When to wear your fireman suit

[STXmedic]

Nope.

We run ambulance and engine to calls that need the extra man power. The two on the ambulance are required to wear regular station uniform and boots. The engine crew can put on turnout bottoms if it's past 10 or they were in the middle of a work out. But they're not allowed into the home unless their boots are clean.

I'm thinking there was some sarcasm in Josh's post... :unsure:

 

[DrParasite]

I don't necessarily know if it's a case of not caring, I'd hazard a guess that it's more a traditions thing. "When we get up in the middle of the night, we wear bunker pants."

Not really. Many departments have implemented protocols that you wear long pants (for protection and professionalism), especially during the non-summer months. But most guys still sleep in shorts.

So when the call goes out at 3am, they don their bunker pants, so you won't see them going on the call in shorts.

I think it boils down to this: if you are a trained firefighter, whose job description includes that of a firefighter, than wear your fire gear when there is a IDLH that warrants thermal protection.

If you aren't a firefighter, or aren't working as a firefighter (as defined as by your employer), than wear the appropriate type of PPE based on the hazard you are facing.

 

[abckidsmom]

Not really. Many departments have implemented protocols that you wear long pants (for protection and professionalism), especially during the non-summer months. But most guys still sleep in shorts.

So when the call goes out at 3am, they don their bunker pants, so you won't see them going on the call in shorts.

I think it boils down to this: if you are a trained firefighter, whose job description includes that of a firefighter, than wear your fire gear when there is a IDLH that warrants thermal protection.

If you aren't a firefighter, or aren't working as a firefighter (as defined as by your employer), than wear the appropriate type of PPE based on the hazard you are facing.

Agreed. It's laziness to put on gear instead of your regular pants when waking up for night calls.

How much longer does it take? I get up, put my pants and boots on, and walk out to the medic unit, marking en route within 2 minutes of dispatch most times.

 

[Craig Alan Evans]

I keep my station pants down around my station boots in the same fashion as my bunker pants when I'm riding the medic unit. That way it's all the same motions just a different ensemble.

 

[STXmedic]

Agreed. It's laziness to put on gear instead of your regular pants when waking up for night calls.

How much longer does it take? I get up, put my pants and boots on, and walk out to the medic unit, marking en route within 2 minutes of dispatch most times.

Yup. I hate taking them off when I'm dead tired, too (mine are borderline too small). I like to put my station boots and pants next to my bunk, folded down just like bunker pants Lol

Edit: For the record, I started writing that before Craig's post went through... Haha

 

[abckidsmom]

I keep my station pants down around my station boots in the same fashion as my bunker pants when I'm riding the medic unit. That way it's all the same motions just a different ensemble.

I eschew wrinkled pants in the ER. Slept in hair is bad enough.

You don't have that problem because of the nomex pants y'all wear.

 

[Akulahawk]

During my internship, I wore 2 different uniforms. One was a two-piece, pants & shirt that I'd wear during the day. Once night-time came around, I'd setup a one-piece jumpsuit so that all I'd have to do is step into the boots, pull the suit on and zip up. It was wrinkle-free, so I never had to worry about that. It looked OK and I was immediately recognizable as a Paramedic Intern. The guys at the station NEVER razzed me about that.

I was lucky enough to intern with a FD that embraced EMS quite fully. Unfortunately, it was also staffed at that time with a bunch of people that were Paramedics but hadn't upgraded their mentality from the EMT-II, so... The EMS system out here is a bit backwards in some ways compared to even the rest of California because of it.

It's really not so much that the guys didn't want to do EMS, it's that they were comfy in their EMT-II status and had to upgrade and the rest of the system kind of allowed the mentality to persist.

 

[NomadicMedic]

You know, the more I hear about paramedicine in Delaware, the more impressed I am. How's the clinical medicine? Progressive?

It's on par with most "advanced" systems. Nothing earth shaking, but certainly not LA County style EMS.

We also wear Nomex flight suits as our daily uniform so we're also quick to dress and relatively wrinkle free.

