Uniforms?

[Niftymedi911]

Basic crewmembers, and they have the "skills" to back it up? You're joking, right? Show me a dual medic crew, and you may have the beginnings of an argument.

And exactly where were you "hiding" last weekend, young Jedi? :wink:

I got cold feet and ran for my life........... No I closed on my new home on Friday and Saturday I had to work........ I had everything covered until my bank decided to roll a crazy 8 on me and close on Friday. But it's done!!! Finally...... Can we say PARTY???

Basic??? Dust you must be somkin something good..... Can I get in on some of that???? Medic/Basic, with soon transition to dual medic 12 hr for busy trucks.

I'm 4 classes away from completeing my AS degree.... I get my medic cert and graduate with my AS on April 28 .. Finally, there is light to the end of the tunnel.

Getting back to the OP.

We've actually gotten away from those class A's unless we're in court or PR event. The rest of the time, we've transitioned to Colorado's Cool Max Polo shirt's navy blue, with sewn custom patch, name, and rank on the front.... And a 3M reflective LCEMS emblem on the back. Very, very comfortable, professional, and functional. I'm extremly glad we've changed. The public definately can tell the difference between us now. And not to metnion I don't have to change three shirts a shift becuase I sweat so much. The new shirts allow us to breathe. We also wear the EMS navy blue pants by Elbeco with permantent creases. The only thing I would change would be to have either a small frabic strap sewn in either the chest or shoulder region for our speaker mics. Right now it usually hangs over my left shoulder or attached to my polo's fabric button flap.

[Dustdevil]

I closed on my new home on Friday and Saturday I had to work....

Sweet. Congratulations.

Medic/Basic, with soon transition to dual medic 12 hr for busy trucks.

That's what I said. You have basics on your trucks. Very poor form.

I'm 4 classes away from completeing my AS degree.... I get my medic cert and graduate with my AS on April 28 .. Finally, there is light to the end of the tunnel.

Congrats again. But then you'll be with another medic only until you are cut loose. Then it's back to a basic/medic crew for you. The county isn't seriously going to start laying off basics to go all-dual-medic, is it? Then what are all the firemonkey wannabe's going to do with their $1500 dollar EMT card?

...we've transitioned to Colorado's Cool Max Polo shirt's navy blue, with sewn custom patch, name, and rank on the front.... And a 3M reflective LCEMS emblem on the back. Very, very comfortable, professional, and functional.

Not as comfortable in humid, 100 degree weather as a light coloured shirt would be. Poor choice. Professional? Sounds like a clown suit to me with all that crap on it. Functional? What makes it any more functional than any other shirt? A shirt is a shirt when it comes to function, unless you start adding a bunch of silly pockets all over it, like a BDU.

I'm extremly glad we've changed. The public definately can tell the difference between us now.

What do the FDs around there wear? The light blue shirts looked very firemonkey, but I don't know what they actually wear there. At least you got rid of those silly badges, but I'm not sure a big reflective logo on your back does anything to improve your professional image.

And not to metnion I don't have to change three shirts a shift becuase I sweat so much. The new shirts allow us to breathe. <snip> The only thing I would change would be to have either a small frabic strap sewn in either the chest or shoulder region for our speaker mics. Right now it usually hangs over my left shoulder or attached to my polo's fabric button flap.

LC should have done their homework then. The 5.11 shirts are also CoolMax, and have speaker-mic straps on them. Although, I think speaker-mics are stupid, and wouldn't allow them. FAILING to reach down and pick up your radio to use it is the epitome of laziness. And your patients don't need that speaker blaring in their face as you lean over them. That's just one of those, "hey, the cops do that, and it looks cool!" things that isn't appropriate in the medical professions.

[Littlebitt]

Ummm... neither of those are "accordingly" for a medical professional.

IMHO, Paramedics and EMT's should look professional. I see these guys coming into the ER with a patient in dirty blue jeans, butt crack showing, dirty T-shirts that do not cover the belly bulge, muddy boots and the rig they are in reflect the lack of respect they have for the profession. The coke cans and trash falling out when they open the door. To me that is not professional and does not instil confidence in the community we serve.

Firemonkeys and paramedics are not the same thing and have different standards of appropriateness.

