EMS poster boy Keith Rock's career may be over due to clunky boots

[emtgrimreaper]

Is the dept. getting some kind of kick back from the shoe company?

[Richard B the EMT]

The boots are actually assigned by the department, via their quartermasters.

If, in the course of doing the job, if you own your boots, they get contaminated, or made unusable, the owner needs to make an outlay of their own funding to replace them.

Same scenario, if the department issues the boots, they replace them, at no additional cost to the personnel (except transportation to the quartermasters for a fresh fitting or pickup of the uniform parts).

[DwayneEMTP]

Yeah for some bizarre reason everybody seems to think it's cool to say "FDNY wears our boots" - like their standard is better than any other. In fact the good service will say "we don't make you wear a certain boot - wear what fits !"

I think what Dust was implying is that whoever makes the boot buying decisions is likely to be spending some quality family time on some pretty amazing 'sponsored' vacations for some time to come...

Dwayne

[tskstorm]

In New York, yes, it would be too hard. It's all about kickbacks up in Yankeeland. Some FD official got paid well to ensure that everyone bought a particular brand of boot, you can be sure.

In NY no, in the FDNY, YES. My uniform requirement is navy blue and certification patch and hospital patch on outter-most garment.

Of course we are contracted by FDNY and we are subject to some of their rules, about how we dress, it is rarely complied with and even more rare for it to be enforced. There are certain promotion happy supervisors at FDNY that will be petty to the extent to ask to see your socks to see if you're complying with the black sock requirement ... and their are other supervisors coming to calls out of uniform/untucked shirts, wearing "crocs" on their feet.

I know Rock, and we were just talking about him and these boots. I hope for nothing but the best for him.

[Richard B the EMT]

Yeah for some bizarre reason everybody seems to think it's cool to say "FDNY wears our boots" - like their standard is better than any other.

Manufacturers love to say that this department or that department uses our products and/or services. Hale Pump, who makes the Hurst "Jaws Of Life" hydrolic tools, has on it's advertisements that their product is used by both the FDNY and the NYPD. Zodiac inflatable boats does the same, mentioning the FDNY, and whoever makes the similar boats used by the NYPD, mentions them.

Perhaps it is to imply, their products and/or services are good enough for "Da Big Boyz", so why don't "youze little guyz" use us, to be like them?

It's kind of like a commercial used by Subaru Automobiles, a couple of decades ago, where they had people with the names of other cars advertising the Subaru products. One of them had former President Ford's daughter in it, saying "Ford drives Subaru". (Side note: Many people presume that "First Family" kids are too full of themselves, and the car that Ms Ford was standing next to in the commercial, was a Subaru BRAT!)

[CBEMT]

Same scenario, if the department issues the boots, they replace them, at no additional cost to the personnel (except transportation to the quartermasters for a fresh fitting or pickup of the uniform parts).

The department can't issue Keith two new legs, can they.

[scott33]

The photos really don't give you the full picture. They really are a big pair of clod-hoppers. I mean, seriously big boots with those fins sticking out the front of them.

However...

http://www.ems1.com/ems-products/apparel-accessories/articles/596090-EMS-workers-no-longer-required-to-wear-FDNY-boots/

[RavEMTGun]

Ems like every other profession "if (insert person, organization etc) uses them then they have to be the best!" Just goes to show money talks and you know what walks...

Apparently not people wearing FDNY boots

[fireflymedic]

Common sense should prevail in these situations, unfortunately, it's rare that it does.

[rock_shoes]

The boots are actually assigned by the department, via their quartermasters.

If, in the course of doing the job, if you own your boots, they get contaminated, or made unusable, the owner needs to make an outlay of their own funding to replace them.

Same scenario, if the department issues the boots, they replace them, at no additional cost to the personnel (except transportation to the quartermasters for a fresh fitting or pickup of the uniform parts).

Uniform items like shirts and pants can be altered to fit the person should a proper fit be unavailable. Boots on the other hand, can't be altered like a pair of pants. With that in mind, it doesn't make any sense to insist everyone wear the same style and brand. Providing a "boot allowance" would be a far better solution. I'm not saying the service I work in is perfect. They actually pull the same garbage. What they will do however, is reimburse you up to the value of the issue boots should you decide to buy your own.