How do you carry your radio?

[duffy87]

I was recently involved in a call where a random suspect tried to steal the ambulance while i was in the drivers seat. During the scuffle with him me and my partner, My radio which was clipped on my belt was dislodged under the ambulance. Which forced me to run from the dispute to the cab and make emergency traffic.

Im curious how you guys/gals wear yours and what is taboo as far the devices holding your radio.

I currently use a web belt with a cheesy velcro holder, but i also own a "fireman's" radio strap for my volunteer FF duties, and am hesitant to use it while i work on the ambulance.

Is it an unspoken law that you cannot wear the strap while working the ambulance?

Im curious to know!

The "fireman's" Strap

Traditional hip holster

 

[cookiexd40]

no un-written law....just dont let a pt get a hold of that strap while its around you neck....we have leather clip things that go on our belt and the radio has to be turned upside down to take the radio off or put it on...when the radio is turned right side up its not comin off at all....hmm sounds confusing i may see if i can fidn a picture

 

[fortsmithman]

I use a swivel radio holder from Motorola with it you have to turn radio upside down to remove radio.

 

[HotelCo]

I used an Uncle Mikes universal holder, when I was involved with another profession. As the other said, you have to turn it upside down to remove it. It works pretty well. On the ambulance (as a student) I don't carry the radio too much, but when I do I just clip it on my belt.

 

[Hal9000]

Clipped to the belt.

Some people at one service I have were issued the corded extension mics that go by the collar. They work, but I can't see any advantage. I was given one but don't use it and it isn't required.

Anyway, clipped to the belt for me. I don't use a holster, but I haven't ever had my radio or pager fall off, either.

 

[Jon]

It depends on the culture of your area. Around me, radio straps are OK. I keep one in my locker at the squad, and I'll use it sometimes. Otherwise I just clip the radio to my belt, but only when I get out of the truck for a call. We don't carry the radio around all day, just on scenes.

 

[pfmedic]

I dont.

We have three radio systems on our trucks that must be used to cover the whole county. To help with that problem we have an expensive MACom portable that does it all. I hear they cost thousands of dollars... so one to a truck. We have motorolas they will talk on the med channels only, but I usually cant find one when I get to work. My partner simply must have a radio, so I do without.

In the winter I use a radio harness like NYFD so I can keep my jacket where I want it; over my belt and closed. In the summer i put it on my belt like everyone else I suppose.

 

[jtb_E10]

Clipped on my belt...sometimes with a public safety speaker mic attached so I dont have to remove to talk on it...we dont have mobiles in our trucks for our 800mhz system...

 

[Medic744]

Clipped to my belt in the back. My belt is wide enough to hold it in place and our spiffy old school radios have an orange button on top that if anything goes wrong we hit it and help comes running, at least I think it works, LOL

 

[medichopeful]

Clipped to my belt in the back. My belt is wide enough to hold it in place and our spiffy old school radios have an orange button on top that if anything goes wrong we hit it and help comes running, at least I think it works, LOL

Hopefully you never have to see if it does. But you might want to have a sanctioned test of it at some point.

You keep your radio in the back? Isn't that uncomfortable when you are sitting down? Or do you take it off when sitting?

 

[Medic744]

Take it off when I sit down. PD usually makes all of our scenes anyway so they are there if something goes down. The button works, I accidentally hit it the other night in the dark trying to turn the volume on my radio up.

 

[medichopeful]

Take it off when I sit down. PD usually makes all of our scenes anyway so they are there if something goes down. The button works, I accidentally hit it the other night in the dark trying to turn the volume on my radio up.

How did that turn out

 

[Medic744]

A phone call from my friend in dispatch asking if I had a nightmare and needed someone to cuddle with!

 

[WuLabsWuTecH]

ours are huge. I put it in my back pocket when standing. Usually just have it in my left hand until we get dispatched. We get dispatched on 2 or 3 frequencies so we each carry a radio tuned to a different frequency. Who ever's radio goes off ahnd his to the officer in charge or the charge medic and the rest of the radios get marked out of service and tossed aside (or tuned to the active frequency as needed) until the call is over.

 

[NJN]

I'll wear a radio strap occasionally (i think i'm going to wear it tomorrow), sometimes i will have my radio on my belt, some times i will carry it in a pocket if i don't have the speaker mic, sometimes i have a really whackerish partner who will loan me an earwig setup which lands the radio back on the belt.


Its all about what is comfortable to you and allows you to do your job most efficiently.

 

[EMT007]

I use a pretty standard leather basket-style holder like many of the ones posted on here already (mine doesn't have a retention strap or anything which hasn't been an issue, but I can see how it might be a decent idea).

I also use one of these "tactical" lapel microphone and earpiece systems:

These things are great and I highly recommend them - Unlike many of my partners, I never miss radio traffic (and the little pink earpieces in the picture allow you to still hear all ambient noises from the ear with the earpiece), and the lapel microphone is very convenient and sensitive. And with this type of system, your radio is hard-wired to you in a way, so it is far less likely to be removed from its holster unintentionally or forgotten at a table or whatever.

Downsides - you have to take the earpiece out (and miss radio traffic) while you take BPs.

 

[WuLabsWuTecH]

I use a pretty standard leather basket-style holder like many of the ones posted on here already (mine doesn't have a retention strap or anything which hasn't been an issue, but I can see how it might be a decent idea).

I also use one of these "tactical" lapel microphone and earpiece systems:

These things are great and I highly recommend them - Unlike many of my partners, I never miss radio traffic (and the little pink earpieces in the picture allow you to still hear all ambient noises from the ear with the earpiece), and the lapel microphone is very convenient and sensitive. And with this type of system, your radio is hard-wired to you in a way, so it is far less likely to be removed from its holster unintentionally or forgotten at a table or whatever.

Downsides - you have to take the earpiece out (and miss radio traffic) while you take BPs.

I'm trying to figure out why you need your radio after the patient is already on your rig and you are still getting vitals so haven't contacted the hospital yet...

 

[TransportJockey]

Radio gets clipped to my belt with the clip that's already on the radio

 

[EMT007]

I'm trying to figure out why you need your radio after the patient is already on your rig and you are still getting vitals so haven't contacted the hospital yet...

We never contact the receiving hospital (or base station for that matter) - everything is based on standing protocols set by our medical director.

And you should always have your radio on you, no matter where you are or what stage of a medical aid call you are in. Never know when another unit or dispatch might need to get ahold of you (and vice versa).

 

[TransportJockey]

We never contact the receiving hospital (or base station for that matter) - everything is based on standing protocols set by our medical director.

And you should always have your radio on you, no matter where you are or what stage of a medical aid call you are in. Never know when another unit or dispatch might need to get ahold of you (and vice versa).

But if you are already in the truck, you should have the radios that are in the cab that you can grab