Make my duty belt LIGHTER! (Please)

[WANTYNU]

I think the question should be how much are you willing to pay?

Taking a page from the ultralight campers book:

Low Weight / Low Cost / Durability

You can choose any two.

[p3medic]

I'd say that the majority of people I work with wear a belt. I used to but have gotten away from it. Most carry a holster for shears, penlight, etc, also a cuff case, radio and pager, and a flashlight of some sort. Most of my crap goes in my cargo pockets, scope, gloves, phone. My radio and a light is the only thing on my belt. I carry an o2 wrench because they always disappear, i keep it on the key ring with the drug keys in my pocket. I've been guilty of running light on some calls, but if i'm going in the projects or high in another bldg, everything goes...I've been treating the seizure patient only to have someone drop in vf....be prepared.

[CBEMT]

Know a guy who used to work for Austin... If they weren't within direct line of sight with the ambulance, the monitor had to go with them. No exceptions.

[Dustdevil]

Ounces are pounds… at the end of the day I feel like rocks are tied to me.

Just curious what you're weighing in at these days.

You've made it clear that you are not willing to part with any of this useless crap, so perhaps the answer lies in simply getting yourself into better shape, and possibly losing a few of your own pounds.

Fixing light bars - Fleet maintenance's job. Aren't you union there? Is doing their job allowed? Are the mechanics allowed to start IV's? Don't you think that if the city really wanted you to be performing mechanical maintenance on their fleet, they would put it in your job description and issue you the proper tools to do so?

Window punching - Firemonkey's job. Let them do it. Do one thing and do it well.

Keys - How many keys are you carrying? For what? If it's bothering you, it's probably too many.

Oxygen key - If they grow legs, that's the city's problem, not yours. Put the truck out of service until those responsible have stocked the truck appropriately. It doesn't sound like they pay you enough to be supplying items that the city should be supplying. This is kind of like the anti-volunteer argument. So long as people are stupid enough to buy the city's equipment for them, the city will never step up and take care of the problem themselves.

Cellphone -- If you're really making 20 runs a shift, when the heck are you finding time to make or receive phone calls? You can't answer it on a run. Leave it in the truck. But at least listing it qualifies the thread for the "High Tech" category.

The city didn't issue you any of this stuff, including the belt I would bet. Hmmm... I wonder what that could possibly mean? Maybe that they don't think it is essential to your job? That would be correct. You're trying to hide behind all this nonsense about "standard of care" and "DOH regulations" when the truth is that you carry all this stuff simply because you want to. If you want to, that's cool. I carry a camera on my belt because I want to. But at least I admit that it is only because I want to. And I don't blame it on "the man" and whine about how heavy it is.

Those who say this bat-whacker belt thing is strictly a rookie phenomenon are wrong. It's also a Northeast phenomenon. Despite the protestations that the urban environment makes it necessary, you see the suburban and rural medics in NYS doing the same thing. It's just monkey see - monkey do.

[WendyT]

I didn't mean to give the idea that I was completely lost, as I said before I am just fishing for some new ideas, looking for lighter equipment: says NYcntg

And Dust you obviously didnt read that one correctly. They said fishing for NEW IDEAS! :wink:

[Medic349]

We aren't allowed to wear trauma pants at the company I work for. I have managed to get by with just a key ring, cell phone, pager and radio on my belt. I keep a flash light in the ambulance and a penlight in my pocket. My sheers are tucked in the side of my boot.

I have seen holders that go on the back of the belt that hold sheers and a mini-mag light. Those look pretty neat.

[KMAC]

Just curious what you're weighing in at these days.

You've made it clear that you are not willing to part with any of this useless crap, so perhaps the answer lies in simply getting yourself into better shape, and possibly losing a few of your own pounds.

Fixing light bars - Fleet maintenance's job. Aren't you union there? Is doing their job allowed? Are the mechanics allowed to start IV's? Don't you think that if the city really wanted you to be performing mechanical maintenance on their fleet, they would put it in your job description and issue you the proper tools to do so?

