Let me ask you about uniforms...

Let's wear the darkest uniform possible and look as tactical as possible. We very rarely work in dark alleys, dark roads, dark clubs or dark rooms so it should not be an issue. We should also look tactical in the event someone tries to be bad, they will know we are badder and second guess their initial thought. Let's also ensure we wear clunky boots and wide utility belts as it definitely compliments the ensemble.To top it off, let's keep who we really are as small as possible and restricted to a small dark based shoulder patch or in small letters on front of uniform.
 
NomadicMedic said:
I agree with almost all of this. Unfortunately, my boss doesn’t like polo shirts. He also doesn’t like job shirts. He approved Blauer polo shirts for summertime wear, but they’re heavy and look just like a class B. Not what we had in mind.
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too many bosses are like this. they don't like something, so it's not permitted. sucks, but they are the boss. If he doesn't like them, than the "internal debate" is a waste of time and energy.
NomadicMedic said:
If it were my decision, we would wear lightweight, breathable polo shirts with a unique color that make us look as unlike police as possible. Maybe royal blue. I also think that we should get away from navy blue pants. Maybe khaki.
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The biggest problem with Khaki / tan pants is they show dirt very easily. kneel in something, sit in something wet, and it shows. the only problem with navy pants is the navy color can vary depending on the manufacturer. Some are darker than others. It's one of the reasons I like black

For the record, I own a batbelt, and wore it when I worked in the city. kept my radio securely attached to me (much moreso than the damn radio clip), sheers and flashlight always within reach, extra gloves in a pouch, and I would pop open two belt keepers and my leather gloves were easily accessible. Great for city work, when we are going on back to back to back calls, not so useful when in the 'burbs or the sticks when there was more downtime, or if I was working an IFT truck or a CCT one.

most of my coworkers wore them, and I found them useful. if you don't like it, you don't have to wear it, no one is forcing you to.
 
Wouldn't black be too ridic stinking hot in the summer?

If you have "AMBULANCE" in big letters it's not very hard to see the difference between police and ambulance personnel.

It would be nice if the shirts had "AMBULANCE" in big letters on the back.
 
AMBULANCE is too long of a word....we should shorten it to its better known version "AmLanz".
 
Nope...in certain parts where I have been, it is clearly "AmLanz". :)
 
NomadicMedic said:
I prefer to have employees comfortable, in a uniform that looks professional, and is immediately recognizable as EMS.
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This shouldn't be nearly so hard, right?

Blue EMS pants (I prefer 5.11, but they offer the $8 types, fine) and a t-shirt underneath either a workshirt (it's winter) or a polo, preferably red or some not-black-or-blue, and black shoes (I think safety toe is still a must) either boot or other.

Also, definitely blue EMS pants - I've already left a pen in the laundry twice, and my pants are forever stained, but only barely noticeably so...
 
It seems so simple, but unfortunately we have lots of people in the field that look like an unmade bed, no matter what they wear.
 
NomadicMedic said:
It seems so simple, but unfortunately we have lots of people in the field that look like an unmade bed, no matter what they wear.
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And that's the rationale used by management to enforce such stringent dress standards... I mean, hey, it's at least rational even if I disagree.
 
Most ambulance services I know of use green (except one or two in Australia). I don't know of any cops who wear green, the ones I've seen all wear blue.

If you want to not look like police constable I suggest green. You will also clearly see the shirts say "AMBULANCE" on the front which is good. If only they said them on the back like in England and Australia too.

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Company supplied shirt, pants, belts, jackets with a laundry service that will dry clean the uniforms and will repair/replace uniforms as needed. Have lockers set up in a room where all of the employees uniforms are hung up by the cleaning service. This has worked well for us once we got initial issues with the laundry service sorted out. If everything is company supplied and cleaned the only thing left to the employees is to make sure their boots are cleaned/polished.

Or have finely established policies on uniforms and strictly enforce the policy.

No matter what you do people are going to complain.
 
DesertMedic66 said:
Company supplied shirt, pants, belts, jackets with a laundry service that will dry clean the uniforms and will repair/replace uniforms as needed. Have lockers set up in a room where all of the employees uniforms are hung up by the cleaning service. This has worked well for us once we got initial issues with the laundry service sorted out. If everything is company supplied and cleaned the only thing left to the employees is to make sure their boots are cleaned/polished.
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That is a neat idea, it is in effect what the hospitals do; staff are supplied their clinical dress by a centralised process.

For Ambulance I suppose that could work; provided of course staff all started and finished in a central location. In a city or large urban area that could work very well; for example if you use the hub-and-spoke model. I'm not so sure about if there were more outlying stations. The problem of course even with this idea is if your uniform gets dirty you have to go back to the central hub to replace it, unless of course you draw a spare from stores at the start of your shift.
 
SpecialK said:
That is a neat idea, it is in effect what the hospitals do; staff are supplied their clinical dress by a centralised process.

For Ambulance I suppose that could work; provided of course staff all started and finished in a central location. In a city or large urban area that could work very well; for example if you use the hub-and-spoke model. I'm not so sure about if there were more outlying stations. The problem of course even with this idea is if your uniform gets dirty you have to go back to the central hub to replace it, unless of course you draw a spare from stores at the start of your shift.
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We have been doing it at my ambulance job for well over a year with it working pretty well. Full time employees are issued I believe 7 full uniforms. We all have lockers where the clean uniforms are left by the company. We are pretty much centralized but do have some outlying stations.
 
NomadicMedic said:
It seems so simple, but unfortunately we have lots of people in the field that look like an unmade bed, no matter what they wear.
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Part of that is likely due to the material of the uniform, if it wrinkles easily (which is management's fault, since they chose the materiel), and part of that is due to lack of ability (such as I, who doesn't own an iron), which is the employees fault. Or they simply don't take pride in their appearance, because management doesn't enforce the uniform policy of a clean polished imaged (which is a two fold issues).

Although I really do like what happens @DesertMedic66 agency... any ideas on how much that costs, and if it would be feasible to do at a smaller organization?
 
DrParasite said:
Part of that is likely due to the material of the uniform, if it wrinkles easily (which is management's fault, since they chose the materiel), and part of that is due to lack of ability (such as I, who doesn't own an iron), which is the employees fault. Or they simply don't take pride in their appearance, because management doesn't enforce the uniform policy of a clean polished imaged (which is a two fold issues).

Although I really do like what happens @DesertMedic66 agency... any ideas on how much that costs, and if it would be feasible to do at a smaller organization?
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Could likely be set up with a local dry cleaner quite easily.
 
of course a local dry cleaner can do it.... the real question is could it be done for a low enough cost on a small enough scale and still be an affordable option for a small EMS agency
 
PT ambulance gig see DesertMedic66's post above.

Full time FD gig I have to purchase my own uniforms. We get an allowance of $1,300? $1,500? I forget the exact amount. How much you decide to buy is up to you. We wear Workrite nomex blend class B shirts and pants. T-shirts are a cotton no melt blend. Boots have to be black and polishable. Policy states when in view of the public not on emergency calls we need to be in class B's. Depending on the area you work in this policy is either strictly enforced or more lax. Personally I'm a t-shirt kinda guy, but being new still I'm almost always in my class B. It's whatever, I could personally care less.

From my experience working in hot climates my PT ambulance gig has polyester class B's that we wear. Personally between poly or nomex I much prefer nomex, I find it cooler and more breathable. The flip side is that its way more expensive and not really necessary for a private ambulance company. If I could have the option to rock a t-shirt all the time at my PT gig I would, but as it is we are allowed to wear t-shirts in the summer months and class B's in the winter.
 
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