Team Wendy, which researches and develops high-quality headborne systems from the inside out, announced that the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) purchased the company’s EXFIL Ballistic SL helmet. LAPD bought 85 black helmets for its SWAT team, and LASD ordered 95 helmets in ranger green for its Special Enforcement Bureau (SEB).

LAPD’s SWAT team rescues dozens of hostages and manages 120-plus high-risk warrants and approximately 100 barricaded suspect cases per year. It responds to barricade or hostage incidents where the suspect is believed to be armed or an extreme threat to public safety. Typical situations include the presence of weapons, suspected gang activity and heavily fortified locations.

LASD is the largest sheriff’s department in the world. The Special Enforcement Bureau, newly equipped with Team Wendy helmets, is a full-time unit of tactical paramedics and rescue specialists, including a canine detail and a special weapons team. It works hand in hand with the department’s arson/explosives and hazardous materials details and coordinates security for visiting dignitaries and politicians, including the United States President and Vice President. SEB responds to an estimated 200-300 tactical operations every year, including barricaded suspects, high-risk warrants and hostage situations.

Team Wendy CEO Jose Rizo-Patron said the company exists for the sole purpose of protecting officers like these.

“The men and women of the LAPD and LASD put their lives on the line every day and we take pride in knowing we play a role in their safety,” he said. “This is why we do what we do.”

Joe Nagy, who works with law enforcement agencies around the country on behalf of Team Wendy, said the EXFIL Ballistic SL is built to do exactly what these agencies need.

“We spent a long time engineering this helmet so it would perform at a high caliber,” he said.

The EXFIL Ballistic SL is the fifth helmet in Team Wendy’s EXFIL line. It has a complete system weight of 2.2 pounds, meets a ballistic rating of NIJ Level III-A (according to NIJ STD 0106.01/0108.01) and exceeds ACH blunt impact protection requirements. It features the newer, lighter EXFIL Rail 3.0 for more efficient accessory mounting and the boltless CAM FIT Retention System for individualized fit and superior weight distribution.

LAPD and LASD join Orange County (CA) Sheriff’s Office and more than 20 other law enforcement agencies in southern California that wear Team Wendy helmet systems.