EMT Clothing

[MrsRankin0510]

Anyone who picks a fight with me in the back of the rig has already upped the anti as high as it will go, and until I can call for help over the radio and a cop can get to us, my personal safety is my responsibility alone. Hopefully no one here is stupid enough to carry anything they're not trained to use, weather it's a knife or an airway adjunct. The word "weapon" is subjective. If it's nesescary I can turn an O2 bottle into an effective weapon, or a pen, or my ears, or anything else within arms reach. My knife is mainly used for stubborn packaging and poking a hole in the top of saline bottles to squirt into the eyes of guys in handcuffs who just got pepper sprayed. With the combative patients that I've had I can usually restrain them effectively and my knife never even enters my brain. Don't assume there are crazy people in ambulances trying to violently kill their patients. Buying a ton of cool gatgets is a sign of enthusiasm and there's nothing wrong with that, my husband is always looking online and telling me I need something shiney. You can carry whatever you want to carry and it won't make you a better or worse EMT. What does make you a worse EMT is arrogance, and I hate riding with other EMTs who think they're better than someone else, whatever the reason. If someone feels they have a better way of doing things, then by all means I am happy to listen to their experience, but when someone gets snooty with me for being different from them I see errogance and my trust-o-meter plummets. Carry all the crap you want, or carry nothing and barrow a pen every call, but everybody cool it, no one intended this to be an argument, just telling the new guy where to buy pants!

[Ridryder 911]

May I highly suggest you check local laws on protecting one self and proper ways to do such. There are federal laws as well on the amount of protection one can do if the patient is a known psych patient..even if they are promoting hostile situation to you or another. If you value your license, certification etc.. and really would like to avoid prosecution to your self, you may want to drop the "tough man" image.

It is apparent we have a lot of either newbies, wanna be's etc..that are ignorant in personal and safety protection as well. As well, it is very apparent these folks have never really dealt with hostile, aggressive, mentally challenged, and psychiatric patients as well. LEO whom train in this daily is often overtaken fast, and dangerous. I might as well suggest reading those EMS personal that lost their lives, partner lives, of "attempting" to protect themselves with equipment.

I highly suggest courses such as http://www.dt4ems.net/ or similar for protection, trained and licensed protection designed for medics by medics and law enforcement. These type of courses not only are designed to help save your life, but your partner, and career as well...

Carrying weapons such as knives, will only have potential dangers to yourself, and others. Sorry, I am have been in a very busy EMS and flight service for over 29 years, and have yet as many others never seen the need for a knife... EMT shears will cut through leather, rope, and seat belts.

as well knives may be illegal in some jurisdictions.

Again, we are or suposed to be medical professionals... let's at least look the part, if you can't provide it.

R/r 911

[Scaramedic]

Anyone who picks a fight with me in the back of the rig has already upped the anti as high as it will go, and until I can call for help over the radio and a cop can get to us, my personal safety is my responsibility alone. Hopefully no one here is stupid enough to carry anything they're not trained to use, weather it's a knife or an airway adjunct. The word "weapon" is subjective. If it's nesescary I can turn an O2 bottle into an effective weapon, or a pen, or my ears, or anything else within arms reach. My knife is mainly used for stubborn packaging and poking a hole in the top of saline bottles to squirt into the eyes of guys in handcuffs who just got pepper sprayed. With the combative patients that I've had I can usually restrain them effectively and my knife never even enters my brain. Don't assume there are crazy people in ambulances trying to violently kill their patients. Buying a ton of cool gatgets is a sign of enthusiasm and there's nothing wrong with that, my husband is always looking online and telling me I need something shiney. You can carry whatever you want to carry and it won't make you a better or worse EMT. What does make you a worse EMT is arrogance, and I hate riding with other EMTs who think they're better than someone else, whatever the reason. If someone feels they have a better way of doing things, then by all means I am happy to listen to their experience, but when someone gets snooty with me for being different from them I see errogance and my trust-o-meter plummets. Carry all the crap you want, or carry nothing and barrow a pen every call, but everybody cool it, no one intended this to be an argument, just telling the new guy where to buy pants!

A couple of things..

#1. Put all of your private assets in someone else's name, it will save them from the inevitable lawsuit your going to face with that attitude.

#2. If a knife never enters your brain for self defense then why do you carry it? You carry a knife as part of a tough guy/girl attitude, and like I said before it's a bigger threat to you or your patients then it is to an attacker. Don't give me the "I cut seat belts with it" line either, it's wreckless and dangerous to have an open blade in a dynamic and confined space.

