EMS equipment to be kept in a jacket and pants

[SRS131EMTFF 471]

My department issued all of its EMS personal a jacket and pants designed to be used on calls and is really tough and durable. I was wondering what first aid gear should go in to my pockets. I would like to keep the stuff in any of my pockets as light and as easy to find as possible. Thanks

Edited March 10, 2006 by bvfdjc316

[x648eng119 2]

Some basics are usually a pair of shears, tape, PEN, penlight, 02 key, and gloves. In reality though, it's really a matter of personal preference. Those are the things i usually have on me.

[Guest]

I like keeping my leatherman and a minimaglite on my belt and an EMS field book with some 3x5 sticky notes in it in addition to the items mentioned above.

[Guest]

I usually keep an IV start kit, two pre-filled saline syringes, and two IV catheters (18-20G). A field guide is always helpful expecially when the PT says they take zidovudine ...which is why I keep tow pairs of gloves on me. Trauma sheers are nice too.

[STAT213 332]

I'll always remember something a very seasoned (and good) paramedic told me when I started in this profession...

"The amount of gear carried on the belt (or person) is inversely related to their knowledge and ability."

I liked what he had to teach me, and began to believe what I saw. My gear goes in my bags, and my hands in my pockets. To this day, when I am doing EMS, you won't find a thing on my belt, and nothing other than a pair o gloves and one medication cheat sheet in my back pocket.

Now, there are a few more tricks unto the flight suit, mind you...

And, of course the bunkers are a whole nuther topic...

Be safe,

Rob

[Guest]

two pre-filled saline syringes? don't they get dirty or lose a little of the sterility in you pocket?

oh well here's my list

3 pens

calculator

stethoscope

broslowe tape

redimedic guide

leatherman

trauma shears

many pairs of gloves

[Guest]

two pre-filled saline syringes?  don't they get dirty or lose a little of the sterility in you pocket?

←

No, the saline syringes are wraped in plastic, like a candy bar. (Which is also an EMS essential)

[BuffMedic236 0]

All you need is a pen, everything else is in your rig...

[Guest]

Why only a pen? Do you not carry gear from the bus into a house or up to a scene?

[ONEEYEDMIC 68]

Stat 213 is right, you don't need all that crap on any EMS call. What you carry in your bags should be enough for even the TOUGHEST BLS/ALS call.

I never carried anything with me, other than my Stethescope. The more crap I see with a person, the more I know that they don't know what they are doing. I once saw a person carry that rubber hammer used to check reflexes, WHY.

[x635 4,066]

Someone please explain to me how much someone has on their belt is relevant to their skills, and how making an assumption about someones skill level based on what they carry on their belt isn't prejudical. I could also say the less crap I see on someone, the less prepared and lazier they are.

At one of my jobs, I worked on a flycar where I wasn't working in the same unit every call. I was required to carry on me my narcotics, keys, cell phone, and portable radio at all times. In addition to that, I carried a pen, leatherman, shears, scope and flashight on me, and gloves and field guide in my pocket. In another system, I always had my bus and bag and didn't need to carry much on me.

Although I don't neccarily like to have a ton of stuff on me, I like to have what I will need and use all the time. I understand that some people may carry way more then neccary, or like to have toys on their belt, but don't judge everyone because of it.

Different people in EMS work different ways. Try not to carry too much on you, but carry what you need and use freqeuntly, so you don't always have to go for your bag, which may not always be with you.

I wonder if select fellow professionals make false assumptions about cops or firefighters because of what they carry on their belts or in their pockets?

Edited March 12, 2006 by x635

[Guest alsfirefighter]

I also don't carry much.

Stethoscope, even if its my personal it goes in my als bag and taken out end of tour.

Other then 2 pens, 1 good one, 1 skell one for RMA's so they don't touch my good pen and a pair of the small trauma shears, everything else is in the bag. Why would I need IV caths in my pocket I don't know and the small trauma shears stay nicer in my pocket then the huge ones I see people running around with. Your gear makes sense HFD you use it often enough to know it works. But IV caths and saline syringes? For what purpose? They should be in your bag and secured as NYS DOH outlines.

Do people make assumption on what cops and firefighters carry in their pockets or on their belts....

I DO, LOL. and you've heard the speech HFD. And I have to say often it is the same, less experience, more crap that isn't functional in pockets. Folding spanner wrenches? WHy not enough on all the engines? Leatherman...use that one handed with gloves on...not happening. If you don't use it at least once a week or its gonna save your a** you don't need it. It equals weight and it also makes your pockets bulge with risks getting hung up and stopping you from getting out in a hurry if need be.