Window punching - Firemonkey's job. Let them do it. Do one thing and do it well.

Keys - How many keys are you carrying? For what? If it's bothering you, it's probably too many.

Oxygen key - If they grow legs, that's the city's problem, not yours. Put the truck out of service until those responsible have stocked the truck appropriately. It doesn't sound like they pay you enough to be supplying items that the city should be supplying. This is kind of like the anti-volunteer argument. So long as people are stupid enough to buy the city's equipment for them, the city will never step up and take care of the problem themselves.

Cellphone -- If you're really making 20 runs a shift, when the heck are you finding time to make or receive phone calls? You can't answer it on a run. Leave it in the truck. But at least listing it qualifies the thread for the "High Tech" category.

The city didn't issue you any of this stuff, including the belt I would bet. Hmmm... I wonder what that could possibly mean? Maybe that they don't think it is essential to your job? That would be correct. You're trying to hide behind all this nonsense about "standard of care" and "DOH regulations" when the truth is that you carry all this stuff simply because you want to. If you want to, that's cool. I carry a camera on my belt because I want to. But at least I admit that it is only because I want to. And I don't blame it on "the man" and whine about how heavy it is.

Those who say this bat-whacker belt thing is strictly a rookie phenomenon are wrong. It's also a Northeast phenomenon. Despite the protestations that the urban environment makes it necessary, you see the suburban and rural medics in NYS doing the same thing. It's just monkey see - monkey do.

Ok i usually agree with your views, but i must protest a few in this case. I also work for a very urban EMS setting. I to wear a belt with a holster similar to a trauma pro with my radio, ACLS guide book, bandage shears (not to be confused with trauma shears) o2 wrench and a pen or 2. then my glove pouch, then a pair of leather gloves, and a flashlight. the trauma shears are on the small of my back. Anyway, fixing lightbars, fleet repairs take days, not hours, and the reserve trucks are death traps, i would rather replace a lightbulb or unstick a motor, or replace a lens (we have spares of all of them at the house) then take it to the shop have it sit there in the pool for a few days before they get to fixing it and work in a deathtrap in the mean time. Window punch: it hasent happened to me, but it has happened in my community of EMS where EMS has arrived on scene to find an MVA w/ injuries and fire in the engine compartment. Door is T-boned on one side and against a guard rail on the other. how do you get the victim out before the flames spread through the firewall? common, no, possible? yes. i would really rather not wait for the FD to get dispatched, get going, have me talking on a different radio to try to guide them in while i have a screaming pt. with fire inches from them..sorry, i would rather carry the 8oz tool...keys: just work keys alone, truck key, cabinet keys, o2 cage key, door keys for 5 different stations that i can be pulled to sit at, locker key get the idea? 02 wrench...like everyone says, they walk. deal with it. carry one. (i also use my multitool, it works to) cellphone: to call the tour chief, the hospitals, people on the other trucks, these are nessesary people i have to contact and the radio isnt to be used for things of that nature. medical control...cell phone...yeah. just because you dont see a need for it in your enviornment doenst mean there isnt a need for it in someone else's . also a few posts back i saw someone say if there isnt a direct LOS to the truck the monitor goes in..that is the case here as well, along with the drugs.

[spenac]

Since so many of you are required to carry so much gear, I really recommend the construction suspender belt system I posted on emtcity.

[Dustdevil]

...the trauma shears are on the small of my back.

I tried that with the Big Shears. Works fine if you are standing up all day. Sucks arse if you have to sit down at any point during your shift. Especially if you are driving. I ditched that idea real fast.

Anyway, fixing lightbars, fleet repairs take days, not hours, and the reserve trucks are death traps, i would rather replace a lightbulb or unstick a motor, or replace a lens (we have spares of all of them at the house) then take it to the shop have it sit there in the pool for a few days...

Sounds like your fleet maintenance department needs to get their shyte together. As long as you keep doing their job for them, they won't. Dude, your mechanics don't even carry all that crap on their belts, and it's their job to use them! Why would you, a medic, carry all that crap just in case the occasional light bulb burns out? If you feel the overwhelming urge to do their job for them, why can't you at least leave the tools in the truck instead of lugging them around on your belt all day long? And who cares if one light bulb burns out? Do you only have one bulb on your entire ambulance?