#3. Buying lots of cool gadgets is not a sign of enthusiasm, it's a sign of ignorance. The company you work for should provide everything you need to do your job, if they don't your working for a bad company. So if you work for a good company and they don't provide you with the latest whacker gear it's probably cause you don't need it. I carry my own ears and flashlight cause I prefer them over the company issued ones. Everything else I rely on the company to provide, that's their job not mine.

#4. You cannot carry all the crap you want, in fact most agencies have rules on what you can carry. Especially when it comes to privately purchased medical equipment. If you want to run out and buy the latest fiber-optic laser powered laryngoscope with dual exhausts go for it, but most agencies are not going to allow you to use it. Also if you think you are climbing on my unit with a Rambo survival knife think again. You can leave in it your POV or you can leave, and I will have the company backing me up on that. Right now your a Basic so maybe you do not understand an important fact yet, the Paramedic is responsible for what happens on that unit. If I have a whacker partner and he slashes a patient trying to cut a seat belt with a knife my ass is on the line as much as his. That's the reason I will not work with knife carrying partners. Don't like it? Too bad.

Peace,

Marty

:wink:

P.S. To the original poster, sorry we got off topic. If you want to find EMT pants I suggest you click on some of the adds on the front page of this site. They have good prices and it helps support EMT City.

[MrsRankin0510]

I had a feeling this would be blown way out of proportion. As I said before, don't assume I'm running around trying to kill people on the truck. I've never used it to cut a seatbelt and I know better than to use it in a confined space or within three feet of anyone as they might bump me etc. And please do not also assume that I'm not well read on local and federal laws of self defense, and I do take those laws very seriously. Jeff Cooper puts it, "I'd rather explain it to 12 than be carried by 8." I'm simply prepared to defend myself if nescesary. Sorry if you think my avitar gives me a "tough girl" kind of immage that offends you. If it makes you happy, I leave my gun at home when I go to work. I've carried a knife in my pocket since I was 10, and the day I leave it at home is always the day I seem to need it most. I've never stabbed anyone or even pulled it in defense. If you'll scroll back a few messages you'll see that I casually listed it among the things I keep in my pants. Pretty much anything in my pants could be used as a weapon with the right motivation, and yes, that includes my knife but that's not what I use it for. If having a knife near you makes you uncomfortable, well... we'll never have to ride together so it won't be an issue. You've taken what I've said, exaggerated it in your mind and judged me for it. At this point I think you're just looking for a reason to be better than me. Maybe you are better than I am, but making assumptions and putting down people in a forum certainly doesn't convince me. But what do I know, I'm just an EMT-Basic afterall.

Now if anyone wants to have a rational, freindly discussion about things job related I'm all ears.

[weasel 108]

I had a feeling this would be blown way out of proportion. As I said before, don't assume I'm running around trying to kill people on the truck. I've never used it to cut a seatbelt and I know better than to use it in a confined space or within three feet of anyone as they might bump me etc. And please do not also assume that I'm not well read on local and federal laws of self defense, and I do take those laws very seriously. Jeff Cooper puts it, "I'd rather explain it to 12 than be carried by 8." I'm simply prepared to defend myself if nescesary. Sorry if you think my avitar gives me a "tough girl" kind of immage that offends you. If it makes you happy, I leave my gun at home when I go to work. I've carried a knife in my pocket since I was 10, and the day I leave it at home is always the day I seem to need it most. I've never stabbed anyone or even pulled it in defense. If you'll scroll back a few messages you'll see that I casually listed it among the things I keep in my pants. Pretty much anything in my pants could be used as a weapon with the right motivation, and yes, that includes my knife but that's not what I use it for. If having a knife near you makes you uncomfortable, well... we'll never have to ride together so it won't be an issue. You've taken what I've said, exaggerated it in your mind and judged me for it. At this point I think you're just looking for a reason to be better than me. Maybe you are better than I am, but making assumptions and putting down people in a forum certainly doesn't convince me. But what do I know, I'm just an EMT-Basic afterall.

Now if anyone wants to have a rational, freindly discussion about things job related I'm all ears.

:roll: :roll:

We had a medic in my area that worked for local EMS. he went to cut pant leg on a patient,and produced a very nice size laceration to Pt's leg. My suggestion is to leave the knife at home or in your vehicle. But again ,just my suggestion

[PRPGfirerescuetech]

:roll: :roll:

We had a medic in my area that worked for local EMS. he went to cut pant leg on a patient,and produced a very nice size laceration to Pt's leg. My suggestion is to leave the knife at home or in your vehicle. But again ,just my suggestion

HAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA.....whatever happened to Russ, is he still a card holding potart?

[mtnsldr]

Wow, sorry to have caused a stir.

