in the same way that a blast from traditional OC sprays would, which often tends to linger and cause coughing. Especially surprising was that this was indoors and at a fairly close distance.
After deployment, I realized soon after that I’d gotten some Presidia Gel on my hands during cleanup and had touched my face. I recognized the distinct burning sensation, grabbed the bottle of Reflex Remove and decontaminated my face according to the instructions I’d received during the virtual class. I then went about my morning as usual before it hit me - the burning was gone and I hadn’t even realized it.
When reflecting on the certification and training class, I found it informative and can see how being certified can be useful to officers. Not only did the class instill confidence in both products, Presidia Gel and Reflex Remove, but it also taught proper storage, spraying techniques, differences between traditional OC sprays and Presidia Gel, and how to properly utilize Reflex Remove.
The certification process is highly informative and includes bits of case law to buttress the usefulness of Reflex Protect Tactical products. Being certified is a quick process and can certainly be a boon to officers by giving them the confidence to utilize Presidia Gel without the fear of secondhand exposure.
Reflex Protect Tactical has a winner with Presidia Gel, which is offered in several different sizes depending on what agencies need, including much larger sizes that are effective for crowd control. The synergy between Presidia Gel and Reflex Remove looks to be a great investment to empower officers with a safe and effective tool without the apprehension that often accompanies traditional OC sprays.
Visit Reflex Protect Tactical for more information.