 

[RUABadfish002]

Agreed. It's laziness to put on gear instead of your regular pants when waking up for night calls.

How much longer does it take? I get up, put my pants and boots on, and walk out to the medic unit, marking en route within 2 minutes of dispatch most times.

2 minutes? You might get left behind.

 

[46Young]

2 minutes? You might get left behind.

Two minutes is a typical night time requirement if you're responding from a station, and you're given a bunk. We had a 30 second requirement in NYC, but we posted on street corners. It would take me about that long to clear the cot in the back that I was sleeping on, and climb back into the front.

It is quicker to throw on bunker pants than it is to put on the uniform pants and shirt. You make up the time by getting out of bed quicker.

Sometimes, if we're responding from PT (from a gym, or running), I may go over the air and say that we're responding from PT, in case we don't make the two minute requirement. I may respond as is, and then throw on my coveralls and shoes at the scene. The engine crew and my partner can grab a few things and run in teahouse while I take 30 seconds to get my clothes on. I'll opt to get dressed at the scene so that we can arrive at the same time (or before) the engine, so that they can grab our stuff rather than theirs.

Arlington Co. medics have it made - they get out of service PT time every day. That would be sweet. I've worked busy units where you try to get it in three times after running calls, getting interrupted 5-10 mins into the workout each time.

 

[STXmedic]

2 minutes? You might get left behind.

For a fire, probably. Do you wake up and run to the apparatus when your standard Sick Person comes in at 3am? If you do, that will soon pass.

 

[46Young]

I eschew wrinkled pants in the ER. Slept in hair is bad enough.

You don't have that problem because of the nomex pants y'all wear.

We've got station shorts like the city has, thanks to our new Fire Chief! We finally got our company shirts authorized again, and they're bringing back the paramedic shirts as well. I ordered three. I think it's important to differentiate BLS providers from ALS providers at a medical scene. As it stands, we all look the same. The patient doesn't know who's who.

 

[chaz90]

We've got station shorts like the city has, thanks to our new Fire Chief! We finally got our company shirts authorized again, and they're bringing back the paramedic shirts as well. I ordered three. I think it's important to differentiate BLS providers from ALS providers at a medical scene. As it stands, we all look the same. The patient doesn't know who's who.

Kind of an aside, but I don't think the patient cares who's who. Each provider on scene can do whatever is in their scope, and as long as the patient is starting to feel better and/or making progress to the hospital, all is well. I think a small marker denoting EMT or Paramedic somewhere on the uniform is plenty to differentiate levels and keep uniformity.

 

[Bullets]

Just to be more specific, as an agency the handles all rescue operations in town and technical rescue for 1/3 of the county, we wear the following on all rescue calls that aren't hazmat.

Daily uniform of BDUs with safety toe boots, steel or composite
Cairns HP3 commando helmet with internal shield
Leather gloves

When providing EMS in hazmat warm zones (we do haztac work) we wear Globe USAR rated flash/splash/slash/BBP ensembles with turnout boots
SCBA and Millennium masks for filters
We also provide major incident rehab for most of the county, and we just wear our uniform, nothing special

 

[RUABadfish002]

For a fire, probably. Do you wake up and run to the apparatus when your standard Sick Person comes in at 3am? If you do, that will soon pass.

I move pretty quickly. I signed up to help people during their emergencies and I'm determined to do just that. I'm not going to make up too much time on our way to the call because I'm more focussed on getting us there safely. I prefer for my crew to be prepared to leave the station as quick as possible though.

 

[46Young]

Kind of an aside, but I don't think the patient cares who's who. Each provider on scene can do whatever is in their scope, and as long as the patient is starting to feel better and/or making progress to the hospital, all is well. I think a small marker denoting EMT or Paramedic somewhere on the uniform is plenty to differentiate levels and keep uniformity.

That was one of the points we used when we were asking for permission to wear company t-shirts and county approved work shorts as an acceptable uniform. During an emergency, the public doesn't care how we look, so long as we're not disheveled, and can be identified as public safety personnel. We dress properly for a public service event, PR event, and building walkthroughs.

