# ::UNIFORM::



## Rangat (Aug 12, 2005)

So, I have seen medics work in different uniforms, but what is your view on dress code practicality? I mean, is it wise to wear a white shirt while on the road? I prefer reflective jump suits by faaaaaar. B)


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## TTLWHKR (Aug 12, 2005)

The paid crew I -normally- work for wears black pants and white shirts on transports; and blue jumpsuits on 911 runs.

The volunteer crew I worked with wore white coveralls during the night, with green lettering and their certification patch, the back lettered with a 3" green "Rescue Squad", and a green cross. At night they wore 'rescue orange' coveralls with 3" white "Rescue Squad" on the back, necessary patch, and a reflective white arm band on the left arm.


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## Summit (Aug 12, 2005)

I wear purple shirt and blue pants. I am invisible (without my reflective coat).


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## Jon (Aug 13, 2005)

my squad.. white shirt (button down with patches, badge, etc or polo shirt... logo on front "EMS" on back) and blue pants...

This is fine for a busy squad.... overnights is less dressy... whatever you wear.... "EMT" shirts.... scrubs... whatever..

my vollie squad...no uniform...

most places I've worked issue uniform shirt (s) - you provide pants.... I like AMR... they issued me a polo shirt for event medical staff.... and 3 button-down lt. blue shirts... and LOTS OF WHACKER PANTS...

some smaller co's are fine with navy shirt and pants... shirt is either "PA EMT" t-shirt or button-down with EMT and Flag patches... these are mine... they work fine...

I prefer polo shirts for comfort, but they don't look as nice.... also... button-down shirts seem to hide my armor better...

Jon


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## MMiz (Aug 13, 2005)

For my private ambulance company we wear white uniform shirts with navy ems pants.  Nothing looks more professional than a nice clean white shirt, but get any blood or a good stain and you've got a problem.


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## Phridae (Aug 13, 2005)

> _Originally posted by MMiz_@Aug 13 2005, 12:52 AM
> * For my private ambulance company we wear white uniform shirts with navy ems pants.  Nothing looks more professional than a nice clean white shirt, but get any blood or a good stain and you've got a problem. *


 Exactly.


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## Phridae (Aug 13, 2005)

On my squad we've got white polo shirts with our log on the left upper chest, and emt or paramedic on the back, depending on who you are. And the all so popular navy pants with lots 'o pockets.


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## Jon (Aug 13, 2005)

Many of the squads in my area do navy shirts and trousers for their paid staff... often the NFPA compliant 100% cotton for their FF/EMT's

Several co's, including mine, issue their staff uniforms with "sewn on" badges and name strip (that way you don't poke holes in the shirt - supposedly ruins the "fire safety" of it). It actually looks very professional.

Jon


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## DT4EMS (Aug 13, 2005)

I have worn every Ems type unifomrs under the sun it seems. I have worked in services that issued the jumpsuits I have to say I prefered them over any other uniform. We had service issue t-shirts that we would wear under with shorts or sweats. Very comfortable around the statiton and allowed for a "quick change" if the need arose.

The next most comfortable were the regular EMS pants and a nice heavy duty T-shirt screenprinted with the star of life on the back and on the sleeve.

I am totally opposed to any uniform that looks like any type of law enforcement. That is why I am a huge fan of the jumpsuits.

The polo shirts were OK, but I still preferrred the T-shirts over them.


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## CodeSurfer (Aug 13, 2005)

Amen to the aversion to law enforcement type uniforms... 

Other professionals (or not so) I have been mistaken for while in my EMS uniform:

-Security Gaurd
-Police Officer

... and my favorite, by some lady in the psych ward...
-Officer of Brutality


Bottom line... we shouldnt be wearing cops uniforms.


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## Jon (Aug 13, 2005)

Even better....

Today... as I was on my way home from my Security Officer job (in uniform... white shirt, gold badge, blue-striped pants   ). I got flagged down by a lost motorist. Remember gang, I drive an old Crown Victoria.... with a blue minibar on my roof.