[CBEMT]

lthough, I think speaker-mics are stupid, and wouldn't allow them. FAILING to reach down and pick up your radio to use it is the epitome of laziness. And your patients don't need that speaker blaring in their face as you lean over them. That's just one of those, "hey, the cops do that, and it looks cool!" things that isn't appropriate in the medical professions.

It's not necessarily about using the radio, it's hearing it. We both cover and respond to large, noisy events- everything from football games with 20,000 people to liquor-licensed frat parties. Not being able to hear my crews or dispatch is unacceptable.

[Dustdevil]

Understood. Been there plenty of times. But those situations are few and far between for a street EMS provider and, even then, there are other options.

[spenac]

Understood. Been there plenty of times. But those situations are few and far between for a street EMS provider and, even then, there are other options.

I like the old Secret Service style. Ear Piece and talk into the cuff link mic.

But back to the speaker mic. Yes a uniform should have a place for them for the rare cases you need to use it. Looks bad just having it on the collar.

[firedoc5]

...here is one picture with me in our uniform...it is not the best, but next time I will make a new one....I wear also blue trousers and haix shoes....

..this foto is from the "oktoberfest" here in Munich last year...

KEWL, I like the liederhosen (sp?) look....Oh you're in the orange jackets.

(Sorry, couldn't resist)

[malukapi]

@firedoc5...muhaha...it is called "Lederhosen"... :wink: ...yes, we are in the orange jackets...look like the garbage collection here in Germany.... :oops:

[Niftymedi911]

Mr. Dust,

I love it when we can chat and all get along.......

First,

The county is not looking at phasing basics out.... it's cheaper labor, and they are giving EMT-B's an expanded scope of practice(beta agonsit updrafts, nitro spray SL, ASA admin, IV starts under medic supvision) to make up for the lack of medics around. I can guarrantee if there were enough medics to put 2 on a truck and run the show... the EMT's would end up on the trasnfer division trucks. Which don't get me wrong is where I personally believe they should be. We do already have 2 BLS transfer trucks with 3 ALS transfer trucks, but I would like to see the system divided with EMT's running transfers and medics running the trucks as it should be. Perfect world situation..... but this isn't a perfect world.

The delima behind the Colorado vs 5.11. It all boiled down to cost. The county went with Coloroado's vs 5.11 is # 1 they were cheaper.... # 2 They were available through our uniform vendor.... # 3 It was the union who implemented the polo shirts into effect with our new contract and stated that they wanted this. The county wanted us to have Those Columbia fishing shirts.

# 3

I truly believe they are Dust. They allow the skin underneath the shirt to breathe and it aids the sweat in evaporating, thus cooling the body. Yes, we do sweat with the new shirts... but the material is light, the material breathes, the material drys extremely quickly, the material is wrinkle free. No matter how much you crumble the shirt up they stay wrinkle free and pressed.

The only draw back to the shirts is that with the new material... the weeves occaisionally unwind, thus producing, threads coming undone like velcro does to shirts. But they're easily sloved with a match.

To be honest, if the radio is on my belt and I don't have a speaker mic, I don't listen to it. If it's near my ear or face... I'm more often inclined to listen then not. We get status checks and they freak out when we don't answer. As stated... "they don't look professionally suited in the medical field". In all seriousness, if it's my life on the line..... they are professional... if it means the difference between hearing a scene safety update on the radio and not..... I choose the mic to hear it.. My opinion.

We've also gotten a lot fo feedback from the public saying with the new uniforms, it's easier to differentiate between crews and they look more professional. The reason why I say this is because medics here (not everyone but a few who always ruin it for everyone else) would almost never iron their uniforms or keep them pressed. Thus casuing them to be all wirnkled and very very unprofessional and sloopy. The new shirts stay pressed and winrkle free.. thus elminating that element.

Fire departments around here usually wear either gray or white T-shirts with their lettering. There are a few that wear class A's but its rare. But lately there been a big push to get either matching color polos with their logo on it or mathcing navy blue T-shirts. Damn copy cats.....

Without further ado.....

[CBEMT]

But back to the speaker mic. Yes a uniform should have a place for them for the rare cases you need to use it. Looks bad just having it on the collar.

I usually end up clipping it to the zipper portion of my jacket or sweatshirt, or if it's warm enough for just a shirt, I'll put it in between the buttons. We have one style of shirts with epaulets and one without, but clipping it to the epaulet usually results in my jacket keying the mic.