CPDG23 said:
It's scary how similar our set ups are. Almost exact. :thumbsup:
You have good taste
I forgot to mention the trauma shears I keep in the tool pocket and the jacket pocket.
In any case, it's a bunch of stuff that's not that heavy nor bulky and has a whole lot of utility.
The method behind my "walking toolbox" madness (as some here might say):
Spanner tools:
If I'm engineering, while I have spanners all over the apparatus it's sometimes faster to grab my own. Once things have stabilized and I'm flowing what I'm flowing with a supply, I'll chase lines for kinks and leaks. Leaks + -20 weather = ice rink. If I'm not engineering, I'm not near apparatus most of the time so having my own tools on-hand means I can take care of stuff.
Both have glass punch points, one will cut anything you can fit in it, there's a seat belt cutter on the res-q, and a gas valve notch. The Res-q's issued to everyone once you pass basic class, the Channelock tool was given to me but is an issued tool on occasion as well.
Helmet light's issued as is the angle head light. Both are stupid bright, both have great battery life but given my experience with battery powered devices, I carry spares. I'll wait to swap batteries during rehab though, not like I'm gonna stop what I'm doing if a light goes out. I keep my radio on a charger at home
I have dual notepads because for
EMS assists/rescue calls that are non MVA, we usually don't bother with our jackets unless it's cold. I'll start a patient history/vitals track while rendering aid... it always throws off the medics who don't really know me because they stay on the
EMS side instead of straddling the fence as a firefighter/medic in our department. That, and with SOF Medical training and being a former NREMT-B as well, nomenclature and equipment is something I know both what, and where it is either on their rigs or my own rig, and how to set it up/use it. That, and having a written time and dosage of meds pushed makes their paperwork easier... just because I can't use some stuff anymore doesn't mean I can't help with it's use. It's also handy to be able to hand off writing material for people in command positions that might not have been prepared or would have to go back to a CV for something.
The cheat sheet in my helmet covers stuff we keep on our cheat sheets on the apparatus, but it's quicker to be able to rattle off lat/long for a specific LZ off that than waiting to find/turn on/get a good 3d position from a GPS. Even if we're not specifically right there, those coords function as a good checkpoint ie "we're a half mile to the east" or whatnot.
The longer length of tubular nylon I got bugged about at one point by my captain (who only carries a strap long enough to use as a hose strap) until I showed her how easy it was to make it work as a double shoulder hose strap, plus a below grade rescue of an unconcious FF (dressed up 250 lb dummy)... then politely challenged her to do both with her little strap. I keep it back fed with the water knot fed in last and flipped into the tool's section of that pocket for ease of grabbing. I'd prefer to do the kneepad webbing trick seen on VentEnterSearch or other places, but our turnouts don't have removable/replaceable kneepads.
Everything is accessible while in full SCBA, the way I set up placement was taking what I thought I could use on basically any scene and laying it on a table. "dressed up" for a full structural response, and then put things where I could actually get them. I carried a little bit of different stuff but as I either got better gear, or found that I didn't use things, I tailored my "loadout" accordingly to what works for the jobs I get.