First thought.... if I stop, as a nice guy, I'll have every cop here in 10 seconds taking me down as a police impostor.... I took off my shirt and left it in my car.

I parked IN FRONT OF HER on the side of the off-ramp.

Left my lights OFF

I walked up.... single elderly female in station wagon..... first words out of my mouth..... "I'm NOT A COP!" I'm on my way home from working as a security officer, and I'm a local EMT...

I gave her directions to correct for her wrong turn, and finished going home.... didn't get busted by the local cops, either.... happily...


Jon


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## MMiz (Aug 14, 2005)

I'm the lone man at my company that thinks EMTS should have badges.  I think it makes us look more professional.

Everyone else, and I mean EVERYONE, has the "There's no way in hell I'm looking like a cop" viewpoint.

They win.


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## Cap'nPanic (Aug 14, 2005)

Badges, pins, etc, do make us look like cops when we have our white- button-up shirt on with our black pants. Thankfull in this area our cops either wear blue or black, and the occassional white polo with POLICE written in large bold caps on the back.

I thing when issuing uniforms for EMS providers they should look at the local law enforcement personnels uniforms. Why put our crew in danger of people who will off a cop at any given time, especially those who are high on illegal substances and are very paranoid.

I think the SOL should be prominent on an EMTs/Medics unifrom so that people will be able to tell us apart from LEOs. This really all goes back safety.

-CapnPanic

-The one, the only, the cop wannabe  h34r:


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## TTLWHKR (Aug 14, 2005)

It is regional policy that EMS does not wear badges. Badges are targets. No Badge, no cop.. at least in PA.


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## Jon (Aug 14, 2005)

Good point.... but what good is a whacker without a badge?????

At my FD... the paid staff are issued "Class B" uniforms.... Navy button-down shirt with sewn creases, sewn-on "Township FF/EMT" badge patch over L breast, and sewn namestrip over R breast, and FD patch on one sholder.... looks professional.

Volunteers wear similar shirts, but we wear real badges and nametags...

At the Amblance Co... most folks wear badges....


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## coloradoemt (Aug 14, 2005)

I work for Airlife Denver on the CCT rig where we wear blue flight suits. I pull extra shifts with RM where we wear white shirts, blue EMS pants. On my Volly dept its blue shirts, blue EMS pants.


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## Jon (Aug 15, 2005)

Ground CCT wearing flight suits.... whacker....
  :lol:  :lol:    

Seriously... got to be uncomfortable and hot, and expensive for the Co... Nomex flight suits aren't really comfortable....

Do you guys suplement the air crew, or do you just wear them to "be uniform" with the air crew?

Around here, CHOP (Phila Childerns) and Temple (Heart, Lung, Peds, anything else)  transport teams have flights.. they will wear them when they go to assist on aeromedical transports...Occasionaly they then do a ground run, and keep wearing the flight suit... the hildren's hospitals teams are all RN's, CRNP / PA, and play in the ED when not on a run... they usually have Scrubs that say ____ Childresn Hospital transport team (We have St. Christophers' and CHOP, as well as Tepmle Peds). Also, JeffSTAT has a helocopter, but I belive their ground crew wears Navy Polos and Trousers.

I like jumpsuits... at 3am... nothing says "I just woke up" like a jumpsuit. Also.. My Co gives us all the really heavy ones every few years... warmer than gear for shoveling at the FD...   

Jon


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## Rangat (Aug 15, 2005)

Dood, i understand where you come from... but seriously.  
All the upstanding ambu services wear flight suits in South Africa. Wearing a shirt while on duty only says: "Hey you kids- get off my lawn!"
No seriously, only old men medics with crappy companies and FD Chiefs wear shirts.

The reason being simple: It is incredibly impractical. You will have sweat marks only a few hours into a day, you will have grease, blood, and dust only a few hours into a day, and you will be dead being a PVA because you cant wear a reflective jacket all the time...

ps: what does a flight crew use the flight suit for that the medics don't? pls rply...


