Make my duty belt LIGHTER! (Please)

[Michael]

Well, 6 pages later we can see how far that went....

That went as far as that 6 pages no one posting here qualifies as new anymore. Congratulations, tng, welcome aboard, and please see Human Resources if you want a running tab of the vacation pay you've earned so far!

[Dustdevil]

I think some have forgotten what this post was all about. I'm not so much bashing anybody for carrying a lot of crap. Carry whatever you feel is necessary. But when you come here complaining about it weighing to much -- literally asking us to lighten your load -- then what do you expect? Of course we're going to tell you that it's too much crap. I honestly cannot think of what possible other answers he was expecting. :?

This is an epidemic here at EMT City. People come here and openly ask for opinions and advice, then they get all bent out of shape when they get it. So then they cop an attitude about it, and those who offered the advice take offence to the attitude, and you end up with what we have here.

Hey, kudos to anybody who comes here and lays it all out there for us to consume and critique. That takes a certain amount of guts in itself. But geeze... communications is a two-way street, kids! This is a forum for intelligent snf productive discussion, not a pep-rally for cheerleaders to pat each other on the back for being an EMT. Anybody that can't take the comparatively mild heat of this forum is simply not going to make it as a good medic.

As for the three terror attacks, I think that just proves my point. You're obviously not as popular as you think you are in NYC. :wink:

[WANTYNU]

I haven't really followed the thread. ... Hence, I'll refer back to the first post.

flash light: Front breast pocket works great.

sheers, knife / multi tool: individual holsters. The multi tool can go on the hip while the sheets goes in the small of your back.

metal O2 wrench (plastic just sucks): put on key ring, attach to keys [at my old company, the unit O2 wrench was attached to the key to the ambulance]

keys: front pants pocket or breast pocket

glove case: Lose glove case, put gloves in front pocket. The "cell phone pocket" on Dickies (R thigh pocket) works well too.

phone… Front breast pocket. Put on vibrate and you'll feel it (I always had problems for some reason when it was in my pants pocket, especially the "cell phone pocket."

window punch: front pants pocket, front breast pocket, one of the bags you have to carry. Pick one and be happy.

This is, of course, assuming that you HAVE to carry all those things. You honestly don't need most of the belt clip things, and to be honest, most of those have no comparison to the rest of the stuff you "have" to carry on every call.

Ok, WOW, I go away and all hell breaks loose,

I guess I’ll join in the fray as it seems everyone else has.

Dust, You’re a really smart guy, Your post on the pay thread stopped me in my tracks, and that other RT Medic, outstanding points, delivered with insight and perspective, then you go say the thing against NY’RS and it just blows apart your creditability.

Hey I’m from NYC and you managed to raise my ire some .

You carry a sharp sword in that head of yours, try using it a little more judiciously (is the middle east justice system influencing you a bit?!?) . You have a very acid wit no doubt; maybe a little less heat in your posts, might provoke a little less resentment, and get people to listen more.

Hey, just a little advice, use it if you want to, its’ worth every penny you paid for it…

(and I'll still read your posts, I don't really think dislike New Yorker's as much as you come off appearing too in your posts.)

So back to this post.

Not everyone here in the Big Apple is a whacker, and as has been pointed out, most do carry duty belts; so maybe, just maybe there’s something to that.

I have followed this thread from the beginning, and although I don’t feel NTG has behaved that entirely well, I think we can agree he got bashed a bit.

I wear a duty belt, I find it handy and very convenient, remember up here we sit in the bus ALL SHIFT, so it’s nice to take it off, and relax, and all you need for a job is a quick snap and you’re good to go.

I also don’t carry a TON of stuff but I do carry the following:

My domestic leash oh, I mean my cell phone,

Hazmat pager,

Key ring holder and keys,

Benchmade Rescue Hook which has a nice flat belt holder and weighs nothing (I just don’t like how quick it gets dull), great for donor cycle leathers.

A nylon radio holder with attached side pocket in which I keep”

• A mini drug reference / protocol quick reference, from EMS-Safety.com

Shears, (hate anything in the small of my back)

Plastic umbilical clamp (good for holding an IV bag on a carry down),

Streamlight duel LED/REG flashlight ($25 on Amazon), Small bright and light.

Shove knife (the only tool for opening simple doors real easy), (1 oz)

Black sharpie marker,

And a great (if I do say so myself), O2 Wrench {yes OK one of mine!}

(All this fits nicely in the radio holder),

A NYLON glove pouch, A word on that, a couple of people forgo glove pouches for pockets, that’s a mistake, the gloves we wear are for our protection, (MRSA is out there folks) not the patients, they’re made of thin rubber (or nitrile), think about something else made from thin rubber, would you stick one of those in your pocket (unwrapped) and then use it later? (not unless you wanted to be called mommy or daddy…)

Utility gloves with Kevlar palms in back pocket,

A spiderco spiderwrench multi tool which clips to the inside of my front pocket, no case needed.

A pen in my shirt pocket.

I hate putting stuff in thigh pockets, so I don’t use them.

This sounds like a lot, but it really doesn’t weight that much (maybe 3 lbs with radio?)

I find this covers all my needs and I even switched to lithium batteries (thanks for the tip) to lighten up a little more.

AND yes I HAVE HONESTLY used everything I carry at one time or another.

Notice, No window punch, they belong in a machine shop not on an ambulance, as Spenac so aptly pointed out, breaking a window is not rocket science.

Well there is my two cents worth.

Best to all

WANTYNU

OH and PS please don’t joke about terrorism, I hope it NEVER comes to your city, or for that matter this country again.

[spenac]

My domestic leash oh, I mean my cell phone,

Domestic brought to mind a point to ponder, If I hit my wife with an imported beer is it still domestic violence?

and before I am jumped all over I do not support domestic violence just hope to help end this post that I have been accused of helping turn nasty, for which if I did I am sorry.

[CBEMT]

This is an epidemic here at EMT City. People come here and openly ask for opinions and advice, then they get all bent out of shape when they get it.

I think the epidemic is the hostile, uppity, "If you don't agree with me you suck" manner in which people tend to get the answers to their questions.

But that's just me.

[tskstorm]

I would like to point out, redistributing everything from your belt to pockets is not lightening the load. simply making my pockets larger. (target at a few people who keep saying put things in your pockets.

Now, also I would like to say. I hate things in my pockets, they annoy me, and when crawling in the back of a car in an mva, or into a cluttered garbaged fill project apartment I don't need things all over my person. If for nothing else it makes me feel heat quicker, and I lose my head when not attached searching for things in my pocket drives me nuts. Not that a belt makes this much better BUT I can remove a belt and toss it aside(although I do not have a belt, I support the idea)

[AnthonyM83]

There does seem to be a lot "my opinion is THE way things should be" mindset around here....that I have to agree with...

[WANTYNU]

and before I am jumped all over I do not support domestic violence just hope to help end this post that I have been accused of helping turn nasty, for which if I did I am sorry.

Hey Spenac, I still like you, besides you've got noting to apologize for. I think this post underlines a bigger problem with EMS in general.

NO NOT DUTY BELTS (before some one here starts)

How we as a group handle little things.

If this is how we do it, how are supposed to unite across the country, and gain respect from the public?

Too serious??

Maybe I should have just kept this post light...

[Scaramedic]

I would like to nominate this thread for the "Longest thread to never come to a sensible conclusion" award.

Congrats to all, let the party begin!!!!

Peace,

Marty

[EMS Solutions]

Thats funny Marty

I second the nomination - All in favor??