MVA Gear

[Lin57EMT]

Our squad (all volunteer, rural) is still a part of our local fire company. In the past, we have been issued old turnout gear for use at MVAs, including pants, boots, suspenders, gloves, coat. Whenever the fire company replaced a set of gear, they would give us the old stuff. It's heavy, hot, and ill-fitting, and the only thing that differentiates us from the firemen on scene are our blue helmets. We'd like to find a lightweight (or lighter-weight, anyway)alternative. There are some one-piece jumpsuits out there, as well as two-piece.

Who uses what? What do you like/dislike about your turnout gear? Do you ALWAYS wear what you are issued, or do you "forget" to wear some parts because they're too bulky or heavy or hot or whatever? Thanks for any input.

[Just Plain Ruff]

If you can afford your own turnout gear then by all means purchase it yourself. Guaranteed a proper fit.

If you are not doing extrication then really what do you need turnout gear for? I worked in EMS for 14 years and purchased my own. The only thing it guaranteed me was that I was gonna be in that car with all the cutting machines going on around me because I was the one best protected.

But anyway, turnout gear is best but one piece flight jump suits or a good pair of EMS pants, a good shirt and steel toed boots always did the trick for me.

[Lin57EMT]

We found that most of our people will put on the coat and helmet, but nothing else, with only a couple of exceptions. We do access the patient while in the vehicle, and sometimes a responder will stay with the patient during extrication, although usually the firemen will do stabilization just fine, so we do have good reason to be wearing the gear, beyond the fact that the fire company requires it.

Thanks for your response. Personally, I'd rather wear our own gear and wait for extrication to be done by the firemen.

Linda

[Dustdevil]

Plus 5 for not wanting to look like the firemonkeys. :thumbright:

Never in non-fire EMS have I ever had bunker gear, and never have I missed it. And not having it allows you to decline to get involved with extrication, which is a nice, convenient excuse. Embrace it. Unlike firefighting, EMS is not a blue-collar labour job. Of course, to you it's not a job at all, but a hobby, but I digress.

[Arkymedic]

Our squad (all volunteer, rural) is still a part of our local fire company. In the past, we have been issued old turnout gear for use at MVAs, including pants, boots, suspenders, gloves, coat. Whenever the fire company replaced a set of gear, they would give us the old stuff. It's heavy, hot, and ill-fitting, and the only thing that differentiates us from the firemen on scene are our blue helmets. We'd like to find a lightweight (or lighter-weight, anyway)alternative. There are some one-piece jumpsuits out there, as well as two-piece.

Who uses what? What do you like/dislike about your turnout gear? Do you ALWAYS wear what you are issued, or do you "forget" to wear some parts because they're too bulky or heavy or hot or whatever? Thanks for any input.

Our service just bought us wildland style gear that is a blue and yellow-green color pants and jacket that say EMS Medic on the back, the AVC Allmed Helmets, and ringers gloves. The blue makes us stand out a bit.

[Chief1C]

Several suppliers sell one piece extrication suits made of Nomex that are specifically for vehicle accidents, NFPA approved. I find it difficult to crawl around in my structural firefighting gear because of the bulk of it, and the stuff I'm required to use, and need to store on my person.

A good pair of steel-toe boots, helmet, goggles, leather gloves (or vehicle extrication gloves), ear plugs and an extrication suit should be perfect for EMS use.

Either W.S. Darley or Galls are good places to start; or try a local fire supply place. I couldn't find an EMS Supply place that has modern stuff with in a hundred miles, but I can think of eight fire dept. supply shops.

[Lin57EMT]

Yeah, there are quite a few suppliers of the Nomex-type gear. It's less expensive than traditional firefighting-level protection, and not bulky at all. I've seen some vendors peddling them at the local trade shows. The Indura is a better substitute, also.

I'm getting the idea that EMS being tricked out in full gear is falling out of favor (finally!). We wouldn't object to the Nomex jackets, the gloves, and even the helmets. But the whole heavy thick-as-a-mattress thing is getting kind of old. I think our squad, or a majority of them, anyway, would prefer something like Nomex or the Indura fabrics. We don't really care what we LOOK like; we care what we WORK like. The bulky stuff just doesn't cut it.

[Scaramedic]

A good pair of steel-toe boots, helmet, goggles, leather gloves (or vehicle extrication gloves), ear plugs and an extrication suit should be perfect for EMS use.

Going on 20 yrs and never needed any of that equipment. My job is to tend to the patient. Therefore leather gloves would be inappropriate, ear plugs wouldn't work with my stethoscope, helmet is not needed since I've never had a cars roof fall in on me and an extrication suit is just another wanna-be FF thing to me.

Yes broken glass and jagged metal are present but if I am suited up and feeling all safe I might forget my patient is not as well protected. If I am using my senses to keep myself safe I also keep my patient safe. The most important piece of equipment you need on any scene is your brain not a bag load of safety equipment. But then again I'm old school.

[Lin57EMT]

If I am using my senses to keep myself safe I also keep my patient safe. The most important piece of equipment you need on any scene is your brain not a bag load of safety equipment. But then again I'm old school.

I understand your point, and there are a couple younger people on our squad who would vehemently agree with you. I guess I fall somewhere in between the "full turnout gear" idea and your "my brain will keep me safe" theory. Ideally I don't approach the vehicle until it is safe to do so, but the exception to the rule will bring me into harm's way if I'm not careful. I will have my hands full providing patient care, and no matter how good the senses are, unless I can cause flying glass and metal to veer off by force of will, I could get hurt. Turnout gear may be the only thing that protects me from the unexpected. In my mind, it's the same as wearing gloves, goggles or any other PPE - no matter how good I THINK I am at avoiding contamination, somebody else might be aiming straight at me. I'll wear the gloves to avoid the bloodborne cruds, and I'll wear some protection in the vehicle, as well. I think no matter how "old school" I might be, I'd be tempting the Gods of Mayhem and Chaos if I went in completely unprotected and expected my SpideySenses to save me - I'm too old to be that fast anymore!

[AnthonyM83]

We get dark blue reflective jackets that say Ambulance on them, which I actually like. We have blue helmets that make us look like smurfs, which I hate, but I see the safety issue. We're required to wear our brush jackets (different material than actual FF jackets) on all traffic collisions and roadway calls.

I heard they used to have turnout pants which would actually be helpful when holding c-spine (keeps uniform clean and offers protection). Most people in the company would jump on it just because it'd make them look more like fire...which seems to be the goal around here.

As far as helping w/ FD I enjoy that just from the perspective that most adventurous civilians would enjoy getting to help FD or PD or heck animal control with something interesting/different, but not from the EMS perspective.