What Is A PROPER Uniform for EMS

[Neesie]

We wear white button shirts with crests on each shoulder, navy ems pants and black boots for our regular shifts. However, some of us do wear a navy T-shirt at night after 2300 hrs (service protocol for the time). I for one hate sleeping in the button shirts. It's bad enough having my pants twist around never mind my shirt too. If we get called in for a short time, we can also wear our t-shirts.

I would much rather see an attendant in a nicely kept t-shirt rather than a wrinkled, dirty button shirt. We work very long hours. For example, I worked 22 hours last night and there was no way I was going to stay in that button shirt for longer than I absolutely had to.

Yes, the "uniform" is definately more professional looking, but comfort aned neatness is important too. IMHO I would say looking professional, goes far beyond a button up shirt!

[Eydawn]

Professional appearance: Clean, well fitting clothes, and professional demeanor. I could care less if you're wearing a polo shirt, a nice T-shirt or a button down... and I'm telling you, you could be the purtiest damn medic in a button down and if your medicine is crap and your behavior sub-par, I'm not going to be impressed in the slightest.

My SAR button down is actually a hunting shirt with patches sewn on it. I need to find one that fits me better, mine is way too big (that, or get the one I have tailored.) My more informal shirt is a bright orange T-shirt or a navy blue T-shirt with our patch screen printed on the left breast. I'll tell you what I know I look better in and am more comfortable wearing... the T-shirts.

Does it fit? Can you move in it? Is it clean? Are YOU a professional in how you comport yourself? Awesome... carry on...

Wendy

CO EMT-B

[JTpaintball70]

Pecos does look sharp but you'll sweat bad during the summer 110* + temps in those dark colors.

You do have a point. Which would be one reason I prefer nights over any other shift

[fakingpatience]

I think that this is a good topic to discuss. The old discussion looks over 3 years old, and I assume there are a ton of new members here since then, including myself.

At my service we have a different summer and winter uniform tops. In the summer we wear navy blue polos, and in the winter we wear white button downs, with a turtle neck underneath. Also, we have a pullover jacket we can wear, and if we are wearing it in the winter, we don't need to wear the white button down. We always wear black EMS pants, and black boots. In my opinion, our summer uniform looks much more professional. The white shirts are not tailored to fit each person (other agencies do this, but mine is to cheap...), so they usually end up fitting poorly, and it shows. Also, I think white is an awful colour for people in EMS. We are exposed to to much (not only pts, but being outside, leaning against a truck, eating...) to keep a white looking good. Our pullover sweaters are comfortable, but they also fit poorly. I am almost 6 feet tall, have the smallest size jacket, and it looks baggy and unprofessional on me. After only 3 months of use, the sleeves are starting to fall apart at all the seams. And this is normal, I am not especially hard on my uniform.

I think that a button down shirt (not white!) is professional looking, but to get it looking right, the company needs to be willing to shell out the money to get it tailored for all employees. When wearing a polo, it is not as evident if it is not fitted to the person, which makes it look more professional in that respect.

Does anyone have any advice for keeping your boots looking nice? I give them a good cleaning and polish them once a week, but the first day I wear them, they look awful again, with salt stains covering the boot from all the salt they use on the roads. I give them a quick once over with a cavi wipe, but they still don't look good.

[Richard B the EMT]

Does anyone have any advice for keeping your boots looking nice? I give them a good cleaning and polish them once a week, but the first day I wear them, they look awful again, with salt stains covering the boot from all the salt they use on the roads. I give them a quick once over with a cavi wipe, but they still don't look good.

Simple idea, here. Accelerate the cleaning and polishing from once a week, to as needed, even if this means daily.

[kndoug1]

Does anyone have any advice for keeping your boots looking nice? I give them a good cleaning and polish them once a week, but the first day I wear them, they look awful again, with salt stains covering the boot from all the salt they use on the roads. I give them a quick once over with a cavi wipe, but they still don't look good.

My EMT instructor posted this video to our class website on how to polish your boots and keep them looking great. I tried it, since after my first ride out my boots looked terrible, and it worked great! I only had to re-polish them like every other week...but as a student we are a little rough on our shoes! Check out the video...it was a life saver for my shoes!

