Your Ideal Uniform

[Talonrazor]

Hopefully this is the correct place...

I am currently restructuring my agency and one area I am changing is our uniforms. I wanted to get people's opinions on issued uniforms. Currently we use crappy Flying Cross and Propper uniform EMS Pants and duty shirts. Because we deal with mostly medical custody, they are all dark LAPD Blue and styled to look like police or security uniforms.

What would your ideal uniform look like?

I am currently getting bids for a 5.11 outfit. 5.11 EMS pants paired with 5.11 Class B PDU shirts, both black in color for our security personnel/intake specialists/drivers and dark midnight blue for EMTs/Command Staff. Left shoulder is agency patch, right shoulder is State of Alaska EMT or ETT patch for medical personnel. Left Chest will be either a Galls EMT metal badge for EMTs or a security officer badge for our security personnel. Non-medical or security will sport nothing.

On right chest we will use Blackington Commendation bars to mark various positions. The EMS bar for EMTs, Instructor bar for in-house instructors, FTO bar for FTOs, etc. NREMT pins will be worn above that if registered. Full-time EMTs that have earned good-standing with us for a certain amount of time will be awarded EMT collar brass pins.

5.11 Job Shirts will sport agency patch on chest with agency name screen printed on the back.

Duty belts contain gloves, flashlights, multi-tools and radios for medical and for security usual layout of handcuffs, batons, etc.

What do you guys use/like/dislike?

EDIT: Oh, also looking to use Conterra's Tool Chest radio harness for radio equipment/medical supplies for our field crews that pick-up public inebriates and respond to man-down calls in the city. Anyone use those?

 

[Aprz]

At my company, I love that we have our names and whether we are an EMT/Paramedic/Supervisor on our uniform, but I miss having cargo pants (now I stuff gloves in my regular pockets). At my previous company, I disliked that we had the big EMT/Paramedic patch on our back. I disliked metal name plates.

 

[lawndartcatcher]

Black hooded rode and a scythe.

What?

We still use class B (light blue shirt, dark blue pants) uniforms, and they're nice for several reasons:

1. Dark blue pants = harder to see the stains
2. Light blue shirt w/ badge (and nothing else) = what everyone expects to see
3. Paramedic pants = wider cut in the crotch and plenty of pockets
4. Black boots and black belt (to match the small clutch purse)

I've had guys rave about the 5.11 pants; it was only recently that we got a local vendor. I don't like buying clothes that I can't try on first. So I'll reserve judgement until I get into a pair of their pants. (insert dating joke here).

I also prefer a minimalist approach to patches / badges / collar pins / medals for perfect attendance / giant clocks hanging from gold chains. One department-issued badge, one service patch, and one certification (glitter ball!) on the opposite shoulder. And a "Junior Paramedic" sticker if it's 5:00 am and they left us some in the ambulance from kid's day.

 

[Veneficus]

If I had my way?

I like short sleeve duty shirts that zip with fake buttons over a layer of underarmor and a turtleneck in the winter.

I don't like jackets that hang as they always get blood just past the cuffs or you spend too much time worry about it.

Because of the safety issue, bright colors with black EMS pants with some reflective material on the pockets.

The best sweatshirt I ever had I still have and it is from illuminite. So it looks black until you shine a light on it and the whole thing is reflective.

I am a big fan of that company.

Boots are a personal choice.

As for name, I like only the first name showing. I have a unique last name, everyone with it in the world is related, and I have worked in places where people may look you up if they are pissed at you.

I am not a fan of military or other rank insignias. I think it is only for ego. The people you work with should reasonably know what rank you are without such nonsense by virtue of a different color shirt, usually white. (I have also worked in some pretty large agencies)

I prefer the cargo style pants over without.

This gets the best look to function in my opinion.

If I had my way the lime green reflective suits the Brits use would be ideal. The Polish use Red of the same kind, but I think the green looks better and is higher visibility. Dark blue may defeat the purpose of the visibility.

 

[TheGodfather]

Shirt --> 9.11 tactical polo with pen slots in sleeve (dark blue with credentials stitched into right chest + agency name in left chest)
Pants --> Dark blue (with or without pockets) -- not a huge deal for me.
Boots --> black steel toe with side zips and ankle support - lightweight + water resistant.

 

[DesertMedic66]

Black boots (with some kind of safety toe)
Black belt
Light blue uniform shirt
Cargo pants
Watch
Name plate
Metal badge

The only thing I don't like about our company issued uniforms is they don't last. But that's not an issue because the company pays for the uniform. We also have long sleeve uniform shirts and we have a choice of 2 cargo pant styles.

For undershirts as long as they are dark blue or white then we can wear them. Also for breast cancer awareness month we can wear pink undershirts.

 

[Sasha]

My ideal uniform would be the button down shirt made of anti wrinkle material in a color that is not white. I prefer my name badge to anything stitched in, I wear it with the blank side out, and decorate it with stickers. I don't like people in the line at the gas station knowing my name.

Navy blue pants with all the pockets... Cut for a woman, not a man.

The velcro belts.

Zipper boots. Personal preference. I like the zippers.

 

[Veneficus]

The velcro belts.

One of the firefighters I used to work with has a maltese cross burned into his waist from a metal buckle on his belt.

For EMS, it is probably not as big of an issue.

 

[Sasha]

One of the firefighters I used to work with has a maltese cross burned into his waist from a metal buckle on his belt.

For EMS, it is probably not as big of an issue.

I like the velcro. Maybe its the little kid in me.

 

[EpiEMS]

Non-iron cotton would be nice. Or Nomex?
(The Trekkie in me wants nomex jumpsuits.)

 

[SoCal911]

Used to work at a service who gave us all Nomex everything. I LOVED it.

 

[medicsb]

My only major opinion: No metal badges. No embroidered badges. (Leave those to the police.)

 

[RocketMedic]

I'm not a huge fan of looking like LEOs. I like being neutral (in appearance).

Acadian's uniforms are on point.

 

[nwhitney]

I second the jumpsuits, no butt crack to worry about.

 

[dmc2007]

I'm not a big fan of badges either, unless EMS in a particular area has certain special police powers. I'm never a fan of private EMS wearing badges-very tacky IMO.

 

[EpiEMS]

Perhaps badges for medics only?

 

[medicdan]

I'm in favor of a uniform package that does not need constant ironing to look presentable. Material that is easily cleanable (and decontaminated) but also crisp and durable. I'll echo the aversion to badges-- we are NOT Law Enforcement, and I'd prefer not to look like them.

My priorities are durability, presentation and flexibility.

 

[medichopeful]

Perhaps badges for medics only?

So they can attack the one who's in charge? :huh:

 

[EpiEMS]

So they can attack the one who's in charge? :huh:

:rofl:

 

[DesertMedic66]

I actually like my badge. It brings out the color of my eyes haha.

To me it would look weird if the police and fire department are on scene with uniforms and badges then there is the ambulance crew in polo shirts with no badges lol.