Can what you carry in your gear hurt you?

[x635 4,066]

With all the talk in the other thread regarding what you carry in your gear pockets got me thinking. If you are struck, fall, or recieve some sort of blunt force, what are the chances of something you carry in your back pocket puncturing your gear and you, or hurting you in some other fashion?? Does this affect the way or what you carry in your pockets?

For example, Channel Lock Linesman Cutters, which are being carried more and more because there's a great tool to cut yourself loose from an entanglement in a mattress or wires,etc......but can injure you if you fall, or absorb and retain heat, becoming superheated.

Is any of the above an issue?

[Guest irishfire]

i agree with you 100% the stuff that people carry could end up hurting you as you fall or something hits you the object could going into you. But i guess that they wanted the object cause it does something to protcect them in case they get tangled up in something and they need to get free

This Is very intresting topic i guess there are two different side to this story

[COMMANDCHIEF 4]

Remember not to carry ammunition or cans with compressed gas in it.

[Guest irishfire]

chief yea talking about drinks i know of some people that carry soda in their pockets like 20 oz bottles and some with 2 litier bottles in theire pockets that the take to almost evey call. take some weight out of your pocket take the bottles out most departments have water on the scene for big fires why carrier more than u have to into buliding that is completly on fire and have the weight carried u down

[57crew 1]

How about smokers? How many of them have cigarettes and a lighter in there pockets???

[DMA327 12]

Ahhh... Beverages at a fire scene are always the job of the IC to form a group of people on scene for planning and logistics!

[Firefighter57 0]

good point 57crew...........what bout battaries in lights...(guess they could mess u up some how).....

[Guest irishfire]

There is so much stuff that people take with them in to the bulding that they dont relize that that stuff could hurt them but in there mind in could help them to!!

[WAS967 97]

On the PD side there is a rather famous video that has been making the rounds on "realTV" and the like in the past years of a SWAT officer who had a flashbang grenade go off in his hip pocket. Luckily he got away with only 2nd and 3rd degree burns, but it makes you think.

[Remember585 815]

Speaking of PD gear / injuries...

My father, a retired PD Sergeant, once told me about a story they were told during some training class about air-bags in cop cars. In one case, an officer had an accident, the air-bag went off, and the pen in the officer's pocket actually penetrated his ballistic vest. Kind of scary to think about....

[Firefighter57 0]

it can happen as little as a knife (not switchblade) gets cought and flips open......ive done it myself once or twice camping....althogh i didnt cut myself, if that happened and you fell on it..........owch

[Guest DFFD227]

During fire calls, I always leave my keys/cell phone/Minitor in my shoe, or in the gear rack, because I'm always afraid of damaging them. Because some of us are big guys (me included) and it can take less then 200 pounds to crush something's like that. Does anyone do the same? I know some firemen who went through a few Minitors/cell phones because they always put them in there gear jackets and they come out with it water damged/crushed.

[Remember585 815]

I usually throw my pager and nextel in the back of my car as I'm throwing on my gear. If I do have it with me, I put them on the rig.

I also carry a hard case to keep my glasses safe in the bunker pants pocket.

Our new engine will have a lock box in the cab so the members can store their phones, wallets, etc. while at an incident. This will come in handy on mutual aid runs when the rig is left unattended for long periods of time.

[RWC130 594]

Our new engine will have a lock box in the cab so the members can store their phones, wallets, etc. while at an incident.  This will come in handy on mutual aid runs when the rig is left unattended for long periods of time.

How much cash do you usually keep in your wallet? LOL

We have to start calling 119 more often.

[DMA327 12]

We go to Ossining ALOT!

[BIGRED1 71]

Remember not to carry ammunition or cans with compressed gas in it.

You mean i am not suppose to carry my gun and some spray paint in my gear? man what was i thinking ](*,)

[Guest rreimund]

Another important point that my captain has emphasized, though I've yet to verify that truth of it, but essentially, when you're going into a potentially explosive situation, like a smell of gas call, it's important to leave behind your pager, as it's not rated for explosive environments (though your portable radio off the rig should be).. and also if you have a light with you, turn it on before you go into the building, as the turning on of the bulb could potentially spark any gas that might be present.. (as always be on air.)

The other night, we had a furnace backup call, and I'm walking around the basement and realized.. "Hey.. do we have a gas detector down here" Turns out we had high levels of CO.. some who weren't on air, and that's super dangerous, since you can't smell that coming..

[Guest rreimund]

Ok .. interesting.. just looked it up, and it appears that it is rated by UL for hazardous situations..

http://database.ul.com/cgi-bin/XYV/templat...2887&sequence=1

Now I'm not sure what to make of it, as that's what I had thought, and had pushed back, but was told that I was wrong..

[Guest alsfirefighter]

I know quite a few firefighters that the most dangerous tool they carry is between their ears. No throwing that in the front seat. Then again, maybe its what is missing between them.

A smart firefighter is a live firefighter.

A truckie, is a smart, live firefighter with some a$$ behind them.

Wow I'm making the full instructor transition, scary.

[TRUCK6018 50]

The Motorola III and IV pagers are intrinsically safe from the factory. If you send one out for repair, it will likely come back with a big blue sticker on it saying it is no longer rated for explosive environments.

According to Motorola, the HT750 and HT1250 are intrinsically safe for use in Class I, II, III, Division 2, Groups A, B, C and D per Factory Mutual requirements. The Motorola HT1000 is not intrinsically safe for explosive environments.

Cell phones are not intrinsically safe

Even the most common hand tools used in the fire service can be hazardous in explosive environments. For this reason there are "non-sparking" tools avalible but costly. A simple 6 piece tool set is over $200. Included in the set is a wrench, 2 pliers, regular and phillips screwdrivers, and a pry bar.

[ak43 0]

I saw an article in Firehouse.com (I think) of a firefighter separated from his team inside a house fire and without a radio. He used his cell phone to call the police desk and had the dispatcher radio the IC to send help. He got out. I set the speed dial for the PD on my cell phone and typically bring it with me.

[Guest rreimund]

I saw an article in Firehouse.com (I think) of a firefighter separated from his team inside a house fire and without a radio.  He used his cell phone to call the police desk and had the dispatcher radio the IC to send help.  He got out.  I set the speed dial for the PD on my cell  phone and typically bring it with me.

Can't bringing a cellphone into calls be potentially dangerous (i.e. from a perspective of bringing an electronic device into a potentially volotile environment, like say a gas leak, etc. )

I guess a fire it isn't that big a deal, though you could ruin your cell phone...

[DMA327 12]

I think he is gearing that post more towards a building that is already on fire and he needs to get help really quick

[ny10570 745]

there has been studies concerning cell phones as ignition sources in flamable environments and there is no hard evidence to support these claims. While there are issues with cell phone batteries catching fire they were all the result of modified or improperly manufactured aftermarket batteries. The biggest threat to FF's is static electricity. So while a cell phone, like any electronic device (pagers, radios, etc) should not be carried into a potentially explosive environment they are not a significant risk to your safety.

[TRUCK6018 50]

there has been studies concerning cell phones as ignition sources in flamable environments and there is no hard evidence to support these claims. 

I have seen the studies to disprove the cell phone as an ignition source theory. The Mythbusters disproved it likewise.

I have also seen fire reports to the contrary. One being in nearby Ulster County. In this instance, it is documented that a cell phone was the source of ignition of a gas station fire, where the cell phone ignited gasoline vapors.

Bottom line, regardless of whether or not it can be an ignition source or not is cell phones are not intrinsically safe.