[Chief1C]

I look pretty snazzy in my white coveralls. Only thing is they attract bloody hands.

[medicgirl05]

My service provides our uniform. A navy blue 5.11 Polo shirt. We wore button up shirts when I started but they were more expensive to replace and had to be replaced more often. Also they required ironing which many of the people I work with are apparently incapable of. The Polo shirts are more comfortable and are lest likely to snag on something. I would get a button caught on a fence I was climbing under, over, or through. The other important thing is that when you work a 24 hour shift the Polo's tend to look better for the whole shift. No touch up ironing required.

I think how you wear the uniform is more important than what the uniform is...JMO

[CSAR_MEDIC]

Professional appearance: Clean, well fitting clothes, and professional demeanor. I could care less if you're wearing a polo shirt, a nice T-shirt or a button down... and I'm telling you, you could be the purtiest damn medic in a button down and if your medicine is crap and your behavior sub-par, I'm not going to be impressed in the slightest.

My SAR button down is actually a hunting shirt with patches sewn on it. I need to find one that fits me better, mine is way too big (that, or get the one I have tailored.) My more informal shirt is a bright orange T-shirt or a navy blue T-shirt with our patch screen printed on the left breast. I'll tell you what I know I look better in and am more comfortable wearing... the T-shirts.

Does it fit? Can you move in it? Is it clean? Are YOU a professional in how you comport yourself? Awesome... carry on...

Wendy

CO EMT-B

On the boards one frequent thing I see arise is our pay and lack of respect. I personally feel among the new trend in short cut to education (yes 6months accelerated program to paramedic is a JOKE) and the lack of professionalism. I sad trend I see if folks who want to play hero but want to live it. I agree with Everyone here if your a 300lb medic you better be 7ft tall, and that goes for the rest of our fellow public safety brothers. The public hold us to a higher standard and if you dont like it please leave there is plenty of work for dedicated professionals. Your uniform says plenty about you if it is covered in stains and worn you look like a SLOB and I dont want to hear your crying about "well my service only give me X dollars for uniforms, The Army as of 2011 currently gives enlisted personal 1,400 male and 1,600 female initial uniform allowance and I can assure there KIT cost allot more yet they maintain exceptional uniform standards in much hasher conditions. The way you dress and carry yourself speaks mountains about you and who you are. On a recent assignment I had the pleasure of working with someone from this very same forum and we became friends quickly. I asked him once why he felt I was different and he said " your not always telling BS war stories and you act professional" and that my friends is the secret to respect. The more we dumb down our standards and make it OK to be 450lb pound EMT the more the Doctors and Nurses will look down on us and keep our salaries in check. I would love to not have to always take contracts in harms way and away from my family, I dream of a day when ALL MEDICS need a 2 year degree and I can earn at home doing what I love and able to take care of my family . Sadly as I look online I see another 1 year 100% online medic program and watch as a officer I work with referes to a EMT as an ambulance driver and comments on his untucked polo/ with shorts and black sneakers I am realizing we are heading backwards in a profession.

My service provides our uniform. A navy blue 5.11 Polo shirt. We wore button up shirts when I started but they were more expensive to replace and had to be replaced more often. Also they required ironing which many of the people I work with are apparently incapable of. The Polo shirts are more comfortable and are lest likely to snag on something. I would get a button caught on a fence I was climbing under, over, or through. The other important thing is that when you work a 24 hour shift the Polo's tend to look better for the whole shift. No touch up ironing required.

I think how you wear the uniform is more important than what the uniform is...JMO

The ones who won't Iron probably are also the ones who can't check there drug boxes and always need to be reminded to certify at the last minute too. 5.11 are very professional if worn as you said well.

[FormerEMSLT297]

I usedc to work for NYC, where a Tie was required in the winter time... A tie, dragging in the patients blood, and bodily fluids as I lean over the patient. I always thought that was STUPID.

Tee shirts, I think are OK after dark, usually at night, but i like a nice clean looking polo, or class C (C which is shirt no tie) uniform..

In the winder we wear work shirts, I have seen some local EMS providers arrive at calls after dark wearing tee shirts and sweat pants..... WTF is that ????

As long as a uniform is well fitting, and clean, I do not see a problem... Sweat pants ?? not so much so.