What do you carry? - The mega thread

[MMiz]

Most health care institutions do not allow weapons or concealed weapons except for LEO. There is a reason for it as well. I hope most EMS is smart enough to consider the same.

That is all I need is a gun toting medic to try take a shot.... No thanks! I much rather take my chances of trying to be aware of my surroundings (including people) and taking a course like Kip's.

The first medic I see carrying a weapon (knife or gun) gets to go home...
I don't care if they have a permit, license, bonded etc...

I leave the shots fired to the professional (SWAT) etc. and they only have about an 85% accuracy while under pressure.

R/r 911

What about if your partner is an off-duty, the-other-end-of-whacker, LEO who keeps it concealed and secure?

 

[Ridryder911]

I have a strict policy... no weapons period ! EMS has too many unstable (emotionally and psychologically) people. I don't care if their Trooper of the year, etc.. Doubtful, they would be able to control the situation if their involved in it.

I still say, try to avoid danger as much as possible, and leave the bullets and weapons to the professionals on duty.

In my 30 years, I have been in a few bad scenes (held hostage, shot at, etc..) Even through al of this, I do not see me or my partner having a weapon would helped, in fact maybe cause more damage.

This is not our job nor what services we are to provide. If you need to carry a weapon with you, you are not being safe and not enter the perimeter. Period.

R/r 911

 

[Jon]

Well... I do not own a firearm yet, but I do have a concealed carry permit for the Great Commonwealth of PA. There is NOTHING wrong with a law-abiding citizen carring most anywhere... but I agree with Rid for the most part... a sidearm doesn't normally belong in the hands of EMS personell on normal duty and/or in company vehicles. When providing patient care, we often have "tunnel vision" on one part of the whole picture. If I am treating a patient and had a concealed (or open carry) pistol, I'd be concerned about weapon retention and holster defense, because there would be times where I was not fully aware of my surrondings... I'm not saying that I'm unsafe, but when you are doing CPR, or starting an IV, you are concetrating on ONE thing, and really CAN'T see what is going on beside you. Further, in the close confines of an ambulance, a holstered pistol is in arm's reach of the pateint WAY too much.

Now I'm not against LEO's carring guns in ambulances when on-duty, but the implications of an LEO carring when off-duty and working on the ambulance is something that each service needs to make the descision on in conjunction with the local PD and their lawyers.

And yeah I echo what Rid said - LEO's, in general, don't practice enough and can't shoot worth a darn to begin with.

 

[Silverado94]

In my original post i said i don't take my gun on calls. We don't let anybody have weapons on our rigs except LEO's . And as to what the other post said yeah the gun wouldn't have helped if i hadn't seen him coming. Thats another thing that was my fault i wasn't being real aware of my surroundings I'll admit that being born and raised in a very small Rural town i just wasn't paying attention lesson learned I just pray it'll never happen again and if it does I hope I will be paying attention.

 

[Jon]

In my original post i said i don't take my gun on calls. We don't let anybody have weapons on our rigs except LEO's . And as to what the other post said yeah the gun wouldn't have helped if i hadn't seen him coming. Thats another thing that was my fault i wasn't being real aware of my surroundings I'll admit that being born and raised in a very small Rural town i just wasn't paying attention lesson learned I just pray it'll never happen again and if it does I hope I will be paying attention.

Silverado... I know... I don't think anyone questioned you carring the gun on calls... but guns on calls is a VERY touchy issue on EMS (and Police, and Fire) boards...
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[hockeypaul81]

company pager only...i used to wear my Gerber untill a sup told me it was against company policy to have a knife on my person while on duty. BS i know...sure hope i dont have to cut a seatbelt anytime soon

 

[adcantu]

I carry so much crap with me!


on the belt ::

• personal phone
• company phone
• ambulance phone
• ambulance pager
• company pager

yea Im a supervisor, and the IT guy so I have to always be connected!

as for in my pockets ::

• Hand free devices for my 3 phones lol
• Mints, for myself and for all my diabetic partners
• colone, we all know why
• eye drops
• trauma sheers
• Hemostats with tape
• lots of pens (I hand them out to employees in the field)
• my wallet (which usually has nothing in it anyway)

I usually carry about 10kg worth of crap on me lol. Dont forget the boots!


As for the firearms thing, I believe its illegal in my state to carry them while working EMS. We had a narc officer working for us for a while, he wasnt allowed to carry one while working with us. I think personally think its a bad idea, and in any sitation that I would need one, Id rather the local pd take care of it lol.

 

[Summit]

on EMS:

Belt:
radio
pager
car keys/w barrier mask
multitool
cellphone

Pants:
gloves
stethascope
camera
gum
wallet
trauma shears
pens
penlight

 

[wolfwyndd]

I carry a buckle on my belt.

Call me the oddball, but I figure every EMS tool I need is on the rig, which I go on. I do have a personal cell phone, but when I'm on the rig, it doesn't go with me. I, personally, believe that when someone calls 911 they believe that it is a life and death emergency and I need to devote my time / efforts / thoughts / etc to that patient. I don't need my personal cell phone to be ringing. If whoever trying to reach me is having their own personal emergency they can dial 911 too and I can pick them up and take them to the hospital.

 

[Emtgirl21]

Okay on my duty belt i carry:

flashlight
radio
OC Spray (for those unruley psych pts)
Radio

Left upper pocket:
Knife
Narc Keys
Gloves

Left lower:
wallet
gum

Right upper:
inhaler
lip gloss
sometimes breathing treatments.

right lower:
sticky notes
cheat sheets
ems flip book

Scissors and pens, and penlight i(f i havent lost it)



WOW i carry a lot of crap!

 

[bstone]

That's a lot of stuff. I hate things in my pockets.

 

[SwissEMT]

Which is why I wear a waistbag. As "uncool" as they are, they are damn useful. Nobody I know has made anymore comments after seeing it in use.

I'm actually working on designing gear directed towards EMS.

 

[Emtgirl21]

Sad thing is I also carry a backpack on the truck with everything else needed to survive. leather gloves, extra socks, bottle water, snacks, advil....make-up.........hair brush...ya know the basics!!

wow i'm such a girl

 

[bstone]

Sad thing is I also carry a backpack on the truck with everything else needed to survive. leather gloves, extra socks, bottle water, snacks, advil....make-up.........hair brush...ya know the basics!!

wow i'm such a girl

Hah. I also bring along a backpack. I keep water, food and a pillow in it. We have to stay in our buses and have no overnight quarters, as I end up sleeping on the bench in the back of the bus.

 

[BossyCow]

Hah. I also bring along a backpack. I keep water, food and a pillow in it. We have to stay in our buses and have no overnight quarters, as I end up sleeping on the bench in the back of the bus.

Working with SAR I have a NASAR 24 hour pack in my trunk at all times.

Also a medical kit with minimal stuff, penlight, b/p cuff, stethoscope, some basic bandaging, splinting supplies, a small sterile H2O for irrigation of wounds. Many, many pairs of gloves, pocket mask. Also a small cheap watch with a big lit face on it for times, pulses, and a common spanish phrase book. I carry so much less now than I did when I started. Every year I remove something I have never needed and is taking up too much room.

 

[BarryEMT]

What Do I Carry On My Belt

I carry my nextel, company pager, and portable radio.

 

[Trailpatrol]

Cell phone, Swiss Army knife if I am camping. Utility belt with glove pack, Leatherman, Mini-Mag light, work cell, key holder and pepper spray when I am at my paying job. (Park Ranger)

Both in the park and on volunteer bike patrol/events, my scissors, pen light, etc. are attached to the inside top of my jump kit/bike pack. For mountain biking I also always have in my car a hydration pack (bladder empty) with extra clothing, survival kit, good first aid kit, rain jacket, bike tools/tube/patch kit and energy bars and gel. Gets replaced with my ski patrol pack in the winter.

 

[Canadian_EMT]

I carry Radio, Cell phone, Flashlite, Shears, Pen. Thats all i need!

 

[SwissEMT]

Though I haven't done so yet, I'm currently putting together a shoulder bag for duty. I plan to stow it between the two seats up front.
The bag will have the following.
-Spare work-shirt
-Spare work-pants
-Moist towelettes (Yeah, I said it.)
-Fresh & Go Travel Toothbrush/Paste combo. (REALLY NEAT! The toothpaste is IN the toothbrush)
-Spare penlights (Damn Penlight gnome)
-Box o' pens (I only like ONE type of pen.)
-5 sets of gloves.
-$40 Cash
-Turtleneck (Wouldn't want to get a coldh34r: )
-Personal Meds (Ibuprofen, Benadry, Albuterol, Tylenol)
-Compressible Pillow (I guess relatives sometimes do give something useful!)
This will all most likely fit into a bandolier type bag.

By the way, if any of you need help with gear, whether work related or outdoor related, I have close ties with the gear industry and used to work for it.

 

[KEVD18]

i wear a full lbe with a total of 11 different pouches. in them is the following:

64 bandaids in various sizes
50 gauze pads in sizes
3 ob kits
3 ppe kits
4 scopes
4 bp cuffs
3 burn sheets
opa's
npa
3 cannulas adult and pedi
3 masks adult and pedi
3 nebbies
3 btls sterile water
3 btls nacl
micro o2 tank
protable o2 tank
frac pac
compact traction splint
aed
emt text book
field guide
pdr
m16

probably a few more things. i liek to be prepared......