Do you carry anything off duty?

[EMTCop86]

I did a search and couldn't find anything so don't kill me if this has been discussed to death.

Anyways I was wondering if anyone carries any medical supplies while off duty like in the car or on your person. I have a little first aid kit in my car and a CPR mask in my purse but that's it. So what about you?

 

[Sapphyre]

You couldn't find anything, because you're probably not familiar with the term "Jump Bag." Search that one. But, to answer your questions, there's a couple boxes of gloves in my size somewhere in the back of my car, left over from buying my own for school when they didn't anticipate having small people in the class early enough to get gloves that would fit me. (they ordered such supplies one class ahead, so, what we used was ordered the previous term.) I might have some 4 x 4s and tape in my car, I'm more likely to have some bandaids, but I don't know where any of them are. This is all assuming that my husband's whacker bag isn't in there, and no, I'm not gonna tell ya'll what's in that.

 

[JPINFV]

I carry medical supplies when I'm off duty for the simple reason that I carry my onduty supplies in my car and am too lazy to remove them between shifts.

 

[Flight-LP]

Wallet, car keys, money, and a cell phone. That's about all I need.................

Maybe sunglasses, just depends on the day..........

 

[Scout]

i have a pair of gloves and a cpr sheet yoke in my wallet, freebe form a rep

 

[Ridryder911]

Wallet, car keys, money, and a cell phone. That's about all I need.................

Maybe sunglasses, just depends on the day..........

Chewing gum and cologne... gotta smell good!...

R/r 911

 

[MSDeltaFlt]

As far as "gear" is conscerned, just go commando, bro. Peace out.

 

[daedalus]

I DO actually pack heat. Some extra ecg electrodes left over in my pocket from the day.

No really. During my EMT class we were given these small fanny packs with kling, 4x4s, gloves, and IV tubings for practice. I keep it in my car, and so far have only used it for gloves to jump my ex's car, using a 4x4 to wipe grease off my arm. Oh, and I have used the tubing and a bag of saline to rig up the bed of an outgoing EMT.

All of this aside, in a real emergency I cannot see equipment providing any real good unless you are MILES and MILES from a population center. In that case, pack things known to have evidenced benefits in outcomes. ASA comes to mind if you or your company are over 40. And a cell phone.

 

[Jon]

When off duty... yes, I often carry. But since I'm not off duty much (between school and work) , I don't get to carry that much.

Oh wait... medical supplies... not so much.

 

[NJN]

Wallet, car keys, money, and a cell phone. That's about all I need.................

Maybe sunglasses, just depends on the day..........

What no iPod, or is that me the young buck talking?

Personally i like to carry my pocket knife or leatherman, just in case i need to cut the cheese or open a bottle.

 

[MSDeltaFlt]

I DO actually pack heat. Some extra ecg electrodes left over in my pocket from the day.

No really. During my EMT class we were given these small fanny packs with kling, 4x4s, gloves, and IV tubings for practice. I keep it in my car, and so far have only used it for gloves to jump my ex's car, using a 4x4 to wipe grease off my arm. Oh, and I have used the tubing and a bag of saline to rig up the bed of an outgoing EMT.

All of this aside, in a real emergency I cannot see equipment providing any real good unless you are MILES and MILES from a population center. In that case, pack things known to have evidenced benefits in outcomes. ASA comes to mind if you or your company are over 40. And a cell phone.

Amen, bro. Amen.

 

[Hal9000]

Yeah, my personal vest that I was issued for on-duty work. If I leave it at work, people tend to "borrow" it and forget to return it to its place, or forget to restock it, etc. Sometimes I'll take it inside the house, but then I usually forget to bring it back out.

 

[marineman]

I have a jump bag and AED in my car for the first responder group that I'm part of. No personal medical supplies though and my jump bag only gets used if I'm on a call that we have been paged to.

 

[MRE]

I'm a volunteer in my town, and along with the rest of the dept, I'm always "on duty", unless of course I've just had a couple beers. Thats really the only time I wouldn't respond to a call.

I keep a basic BLS type jump kit in the truck, as we commonly go right to the scene and depending on manpower, the ambulance might be another 10min away. Its also good because I get asked on the spot to provide first aid for events quite often.

 

[PapaBear434]

I normally keep gloves and a CPR mask in the car, as well as my old $15 stethoscope and BP cuff combo. A couple of 4x4's, because they migrated there from my pockets after a shift.

I will admit, however, that during my long trips from Virginia to Michigan to see the family (where I am right now, as a matter of fact), I pack an actual jump bag. Long expressway trips in the middle of nowhere with inclement weather, I don't like to just go by an accident without at least trying to help. It could be a while before an ambulance can get out there, after all.

Now, I don't keep a lot in there. My good Littmann, more gloves, more 4x4's, and a BVM with a mask, my shears, a roll of paper tape and a roll of silk tape... That's about it, really. Fits in an old AWP toolbag that's only about 9'' long, hides under the minivan's stow-and-go compartments (yeah, I drive a minivan, what's it to you?)

I would like to carry a jump bag, regular like, but in my living area ambulances are usually quite close at all times. Showing up at an accident with your own O2 bottle is likely to make you the laughing stock of the year. And I am self conscious enough to not want to be known as the resident "whacker."

 

[Mongoose]

CPR face shield (the plastic sheet kind w/the loops that go around the ears) on my keychain and some gloves my size in a bag somewhere in my car.

 

[traumateam1]

Basically a cpr mask, gloves, and a cell phone. Not much point in carrying a fully stocked jump kit when EMS will be there in a few minutes.
That being said, I will carry a fully stocked jump kit, and sometimes O2 when I go on long road trips.
Being in an area which isn't covered by any near by fire departments, and on the scene of a nasty MVA.. you can sometimes be waiting a while for the ambo(s) to show up, so O2 can in this case help.

 

[lightsandsirens5]

Yep, I carry a jump bag. A big one! But being a vol. FF/EMT in a rural area I kinda have to.

Dyna-Med Modular Bag System:
9"H x 20"W x 12"D; 2,160 cubic inches

Contains:
2x2s
4x4s
5x6 dressings
1 and 2 inch tape
co-flex(green and purple!)
kerlix
SAM splint
space blankets
hot packs
cold packs
OB kit
NPAs

Ill finish later, getting paged out!

 

[BossyCow]

I'm a vollie and on call 24/7 so I carry my SAR pack in my car, a small jump kit that seems to shrink every year as I toss out the stuff I never use that gets in the way of finding what I need. I also keep a small sleeping bag and one person tent in my trunk for those SAR events that last over a day.

But on my person, I carry a purse about the size of a passport carrier. Holds my cell phone, PDA, wallet and keys, my inhaler and a chapstick. I used to carry a pocket knife but I lost it on a SAR and haven't replaced it yet.

 

[mikie]

Just my weight.