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## coloradoemt (Aug 16, 2005)

> _Originally posted by MedicStudentJon_@Aug 15 2005, 05:55 AM
> * Ground CCT wearing flight suits.... whacker....
> :lol:  :lol:
> 
> *


 ooooooouuuuuuucccccccccchhhhhhhhhhhh!!!   

I think we mainly wear the flight suits on the ground to make everyone look the same. Allthough... the outfit I work for does not roll our rig without a flight team on it. 

I actually like the flight suit for its simplicity to get on quickly, which plays into the I just got out of bed look previously mentioned.


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## Jon (Aug 16, 2005)

> _Originally posted by Rangat_@Aug 15 2005, 11:50 AM
> * Dood, i understand where you come from... but seriously.
> All the upstanding ambu services wear flight suits in South Africa. Wearing a shirt while on duty only says: "Hey you kids- get off my lawn!"
> No seriously, only old men medics with crappy companies and FD Chiefs wear shirts.
> ...


 All I'm saying is that a proper "Flight Suit" is Nomex IIIA or similar, and gets REALLY, REALLY hot, REALLY, REALLY quickly.

My Co. has Extrication Jumpsuits - very nice, and easier to work an MVA in than bunker gear... also Nomex, and REALLY, REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY warm.

The BLS squad used to issue the overnight folks lightweight cotton coveralls that worked great for the overnight crews. There has been some talk of issuing them again. The squad also has "EMS Gear" made out of Crosstech... nuce stuff, very lightweight, though, and not really pratical on a MVA.


Jon


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## Rangat (Aug 16, 2005)

Ok, slight misunderstanding-

there are some medics that wear military style flight suits, but thats basically for the extra sharp protection, and fire resistance. Here it never really gets cold, so all flight suits normally used on the road are not too thick material... Our flight suits are also very comfortable and professional. 
 B) I like the flight suit image more because it not only radiates academical knowledge, but action. h34r:


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## KEVD18 (Aug 16, 2005)

paid crew:
white shirt, gray whacker pants. some days i dress my shirt with name bar over left pocket, emt collar brass and company name tag. some mornings i yank the shirt from the dryer and run out the door. badge only on my jacket.

vollie agency: 
duty uniform: blue polo blue pants. 
bike uniform: different blue polo, blue shorts
dress uniform: button down l/s blue shirt. straight legged blue pants. 
badge with all of them(it is a state agency after all)

i like jump suits but am not allowed to wear them  :angry:      :angry:


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## emtbuff (Aug 17, 2005)

With the vollie squad I run with we can pretty much wear what ever we want.  We for the most part tend to stick with a pair of jeans, and our t-shirts or polos that have either EMS on the front and back or sometimes just the name with the ambulance squad on, or other similar variations.  Sometimes people show up in shorts which I really don't like to see but depending on the call it is accepted.


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## Margaritaville (Aug 17, 2005)

Summer time - T-shirts/EMS pants
Fall winter spring - Uniform shirts/straight pants

Everything we wear is navy blue. Makes us all look thin! LOL

To be seen on roadway - Green Safety vests - Looks like highway workers but at least you see us.


Volly station - what ever I grab. Night time - flannel pj bottoms/ tank top - Day time what ever I am wearing. Remember I wear fire gear, too.

I only dislike jumpsuits because you can't wear them with fire gear. Least I won't! h34r:


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## SafetyPro2 (Aug 18, 2005)

Our full "station" uniform is navy blue Nomex shirt and pants with a badge. The only people I've had confuse me for a cop though are little kids. Most adults realize that if you don't have a gunbelt on, you're a firefighter. Plus, the cops around here wear black (municpal PD) or green and tan (sheriffs). 

Most of the time, I wear a department t-shirt and my turnout pants when responding. If its cold, I'll wear my jacket or sweatshirt with that. I'm usually only in the full uniform for meetings and drills.


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