Door is T-boned on one side and against a guard rail on the other. how do you get the victim out before the flames spread through the firewall?

Glass wasn't broken by the t-boning? That's pretty rare. Regardless, I would suspect you could easily break glass just with that ten pound keyring you carry. Why carry an extra tool for it?

02 wrench...like everyone says, they walk. deal with it.

And it is obvious where they are walking to. They're are walking into the pockets of all the wankers and rookies in your agency. Are you honestly going to tell me you went out and purchased your own O[sub:cb78bf8300]2[/sub:cb78bf8300] wrench? Puhleeze. If you did, that puts you in the whacker elite. I bet if the agency started buying bright pink wrenches with their name engraved on them, they wouldn't walk off anymore, just like scrub suits in the hospitals.

cellphone: to call the tour chief, the hospitals, people on the other trucks, these are nessesary people i have to contact and the radio isnt to be used for things of that nature. medical control...cell phone...yeah. just because you dont see a need for it in your enviornment doenst mean there isnt a need for it in someone else's.

Does your agency require you to provide your own personal cellphone for these business related communications? Is this in writing? If not, screw them. Tour chief wants to talk to me? He can wait til I find a free phone. I am not using my minutes or a quarter in the payphone to conduct city business. Again, give it away for free, and they will never step up and take care of business.

Again, I've seen what goes on in New York. Monkey see, monkey do. All the other guys are wearing wanker belts, so that's what every other rookie does too. Funny how a couple states south or north of you, the medics don't wear all that crap, yet they seem to function just fine. Los Angeles is just as urban as any town you've ever worked in, yet they don't wear all that crap. In fact, I still see absolutely no correlation between being in an urban system and the need to carry a lot of extra crap. I've worked in some pretty rural systems, and they all had light bars and oxygen tanks too. So what's the big difference?

[Ridryder 911]

Again, I've seen what goes on in New York. Monkey see, monkey do. All the other guys are wearing wanker belts, so that's what every other rookie does too. Funny how a couple states south or north of you, the medics don't wear all that crap, yet they seem to function just fine. Los Angeles is just as urban as any town you've ever worked in, yet they don't wear all that crap. In fact, I still see absolutely no correlation between being in an urban system and the need to carry a lot of extra crap. I've worked in some pretty rural systems, and they all had light bars and oxygen tanks too. So what's the big difference?

That's the point. An EMS is call is an EMS call, no matter where it is. Like you described, I too have been in rural America where there is NO F.D., or any other rescuers for literally 40+ miles, or worked metro; 15 stories up in an apartment building; and never seen the need to carry such crap. Sorry, if my units are not that prepared to respond, either I deal with it, or they go to the shop! How much crap do you need to run a medical call or even a trauma call?

The same with oxygen keys... chain the damn thing to the regulator! Yet, after thirty years of working MVC (yes, we have low & high speed impacts here as well) I have ever needed a window punch! Our trucks are required to carry some form of rescue tool, type axe, gloves, even a tool box. In which that is where it belongs. Your F.D does not respond with you?

If I wanted to look and walk around like a Maytag repairman or a lineman, I would had done that. Even they don't wear all that crap all the time. Seriously, if you are using your pliers more than once a week.. what are you doing on a call? My job is patient care, let the fire guys deal with removal of doors, disassembling things, that is what they are there for. It gives them something to do.

I agree, it must be a N.E. thing. We make fun of anyone with more than a key ring and a radio on them. Just how many pair of scissors does it require to remove clothing? So far I have seen trauma sheers cut through any clothing the I have encountered, even the clothes of patients that came from the N.E. :wink:

If you want to jingle and waddle as you walk, then that is your right... I guess. Personally, I already hate the weight of my kit and monitor. I even let F.D. carry that if they will. I will have to lift and carry more than I should already.

R/r 911