EMS Turnout Gear?

my department issues helmets to all field providers. Turnout coats are in every ambulance. we do EMS and Rescue.

my former department was EMS only. we have helmets and coats on the trucks, but it's a one size fits all (in theory anyway, some people are 120 lbs, some are 300+, imagine how well that theory was).

I purchased my own helmet off ebay, in good condition, because I wanted to have it. It was partially a hygiene thing, and partially because I was sick of pulling out a helmet for a fire or an MVA and the brackets being broken or bent in a way that made it uncomfortable to wear. So I always have my own helmet with me when i'm on the ambulance (in addition to my hi viz jacket, winter hat/gloves, flashlights, radio carrying devices, etc).

you shouldn't purchase a full set of turnout gear, your agency should be providing the appropriate level of PPE. but if you want to get you own, that's your choice, but i wouldn't be spending a whole lot of money of a full set of brand new gear.
 
Both my volley squad and paid squad issues turnout gear to all members, used to be Morning Pride, now its Lion with Cairns HP3 helmets. Love the helmets, no rear brim to catch on cars or in narrow spaces. We are required to wear them on all MVC and Fires in both towns. Rescue is an EMS skill in both towns. Volley squad also does all technical rescue, so we wear tunrouts for those calls as well, confined space, collapse, rope, ect. Fire just supresses fires.
 
I'm third service ambulance only and we were issued the ems extrication gear. I wear the pants every shift, that way I can lounge around the fire house in a pair of shorts and flip flops.
 
If you need to ask, you need to be saving that money.

And not just for turnouts.
 
Is there a fed statute that requires EMT s to wear bbp resistant turn out coat and pants on every call? Even non accident calls?
 
TraprMike said:
Is there a fed statute that requires EMT s to wear bbp resistant turn out coat and pants on every call? Even non accident calls?
Click to expand...
If there is, I haven't found it. That being said, your company/agency is supposed to provide you with appropriate equipment for you to do your job. They usually require you to wear the PPE under specified situations so they don't get into trouble if you elect to NOT wear PPE. Most of the companies I worked for required that I wear gloves 100% of the time that I was providing direct patient care. If I wasn't touching the patient, I could take the gloves off. For them, it's easier/cheaper to provide gloves/mask/gown than it is to get sued or fined for NOT providing the PPE to the employees. In the ED, most of the time I don't wear gloves and I wash my hands and use the hand sanitizer a LOT. I haven't gotten sick in 2 years of working with people in the ED, even during this horribly nasty flu season. In the ED, they always had appropriate PPE... it was (usually) up to me to decide what PPE was appropriate for a given patient.
 
We have one EMT that thinks there is,and ohsa could fine the member, service. Director. He quotes fed fireman stuff.
 
Quite simply, your EMT is wrong. there is one EMS agency I know of that wears shorts in the summer, and many fire departments do the same, including when they go on EMS runs. I'm pretty sure their shorts aren't BBP resistant.

and if he's so sure there is one, have him show you the statute. Or even better, give OSHA a call, they love answering questions about their rules, much more than after a violation has occurred.
 
Nice necro bump lol. But yeah no, 99.99% of the time you're wearing a regular poly/cotton blend, maybe Nomex if you've got the extra cash in your pocket lol
 
TraprMike said:
We have one EMT that thinks there is,and ohsa could fine the member, service. Director. He quotes fed fireman stuff.
Click to expand...

Uh, he is likely wrong*. Yes, they are obligated to provide PPE, but turnout coats, stuff like that, nah - they can get away with much less.

*Assuming that your agency is following standard practices required by OSHA (including those stated in 29 CFR 1910.132 and 1910.1030).
 
On the phone now with OSHA...
 
EpiEMS said:
Uh, he is likely wrong*. Yes, they are obligated to provide PPE, but turnout coats, stuff like that, nah - they can get away with much less.

*Assuming that your agency is following standard practices required by OSHA (including those stated in 29 CFR 1910.132 and 1910.1030).
Click to expand...
This was my basic point. Straight EMS entities can use far cheaper PPE and still have it comply with appropriate OSHA regulations. High-end PPE like turnouts also may comply but it isn't necessary unless the entity also does activities that would trigger the need for turnouts or similar protective gear to meet OSHA regs for those other activities. Clear as mud yet?
 
Answer is..... Service must have bbp/ppe available to use if needed. If the EMT sees that full body ppe is required, then put it on. Dude did say. When or if an OSHA inspection happens, full body ems turn out gear better be in ambulance. So no, EMTs do not have to wear bbp/ppe coat and pants on every call every time.
 
TraprMike said:
Answer is..... Service must have bbp/ppe available to use if needed. If the EMT sees that full body ppe is required, then put it on. Dude did say. When or if an OSHA inspection happens, full body ems turn out gear better be in ambulance. So no, EMTs do not have to wear bbp/ppe coat and pants on every call every time.
Click to expand...
Actually, full body PPE like turnouts do not have to be on the ambulance. That being said, sufficient PPE must be available on the ambulance to meet anticipated PPE requirements. This is why you normally don't find encapsulating full body hazmat suits with a PAPR or SCBA on board every ambulance, with supplies sufficient for two because not every ambulance is going to be responding to a hazmat incident where the crew needs to work in the warm or hot zone...

What did I usually have stuffed into a pocket for many calls? A gown, hat, shoe covers, N95 mask with splash shield... but I didn't have to wear it on all calls, just the ones where I needed the BBP isolation gear.
 
Akulahawk said:
Actually, full body PPE like turnouts do not have to be on the ambulance. That being said, sufficient PPE must be available on the ambulance to meet anticipated PPE requirements. This is why you normally don't find encapsulating full body hazmat suits with a PAPR or SCBA on board every ambulance, with supplies sufficient for two because not every ambulance is going to be responding to a hazmat incident where the crew needs to work in the warm or hot zone...

What did I usually have stuffed into a pocket for many calls? A gown, hat, shoe covers, N95 mask with splash shield... but I didn't have to wear it on all calls, just the ones where I needed the BBP isolation gear.
Click to expand...

You carried all that in your pockets?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Our trucks always carried back entry gowns, boot covers, long gloves, N95s, face shields and eye pro.

We now have PAPRs (grant funded due to Ebola/Zika) and, Tyvek suits and SCBAs but thats for hazmat stuff since we started doing that stuff
 
DrParasite said:
Quite simply, your EMT is wrong. there is one EMS agency I know of that wears shorts in the summer, and many fire departments do the same, including when they go on EMS runs. I'm pretty sure their shorts aren't BBP resistant.

and if he's so sure there is one, have him show you the statute. Or even better, give OSHA a call, they love answering questions about their rules, much more than after a violation has occurred.
Click to expand...

I work for a city-operated municipal 3rd service and shorts in the summer are specifically allowed in our uniform regulations.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top