[Guest]

Yeah, i dont carry anything on my belt aside from my tour nextel, portable radio, and personal cell phone. I like to keep my sheers in the center-back belt loop as its out of the way and easy to reach. I keep my Steh in my coat pocket, i keep lots of gloves on my left bdu pocket, and 2 pens (1 skell 1 personal) along with my field guide and some tegaderms (useful on someone with mutiple sucking chest wounds that need to be sealed quick) in my right pocket and thats about it. O2 key is on my unit's keyring so, thats taken care of. And per x365 - i agree that you shouldnt judge a book by its cover, but at the same time i think one's belt can seperate the wacker from the professioinal. In most ALS systems medics are issued their narcs and keys, nextel and radio at begining of shift and are required to have such items on them at all times (completely understandable). I think what the comment comes from is people that have "buff belts" filled with all sorts of crap. Two pagers, one for their VAC and one for their VFD, two or three of those trauma sheer holders with all kinds of other stuff like hemostats and other little things, one of those big holders for those extra long police Mag lites, mini-mag lite etc. Sad thing is, ive seen all of this on people before - the belt alone must have been 1/3 of their body weight and practically all of it is useless hence the "the more you have on the belt the newer to EMS you are" or however it goes.

[Jybehofd 85]

At the firehouse i carry my cell with the hospital numbers, 2-way numbers for the medics, and my military issue spyderco.

At work I carry one pair of shears, the spyderco, 2 sets of gloves, my cell, leather gloves in the winte, and O2 key and the personal keys to the trucks on a beaner. Not to mention the radio and nextel from the company. Plus two pens, for some reason one tends to walk off with a nurse some times but there tend to also.

[Skooter92 7]

I do wear a "buff belt"....with my cell, my portable, a Strion light (damn bright little sucker), the issued pager in a little case, and the narcs in one of those neat leather cases. I carry a baggie of gloves in one thigh pocket (so no one on scene has a good excuse not to help), and in the other thigh pocket a broselow tape, a copy of the WestCo protocols, and a little spiral notebook for info on turfed calls.

I don't always think having a buff belt with stuff on it relates inversely to knowledge, ability, longevity.....but I agree WHAT you carry does relate to your comfort and knowledge of what you really need vs. what you can possibly fit. I've been doing EMS for about 19 years....you tend to whittle it down to what YOU need....others need more or less, but try not to judge too harshly cause I know some fantastic medics and EMTs who wear 10 tons o' crap around their waists...and conversely, some sucky ones who stroll in with nothing but their atttude. it's the whole book/cover/don't judge thing, aight?

Personally, I think the little snap loops on buff pants are useless...the scissors, etc, always get in the way or fall out. Putting a scissor sheath inside the thigh pocket, where it's covered and won't snag.....that might be an idea.

[firemoose827 324]

Here is an old saying...KISS...Keep It Simple Stupid. I keep just a few small things that you always seem to lose out of your gear bags on the rigs. Pen Light, Shears, Pens, Gloves, and a small carabiner. They are great for hanging IV bags for the medics, you can attach it to the bag and hang it anywhere it will fit including on your shirt or jacket while carrying PT to the rig. Hemostats work well for that too. An old medic/fire chief told me once..."I'd rather have it and not need it than need it and not have it." But that doesnt make me weigh myself down with a bunch of useless S#@%!

Also, a CPR sheild might come in handy and some alcohol pads or something to wash with in case you are one of those that might respond to the scene. We have a large district with two rigs out of one station, so some of our members are "First Responder" EMT's. Just a thought.

[Guest]

I'll be completely honest with you; I've got a "buff" belt and I love it. I keep my EMS ID, leatherman, glove pouch, portable radio, cell phone (sometimes), and mini-maglite (on night shifts) clipped to the belt. I also have a stethoscope in one cargo pocket and trauma shears, a penlight, and a pen in the other cargo pocket.

I'm a huge fan of my EMS duty belt because we're usually not too busy and I can take it off when I'm just sitting around the EMS base. But when we get a call, I just grab my stethoscope and put on the belt and I'm ready to go. Also, I hate having a ton of crap in my pockets, but the belt keeps everything from shifting around and keeps it easily accessible. I used to not keep anything on my belt, but now I'm a big fan of my "buff" belt. It's just a personal preference.

[Guest]

Fresh out of the box, you're gonna end up carrying everything but a Hurst Tool.

You'll grow up like the rest of us that have been doing it for a while and keep it to a pen and shears, heehee.