# In need of a safety vest.



## FireStrut (Aug 27, 2007)

Hello Everyone,

I am need of a safety vest when I am working a mva. I have been looking on the net and there are so many differnet styles to choose from. So my question is, what do you use. Please post pics if you can and where you/employer bought the vest. I like this one, Dyna Med EMS Utility Vest, has anyone ever used this one? Is this a good vest or something that just gets in the way.


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## Epi-do (Aug 27, 2007)

The FD bought us flash gear that we have to wear whenever we are on an mva run.  Since it has all of the reflective striping that the guys' bunker gear has, we don't need to wear the vests.  I hope you are able to find one that you like!


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## MMiz (Aug 28, 2007)

I don't want to say it, but I think you should take into consideration what others may think of you if you showed up on scene wearing whatever vest.

You can easily purchase a relatively cheap ANSI mesh vest that may meet your needs.  I know safety is first, and it doesn't matter what others think about me, but I just can't see myself wearing a Rescue-Randy type vest.


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## PArescueEMT (Aug 30, 2007)

Thanks for the ego boost matt... That DynaMed vest is our standard for our calls out here... if we get a fire or an MVA, we have rescue gear that we wear. I personally like the idea of the extrication jumpsuit that galls sells for MVA's

http://www.galls.com/style.html?assort=general_catalog&style=FE578&cat=2681

i know that it's a little pricey, but it was well worth it, i am going to replace mine as soon as possible.


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## rgnoon (Aug 30, 2007)

Hey the vest isn't as bad as our jumpsuits. I put the thing on and look like a smurf-blue mechanic. A very visible mechanic, but a mechanic no less.


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## Airwaygoddess (Aug 30, 2007)

Yellowhammer said:


> Hello Everyone,
> 
> I am need of a safety vest when I am working a mva. I have been looking on the net and there are so many differnet styles to choose from. So my question is, what do you use. Please post pics if you can and where you/employer bought the vest. I like this one, Dyna Med EMS Utility Vest, has anyone ever used this one? Is this a good vest or something that just gets in the way.


Hi Yellow hammer! we have those vests and let me tell you, they are well made you can put them in the washing maching (gentle cycle, then let drip dry) good pocket space.  LOVE THEM!!!


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## PArescueEMT (Aug 30, 2007)

i like them for all of the BaSic medical calls, but for the MVA's and fires, i have to admit that it is nice to have bunker gear as an old standby. Mid-winter, nothing keeps you as warm as your bunkers.


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## Jon (Aug 31, 2007)

I think Matt had a good point.

Whatever you are getting as a safety vest for MVA's needs to be AT LEAST an ANSI Level II, an an ANSI Level III would be a good thing. Bunker Gear is not enough - you don't have enough "obnoxiously bright, non-reflective" material.... Many FD's are now wearing ANSI III vests OVER their turnouts on MVA's.

The blue vest might be useful in some settings... I can't see myself wearing one in my current setting and the culture I work in... they aren't used, and I'd be EVEN MORE of a whacker. (I'm not knocking anyone who wears them... they just aren't used around here).


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## PArescueEMT (Sep 1, 2007)

Jon said:


> I'd be EVEN MORE of a whacker.



Is that even possible??


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## MedikErik (Sep 1, 2007)

I use the standard orange traffic vests, but usually I'm in bunker gear. Vests are nice, but they don't really protect you that well from glass, acid, and all the other lovely things that exist in smashed up cars.

If you're EMS only and can't get issued bunker gear, do what I did back before I became a firefighter: I went to the chief, told him I was tired of getting cut up on wrecks, and I was filing for workers comp next time I got a gash deeper than half an inch due to not having adequate protection. I had a (albeit used) set of gear the next day.


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## FFMedic1911 (Sep 7, 2007)

We just got our new type II vest issued. While safety is of upmost importance i have a way to stop almost all injuries and death due to working in traffic. SHUT THE ROAD DOWN. But as with every thing else in our line of work we place a bandaid on the problem instead of fixing the problem.


