Uniform
Over the last four years Dixon's Hazard Response has updated it's uniform a few times.
Current Uniform
The uniform for Dixon's Hazard Response consists of a hot pink undershirt and an orange vest with yellow patches. The vest has the team name, 'Dixon's Hazard Response', emblazoned on the back and my name on the front for easy identification. I received this new vest in January 2024 as part of our efforts to enhance visibility during operations.
I carry all kinds of equipment in my vest. I have a notepad and a pen for taking down details, Mini bolt cutters for cutting wires, I bought these after dealing with a medical emergency and needing to cut a wire fence to gain access to a farm for the police. I also carry Torch for nighttime and gloves to protect myself. I'll also use a body camera to ensure my safety for any lawsuit or to provide to the police in case of an incident.
In additional with this I will carry a UHF 2-way radio and I will use that to talk with trucks or other people who may be on scene and on channel.
PREVOUS UNIFORMS
Just a Jacket
From the beginning to now, I still remember my first uniform and that was just a jacket, but it got very hot and couldn't carry all the gear I needed.
Yellow Vest
From April 2021 to January 2022, I wore a uniform consisting of a yellow vest with black shirt and pants. In addition, I carried essential items such as gloves for protection, a two-way radio for communication purposes, and a body camera that allowed me to record events during hazard response situations.
However, I changed this uniform because the shopping centre security often wore similar uniform.
Orange Vest with navy blue shirt
My choice of uniform was based on two main factors: visibility and ease of putting it on quickly. However, what I didn't anticipate was that there would be another group wearing almost exactly the same thing - The local security team known as 'Cosafe'. Their outfits consist of an identical combination of bright orange vest and dark blue shirt.
Introducing the pink
In May 2023, I introduced the hot pink hi vis undershirt to improve safety on the road. After considering various colours for this part of my uniform, I ultimately chose a vibrant shade of pink as it stands out from other service and company uniforms that typically pair orange vests with navy or black attire.