First Responder Bag

[IvanD]

I'm not even going to honor your response that is laced with condescension, n7lxi.

Thanks for all those who replied with legitimate constructive advice, I will look into them!

I really appreciate it

 

[IvanD]

Ivan I have one of those bags somewhere in the shop. It was a Christmas gift from a company I worked for a few years ago. If I can find it you can have it but you will have to pay shipping. It is still in the plastic if I remember correctly.

Thanks! Give me a PM if you manage to find it.

 

[Frozennoodle]

Half the people at my service have personal bags for work with simple commonly used supplies. The bags are smaller and lighter than the 60lb jump bag full of iv fluids and O2 bottles. I'm not sure why people think this is whacker behavior.

 

[HotelCo]

Half the people at my service have personal bags for work with simple commonly used supplies. The bags are smaller and lighter than the 60lb jump bag full of iv fluids and O2 bottles. I'm not sure why people think this is whacker behavior.

Personal bags.... For work? I'm confused.

 

[Frozennoodle]

Yeah, they load up supplies into their bags from the supply closet and take their smaller, less heavy bag onto the scene. I saw the same thing when I did internship with one of the 911 services just more prevalently. I figured it was pretty common.

 

[JPINFV]

Solution: A seven dollar back pack plus a few bits of stick on velcro I had lying around. Better for my back than shoulder bags and better for my wallet than anything else.

Heck, the only reason I would buy a commercial bag is if what ever I'm using it for requires me to carry an oxygen tank. Besides that, it's all about how well you can pack. Heck, it's amazing what you can pack inside a regular sized fanny pack.

 

[JPINFV]

Personal bags.... For work? I'm confused.

I thought most people carry a personal bag for work. Where else am I going to put my books, packed lunch, and laptop?

 

[JPINFV]

Yeah, they load up supplies into their bags from the supply closet and take their smaller, less heavy bag onto the scene. I saw the same thing when I did internship with one of the 911 services just more prevalently. I figured it was pretty common.

The big problem with that is the first time they get caught in a situation where their mini-response bag has something they need that's in the full size response bag. Not to mention the inventory control issues.

 

[BEorP]

The big problem with that is the first time they get caught in a situation where their mini-response bag has something they need that's in the full size response bag. Not to mention the inventory control issues.

Exactly. I'm sure that at some point we've all not brought all our stuff in based on dispatch information...


...that then ended up being completely inaccurate and we needed something we didn't bring in. For many of us, that causes us to become quite OCD about always bringing everything in. Yes, many times you can know that you won't need a lot of equipment based on dispatch information, but you will get burned if you make a habit of it. Well actually, it isn't really you getting burned... it is the patient.

 

[mycrofft]

'five is four"

People get their own bags for two reasons: because the company bag isn't practical, and/or they want to carry company stuff off duty (read that "steal").

If the company provides your equip and you don't use it, you are liable.

Having a personal bag isn't whackerish unless/until you start trolling for oppportunities to use it, and it has at least one of the following: spring loaded windshield punch, shears that cost more than five bucks, flashlight that cost more than fifteen bucks new, or a valve device for open chest wounds.

I had a kit for both reasons. I bought the hardware, they supplied the dressings, and I used the lion's share of it (but not 100%) at work becuase local supplies were depleted.

 

[JPINFV]

flashlight that cost more than fifteen bucks new,

...but the flashlight I use for pupils is $200... :-(

 

[rwik123]

Wait... So your saying I can't check pupils with my surefire weapon light?....

 

[mycrofft]

I quit using my copper vapor laser years ago.

I forgot the anodized steel three and seven eighth's inch flick blade knife with serrated back. And a Star of Life on the bolsters.

 

[dixie_flatline]

I don't know... how do you all feel about fanny-packs issued by the department? We staff concerts/festivals/whatever at Merriweather Post Pavilion here, and the department gives us fanny packs to stock with band-aids, stat pads, cold packs, etc (if it is something serious, we call on the radio for the gator/reeves).

I have also carried the fanny-pack while riding the ambulance "normally", as it is a convenient place to store my steth and such if my pants that day don't have a nice hip pocket.