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## jmaccauley (Sep 7, 2007)

Having experimented with both the blue and the orange vests, we now use the reflective yellow/green vests. They are extremely light and can fit over anything from bunker gear to heavy winter coats. They cover the entire torso to well below the buttcheeks. Or, you can shut the road down.


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## Jon (Sep 8, 2007)

I like the idea of shutting the road down... but the d*mn cops don't like it.


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## mrdell4150 (Sep 8, 2007)

yea, telling some nj state troopers to shut down a lane/road gets you a look like you have 3 heads.


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## oldschoolmedic (Sep 8, 2007)

In defense of the boys in gray wool trousers they catch a huge ration of poop for every minute an interstate or road is shut down. Part of their job is to keep traffic movely smoothly and safely. We would like to believe shutting down a road only entails having a super trooper stand in the road and telling people to stop, but there are many more concerns, such as warning oncoming traffic, traffic diversion/rerouting. We only see the few cars idling by our scenes, but are willing to ignore the eight miles of idling cars behind them who may or may not plow into all of those parked cars creating more work for all involved.

Wear your vest, keep your head on a swivel, and look before you move are the best advice I can give anyone about this. My wife's first day on the job she ran an mvc on the interstate and came home shocked that people whizzed by her at eighty without any concern. I gave her the same advice about personal vigilance.


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## jmaccauley (Sep 9, 2007)

Actually Jon, you're wrong about the cops not liking it. It's the taxpayers who commute on busy roadways who don't like it. Side roads; divert the cars- no problem. Interstates and main roadways are a different story. Stopping traffic for extended periods of time not only piss people off, but create an unsafe condition for everyone who is stuck there. Personally, I don't mind a large fire truck blocking a lane or two during an extrication or life threatening crash. I do have a problem with an ambulance who parks in the middle of the road when all of the activity is either off the shoulder or the patient is long gone. Get in, get your patient and get out.


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## Grady_emt (Sep 12, 2007)

Our type I's will effectively block 2 lanes of traffic if parked properly.  Since our local FD doesnt come on most of our calls, including MVCs on the interstate, PD usually has no problem helping us close lanes of traffic until we get the pt out and can move off to the side, or leave the scene.  

We also have HERO, Highway Emergency Response Operators, which are lime green/yellow F450's with an ambulance size box on the back, with Red Lights/Sirens/and a vehicle mounted messege board/traffic director.  The are run by GA-DOT, for helping stranded/broken down motorists, respond to wrecks, and only respond on the interstates. Primarily they respond to get the vehicle out of the roadway and get the roadway clear until the wrecker arrives (large push bumper on front), but are also First Responders if they get there before us, and will shut down 8 lanes of traffic if we asked them to.  

As for the vest, we are all issued and ANSI Class 2 safety vest.


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## EMT007 (Sep 12, 2007)

Wow I had no idea so many EMS agencies wore vests like that - definitely not the norm around here (in fact, I've never seen anyone around here wear such a vest). As for me, each rig has a set of bunker gear for each crew member... looks like this






And I'm with Grady - I shut down lanes/roads every day all day haha - usually the rig is enough, but I've had to close down lanes of the 405 during rush hour, and fortunately the CHP is extremely good at what they do and had that baby shut down within a few minutes of our arrival on scene.


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## Grady_emt (Sep 13, 2007)

Well we kinda have a coat like that.  Its our rain coat shell with fleece liner for the winter.  Its NFPA1999 compliant for Blood-Bourne pathogens compliance, and I think its flash rated, but not for any time of extended time.  Some folks will just wear that as their protection when it is cool or rainy out.
I wear my vest everytime on the interstate, and on most other roadway calls unless the roadway is shut down when we arrive.  I also wear it on fire stand-bys, PD stand-bys, jumpers, etc... and any other calls where we may need to be ID'd quickly.


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