I do have a bit to share on the tangent we've embarked on. Now, I am not an EMT yet, nor do I belong to a department. I also am not well versed in the laws regarding EMT interaction with PT's or others who seek (sane or not) to injure said EMT.

However, I have carried a knife on my person for several years now (going on 8 if memory serves...). A knife is nothing more than a tool. Those people who view all knives as weapons most likely are the sort who shouldn't carry one. Like MrsRankin stated, use of a knife in a controlled fashion can help expedite tasks you are required to perform.

As I stated in the beginning of this post, I am not an EMT, nor do I have any experience in the field. However, my common sense meter is kicking in, and I'm wondering if EMT shears shouldn't be left to what they are there for, assisting patients in need of care, not conducting mundane cutting chores like MrsRankin described. I would think that using tools for purposes outside what they are dedicated for would produce undo wear and tear, and increase the opportunity for that piece of equipment to fail when needed.

As I stated, I carry a knife daily. I've never used it as a weapon. I don't bring it to have a weapon. I consider it a tool just like the ones in my tool box in my truck, just for a specific purpose. I've used it as a knife, a screwdriver, a hammer, and to complete a host of other tasks, all in the confines of my pocket.

BTW, MrsRankin, I love your avatar. I keep my pistol in my truck at all times.

Oh, and is this place really as "My way or the Highway" as it seems?

[Andrewtx]

I had a feeling this would be blown way out of proportion. As I said before, don't assume I'm running around trying to kill people on the truck. I've never used it to cut a seatbelt and I know better than to use it in a confined space or within three feet of anyone as they might bump me etc. And please do not also assume that I'm not well read on local and federal laws of self defense, and I do take those laws very seriously. Jeff Cooper puts it, "I'd rather explain it to 12 than be carried by 8." I'm simply prepared to defend myself if nescesary. Sorry if you think my avitar gives me a "tough girl" kind of immage that offends you. If it makes you happy, I leave my gun at home when I go to work. I've carried a knife in my pocket since I was 10, and the day I leave it at home is always the day I seem to need it most. I've never stabbed anyone or even pulled it in defense. If you'll scroll back a few messages you'll see that I casually listed it among the things I keep in my pants. Pretty much anything in my pants could be used as a weapon with the right motivation, and yes, that includes my knife but that's not what I use it for. If having a knife near you makes you uncomfortable, well... we'll never have to ride together so it won't be an issue. You've taken what I've said, exaggerated it in your mind and judged me for it. At this point I think you're just looking for a reason to be better than me. Maybe you are better than I am, but making assumptions and putting down people in a forum certainly doesn't convince me. But what do I know, I'm just an EMT-Basic afterall.

Now if anyone wants to have a rational, freindly discussion about things job related I'm all ears.

Speaking of the gun, I do hope you had that camera on an auto-timer and were prepared to lose both the camera and whatever stood behind it, or else you were breaking the number one rule of firearm safety. :wink:

But about the substance of all this, look, knives are perfectly fine and useful tools for a variety of chores, but I don't think they have a place on an ambulance. And I say that not because I think I'm better than you or think poorly of you in any way, but because hundreds if not thousands of EMTs and Paramedics manage just fine without knives on their person or in the ambulances. And while lots of things can be used as weapons, a knife is a particularly obvious and dangerous one that adds much more risk than utility. That's my judgement on your choice, not on you.

[NREMT-Basic]

I am not sure what the trouble is here. As MrsRankin said, its not as though she is waiting to used her edged tool to kill someone. As I wrote to her, I used to carry a British Special Services stilletto (about 3.5")in the back of my boot, pimarily so it didnt get in the way and also because a fixed blade weapon tends to make people nervous. I carried it right up until that day it was stolen and will continue to do so when I can find another one.

When I need something with a sharp edge I will use whatever seems most valuable at the time...trauma shears, knives, bandage scissors, anything. I have used a knife to cut down a still alive attempted suicide my hanging, to crib tires by punctuing them at MCIs...the list goes on.

As with a gun, the problem with knives is never the tool itself, its the person using it. If you think they should be left at home and have no place in a rig, dont carry one. In fact, if they make you that nervous, I would suggest that you are not comfortable using an edged tool of any kind and I would suggest that you throw out all your steak knives...i mean arent you worried that you will freak out and kill the neighborhood with it. The only thing here that makes me nervous is that there are people who assume they know MrsRankins motivations and what she is thinking at each moment. This all harkins back to thte badge postings..if she has found a use for that blade and feels it necessary to carry it, its most likley because it doesnt scare her and she is well versed in handling it.

[weasel 108]

HAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA.....whatever happened to Russ, is he still a card holding potart?

Yep :roll: :shock: