Whatcha pocket?

I don't know what it is about threads like this but they just make me want to detail every bit of lint in my workin' pockets. They're oddly compelling. Its the bureaucrat in me I'm sure. Especially when you've had a few beers.

I work with a guy who actually carries several huge camouflage covered thigh packs full of trauma gear ready for the big one. Oddly enough he is actually one of the most academically inclined, evidence based, dogma challenging dudes going around which totally ruins that whole whacker rule.

Anyways, I gots me a swiss army knife, a wee little torch and a bunch of pens and what not.

Most importantly, I've got my pocket collection of checklists and cheat sheets because winners use check lists :P
 
GoldcrossEMTbasic said:
Lots of gloves, Penlight Sometimes my stethoscope, but I usually wear it around my neck, because I want to do my lung sound assessments stat if I have SOB or Trauma call. I also carry carmex to help with foul odors. My EMT-B instructor told me to carry that along. Does anybody wear the pants with the reflective stripes on the pocket covers? I do, because sometimes I will forget to slip on my ANSI Hi-Viz vest on. Which is an OSHA requirement in a nighttime and in foggy weather and for on scene calls whether on the street or at night at a local establishment. :P:)
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Wear your vest, those tiny stripes on your pants aren't nearly as effective. The vest is designed to *somewhat* silhouette the human form making it easier for traffic to identify you. No need to wear it away from a roadway though.
 
emsbambi said:
Hi I'm a fairly new EMT and was wondering what you all carry in your pocket/on your belt while on shift? What do you feel is unnecessary to carry? Thank you!
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Belt: Glove pouch, trauma shears, flashlight (Strion LED), radio, and cell phone.

Pockets: Keys, wallet, extra pens.
 
Top pockets: phone, wallet, pen light, pens, flashlight.
Side bottom pockets: gloves, CPR mask, bio bags, N95 masks, a knife, trauma shears.
 
Pants: 2 Pens, Shears with skin guard, Flashlight, Vein Marker (good if you need info and patient cant talk), and a knife with seat belt cutter and window breaker on it (we get a lot of MVA's up here)

Belt: A pouch for gloves mostly sometimes pagers or radios.
 
On duty? Gloves if I haven't put them on already. Cell phone. Wallet. I have an ID and fob attached to a belt loop.

You guys ride on ambulances, right? Why load up your pockets full of gear?
 
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vcuemt said:
You guys ride on ambulances, right? Why load up your pockets full of gear?
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I mostly carry the stuff I do because some medics wont carry things in on calls that might be helpful. Like First in bags or stuff like that. I keep trauma sheers especially because we almost never have any to be found when needed.
 
I keep my penlight and Trauma shears bright yellow in my Glove pocket the 5.11 tactical series kind. and of course your PPE, gloves, and vicks for gag control when you have bad smells in the rig or on scene . :mellow:
 
The longer I am in EMS the less I carry!

There are two things an EMT should absolutely never leave home without, the first being a watch and the other, you guessed it, a pen.
 
Watches are one of the first things, I would not want to forget. For example, if you transport the patient to the ER and the DOC asked, "Where the patients resps and pulse taken manually on scene?":huh: Then what would we say! Because sometimes the machines that are carried on a Rig malfunction and sometimes we have to do vitals the old school way. "Too me I think that is more accurate in my opinion." But when you have a load n go patient there is no time to take any manual pulses. Lifepak or what ever each agency uses. But I do say a Watch, memo pad and a pen. and my yellow ringed shears is what I carry on the lateral pockets of my EMT uniform.
 
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GoldcrossEMTbasic said:
Watches are one of the first things, I would not want to forget. For example, if you transport the patient to the ER and the DOC asked, "Where the patients resps and pulse taken manually on scene?":huh: Then what would we say! Because sometimes the machines that are carried on a Rig malfunction and sometimes we have to do vitals the old school way. "Too me I think that is more accurate in my opinion." But when you have a load n go patient there is no time to take any manual pulses. Lifepak or what ever each agency uses. But I do say a Watch, memo pad and a pen. and my yellow ringed shears is what I carry on the lateral pockets of my EMT uniform.
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I'd agree that a watch is important, but mostly because I like to know what time it is by looking at my wrist.

When has an ERP ever asked if pulse and RR were taken manually on scene? Also, I can promise an EtCO2 cannula does a better job of obtaining an accurate RR (when the patient isn't speaking) than I do.

There's always time to put your finger on the wrist and take a quick manual pulse as well, though I rarely actually manually count out and calculate a heart rate. I've felt enough pulses that everything is quickly sorted into "way too slow; moderately slow; good rate; fast; and way too fast." The rest is simply making sure that pulse I felt correlates to the EKG reading.
 
Sure I can see your point in that situation. Reason why I threw out the ERP asking for a Manual Radial Pulse or Carotid. My EMT instructor told me that a EMT was working for an agency that did not have a manual BP cuff on their rig:unsure:. And when they transported this patient to the ED. The ERP asked the crew if a BP was palpated on scene manually, Because the readings he got off of the monitor he did not think they were accurate, the patient was a older gentleman with HX of hypertension and the systolic was very elevated. And the crew told the ERP that we don't carry manual BP cuffs! :rofl: I find that hard not to believe that, You would think that each company would have a manual BP cuff on board. Crazy. I would hate to be the crew member to have to tell the ERP. "Sorry Doc, Our agency does not require manual BP cuffs!" I asked my instructor if he was pulling my leg! he said no that is true. I guess it was a volunteer based company that has very low call volumes and they only have one rig and probably a monitor that's an old school monitor that you have seen on the TV show "Emergency!"
 
I used to just carry personal items (wallet, keys, chapstick) plus watch, pen, gloves, penlight, & stethoscope.

Over time I've added a few things: O2 key, N-95, lancets.

We have an O2 key in the squad, but for some reason my company keeps them in the most inconvenient place: on the squad's keyring. I keep an N-95 because usually by the time you find you need one, it's really awkward to go back & get one. And the lancets are because sometimes the squads only have the ones where you have to pull a little tab out first, which I find difficult with gloves on. I prefer the ones where you just pop off the cap.

I also keep a spare of the little attachment that goes between the suction canister and tubing. There's supposed to always be one on there, but I always forget to check in the morning. Nothing like going to suction a patient and finding the tubing won't attach to the suction unit!
 
Rin you don't have them in your bags?

I carry my size and my partner's size in an outside compartment of my bag for that reason. Always funny to see the looks I get when asking a new partner what size N95 they wear.
 
Scissors, penlight, pen, stethoscope, protocol books, gloves, knife, cellphone wallet and keys in pockets and my pager on my belt. On occasion on night time outdoors calls I will wear a flashlight on my belt as well.
 
For me personally I carry a pen, a flashlight, gloves (8-10 pairs), my wallet, and my phone.

emsbambi said:
Hi I'm a fairly new EMT and was wondering what you all carry in your pocket/on your belt while on shift? What do you feel is unnecessary to carry? Thank you!
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Handsome Robb said:
Rin you don't have them in your bags?

I carry my size and my partner's size in an outside compartment of my bag for that reason. Always funny to see the looks I get when asking a new partner what size N95 they wear.
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IFT we travel light. Not sure our bag's ever left the squad :rofl: We have heavier molded N-95s and lighter folded flat ones, so I keep one of those in my cargo pockets. I probably should try & cram another one in for my partner :unsure:
 
pocket full of goodness

I would have to say the Raptor is the best tool I have come across in awhile. I also carry a Nitecore MH1 light. Nice rechargeable light. Of course keys wallet ya da ya da
 
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