Equipment purchasers can use the test methods described in the standard to determine whether a particular piece of equipment meets essential requirements, or they can have the tests conducted on their behalf by a qualified testing laboratory. Procurement officials can also refer to the standard in their purchasing documents and require that equipment offered for purchase meet the requirements. Compliance with the standard can be attested to by an independent laboratory or guaranteed by the vendor. Because the standard is designed as a procurement aid, it is necessarily highly technical. For those who seek general guidance concerning the selection and application of law enforcement equipment, user guides have been published that explain in nontechnical language how to select equipment capable of the performance required by a police agency. The standard contains sections on purpose and scope, classification, definitions, requirements, and test methods. Additional information on testing procedures and other considerations is provided in four appendixes. 9 tables and 7 figures