Duty Belt

aquabear

aquabear

World's Okayest Paramedic
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A little background: I currently work for a county run EMS service here in Texas, but am originally from out of state.

The vast majority of paramedics, both new and old, at my new service wear duty belts to carry their radio, pager, PPE pack, etc. The idea of wearing a duty belt is TOTALLY foreign to me and they were actually frowned upon where I came from and were nicknamed "bat belts." I understand there are cultural differences between EMS systems and I would like to hear other people's experiences/recommendations regarding duty belts before I make a decision to buy one.

Thanks
 
If everyone wears one, it's okay.

I came from a place where most people carried their radio on a radio strap, but nobody had one at my current service. And I mean nobody. It was bat belt city. I kept my radio on a strap and after everyone asked me, "where did you get that" now half the medics carry a radio on a strap. (It's so much easier when you want to take it off for a snooze.)

Who cares what you use as long as you don't drop your radio.
 
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It's just preference. I've never heard of them being frowned upon. I carry one with a hawke pak that has a few things in it I never use. I also have a radio holster on it. I much prefer not wearing one, but I swear to god, every time I leave it at home, I get a SHTF call where some stuff in my pack would have been useful.
 
Never worn a belt, and you would definitely raise some eyebrows here with one. Same thing with radio straps, they're a "firefighter thing" and if you wear own you get the wannabe label, which is often deserved for other reasons. Tis unfortunate, I like the strap.
 
I work at a service in Texas as well, and here there is one person who wears a duty belt and me that wears a radio strap. Neither one of us is from this region so we just continued how we are comfortable with running. Texas is a big state and different regions of the state have those little cultural differences, especially if you'r coming from a private service or FD to a third service.
 
Tigger said:
Never worn a belt, and you would definitely raise some eyebrows here with one. Same thing with radio straps, they're a "firefighter thing" and if you wear own you get the wannabe label, which is often deserved for other reasons. Tis unfortunate, I like the strap.
Click to expand...
Re radio straps: What if you ARE a full time paid fireman working a side gig... It it kosher then? [emoji6]
 
DEmedic said:
Only if it's pink and has a big IAFF logo on it.
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pink iaff radio strap.jpg
 
Duty belts are laughed at where I work. Radio straps are common, I'd say it's half/half people who use them and people who don't. That is a personal preference thing and no one cares if you do or don't use a radio strap. I love mine, it makes it so much easier to deal with the radio. Without it I find myself constantly sitting on it, smacking it on something, or having it fall off. Also the strap makes it a LOT easier to go to the bathroom, as I can just take the thing off and hang it on a hook instead of having to find a non-gross surface in a public bathroom to set it on.
 
Who cares. If yoy find it useful go ahead, but if not dont wear one just to fit in.

I wouldn't wear one but that's because I'm a nihilist.
 
aquabear said:
A little background: I currently work for a county run EMS service here in Texas, but am originally from out of state.

The vast majority of paramedics, both new and old, at my new service wear duty belts to carry their radio, pager, PPE pack, etc. The idea of wearing a duty belt is TOTALLY foreign to me and they were actually frowned upon where I came from and were nicknamed "bat belts." I understand there are cultural differences between EMS systems and I would like to hear other people's experiences/recommendations regarding duty belts before I make a decision to buy one.

Thanks
Click to expand...

I, along with many others in my service, wear a duty belt. I don't have much on mine - radio, flashlight, glove pouch, etc. but do find them useful.
 
I think it's ridiculous if someone finds it useful to use a belt or a radio strap and they are looked down for it. I think the whole "oh I'm going to make fun of you because you find something useful that I don't" mentality is immature. I don't use either, but I volunteer for a small squad in a rural area with few runs so I have no need for either. If you do it professionally in a busier area, I can see the usefulness. If you find you like them, use them. If you're more comfortable with one over the other, go for it.

Why would you change something that works for you to 'fit in'? I was hoping I'd left that kinda behavior behind in HS.
 
DEmedic said:
If everyone wears one, it's okay.

I came from a place where most people carried their radio on a radio strap, but nobody had one at my current service. And I mean nobody. It was bat belt city. I kept my radio on a strap and after everyone asked me, "where did you get that" now half the medics carry a radio on a strap. (It's so much easier when you want to take it off for a snooze.)

Who cares what you use as long as you don't drop your radio.
Click to expand...


I like to call them radio purses
 
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