 

[Tigger]

I move pretty quickly. I signed up to help people during their emergencies and I'm determined to do just that. I'm not going to make up too much time on our way to the call because I'm more focussed on getting us there safely. I prefer for my crew to be prepared to leave the station as quick as possible though.

The difference to the patient between a three minute and a two minute time chute time is barely going to be noticed by the patient and certainly not by the medicine. All fast chute times encourage is looking disheveled and *for some* riding without a seatbelt while they get dressed.

Heck at night out chute time at my part time place can be five minutes. Take our page, get dressed, figure out which crew has to take it, map it on the big board, take a pee, and then roll out non emergent for all but the most dire sounding calls. When the response time is over a half hour, how fast you get out the door is less of an issue.

 

[46Young]

I move pretty quickly. I signed up to help people during their emergencies and I'm determined to do just that. I'm not going to make up too much time on our way to the call because I'm more focussed on getting us there safely. I prefer for my crew to be prepared to leave the station as quick as possible though.

You're correct that a quicker overall response time can be had by getting out the door quicker, and not by racing to the scene. The two minute en-route requirement is fair, given that people can be responding from a dead sleep, PT, needing to turn off the stove and oven while cooking, going number two, etc. You also have the old timers that stiffen up while asleep, and need to loosen up just to get into their pants. You have people that are working mandatory OT, and may be on the tail end of a busy 48 hour shift, and need to have their bed kicked a few times to get them up.

Normally, during the day, the en-route flex time is typically 30 seconds to a minute if nothing significant is going on like a drill or PT.

Also, regarding your last post, if we're on the ambulance, and you leave me behind, you're going to be responding by yourself. If you're on a suppression piece, you're going against safe staffing standards, as evidenced by the recent NIST studies (which I've participated in).

 

[46Young]

The difference to the patient between a three minute and a two minute time chute time is barely going to be noticed by the patient and certainly not by the medicine. All fast chute times encourage is looking disheveled and *for some* riding without a seatbelt while they get dressed.

Heck at night out chute time at my part time place can be five minutes. Take our page, get dressed, figure out which crew has to take it, map it on the big board, take a pee, and then roll out non emergent for all but the most dire sounding calls. When the response time is over a half hour, how fast you get out the door is less of an issue.

That sounds about right. I can't think of more than a few times where getting to the scene one or two minutes quicker had any impact whatsoever on pt outcome. I've only had five people drop dead in front of me over my 11 year EMS career, and maybe 30 or so cardiac arrests that were truly viable upon arrival (that I can remember), and not with an ambiguous/prolonged down time. Strokes and STEMIs are arguable, but I don't think saving a minute or two of response time is going to change their outcome.

If anything, if your response time averages are too long, that may be a justification for deploying additional units, which helps ease your call volume

 

[RUABadfish002]

You're correct that a quicker overall response time can be had by getting out the door quicker, and not by racing to the scene. The two minute en-route requirement is fair, given that people can be responding from a dead sleep, PT, needing to turn off the stove and oven while cooking, going number two, etc. You also have the old timers that stiffen up while asleep, and need to loosen up just to get into their pants. You have people that are working mandatory OT, and may be on the tail end of a busy 48 hour shift, and need to have their bed kicked a few times to get them up.

Normally, during the day, the en-route flex time is typically 30 seconds to a minute if nothing significant is going on like a drill or PT.

Also, regarding your last post, if we're on the ambulance, and you leave me behind, you're going to be responding by yourself. If you're on a suppression piece, you're going against safe staffing standards, as evidenced by the recent NIST studies (which I've participated in).

Oh I'm not saying that 2 minutes to get out the door is a poor showing in any way, its just not how most officers I know would run things. If the tones go off for something like a downed power line, I will absolutely go take a pee before I get on the rig. Anything else, even a sickness, and I move as quickly as possible.

I wouldn't leave anyone behind, but I know some officers who might. If they had more than enough people to meet minimum staffing and somebody was taking their time, I could see it happening.