It's not like I carry it around off-duty with one of these tucked in there....

 

[mycrofft]

Fanny pack...Maybe for skiing?

IF it works for you, great. Our CERT has fannypacks from LifeAssist that seem to be pretty good. Myself, if I'm going bigger than my camera case, I prefer a NATO rucksack.

 

[Forrest]

http://mobil-medic.com/index.php?act=viewCat&catId=13

Empty, or you can even buy them full. They have a specially made bag just for sports/athletics. I bought the "Truck series bag" empty and filled it at my station. Looks 10x nicer than any of the crappy Galls bags out there and is set up much nicer. I wouldn't buy anything else from here on out.

 

[mycrofft]

If you could see a DoD GSA catalogue...

The sheer variety of styles and ages of types of medical kits, bags, packs, boxes, etc. ...at least, it USED to be mindboggling. When I last used them (microfiche), there was horse tack in it...to stable horses to produce your own serums.

 

[mycrofft]

Sidetrack thread...I'm going to try this one out.

Very bad photo:

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31axTHeOFhL.jpg

Bought one at COSTCO. Holds twelve (not sixteen) 4X6X1 snap-closed plastic boxes, all nearly clear translucent plastic like the Sterilite stuff. I can make this into a reuseable and sensibly sized "unitized first aid kit"; at about $15 each, and not being the most rugged, the trial unit will be an office-use one.

 

[Tigger]

No, it started off with the OP saying, "Looking to build myself a first responder/BLS kit." Then it became, "It's for sports sideline uses. I'm going to be an EMT next fall but this kit I'm building for my school's use."

The whacker/wanna-be alarms started ringing.

If he's a first responder, all he needs is 4x4s, king, band-aids and maybe a zip-lock bag to put some ice in. the most important thing he can carry is a cell phone to call for EMS if it's serious. If it's a school sanctioned position, I'm sure his school has a first aid kit of some sort and he's just looking to put all those band-aids in a "Hey, look at me, I've got a cool EMS style first aid kit" kinda bag.

Do I think the overpriced bags/boxes are a waste of time and money? Yup. Especially for first responders, who can handle most everything with a 10 dollar Johnson & Johnson First Aid Kit that they can buy at the local Walgreen's.

So, you get no sympathy from me. Places like Gall's and Chief Supply were made for people guys like this. It's just a warehouse full of overpriced first aid kits with reflective star of life insignia.

Have I clearly made my point?

I figure that since I do work in Sports Medicine, I would add that we prefer to have a little bit more than than a J&J First Aid Kit on the sidelines with us. I might only be a basic, but if one of our players is seriously injured, I don't plan to stick around picking my nose while we wait 15 minutes for an ambulance.

This year I was given the same assignment as the OP, I chose not to ask for advice here since I figured this was the sort of response that would come about. We needed a bag to keep our O2 and trauma supplies, since our athletic training kits were already full up. I figured that most of the stuff would never get use, so one of the paramedics that covers games with let us borrow a bag for the time being...maybe look into this IvanD?

So n7lixi, am I whacker because I have used Iron Duck bag under the medical cart?

 

[NomadicMedic]

So n7lixi, am I whacker because I have used Iron Duck bag under the medical cart?

Not if you preface your post with the information that shows you have a legit use for loading up an orange bag with stuff. I'd have had no issue at all if the OP had said,

"I'm not yet an EMT, but volunteer with my school's sideline first responders. My team leader tasked me with buying a new bag for our supplies..."

You see?

Search back and look at how many posts there are from people who are asking for advice on BLS bags that they can carry in their cars or "just in case". 99% of the time they just wind up full of expired stuff that never gets used.

And guess what? I've done plenty of side line stand by assignments for collegiate football, rugby, track and field events and minor league baseball. I've used ice, band aids and coban. I chose to fit all of my bls stuff in a small day pack, rather than the pelican we carry our stuff in normally.

So, it's not the bag. It's what you have and knowing what to do when something happens. If it's not a minor issue, you should be using your cell phone first.

And on that note, I'll withdraw from this discussion.