PPE for EMS Calls or shorts?

Our department requires that on call firefighters who are wearing shorts when responding to a medical must cover them with either Wildland Gear or Structural gear. Is this an uncommon requirement for the bloodborne pathogens? Or how many departments allow firefighters to wear shorts on alarms?

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Permalink Reply by Chief 29 on December 15, 2008 at 4:27pm

I would have to agree with you 100%. Safety is the key word in this equation.

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Permalink Reply by Brian Dumser on December 15, 2008 at 6:19pm

I'll make it easy for everyone... Don't kneel in bodily fluids!!! :)

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Permalink Reply by Kenneth Holley on December 15, 2008 at 6:44pm

Better to be safe than sorry.

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Permalink Reply by travis kuras on December 15, 2008 at 7:31pm

wow, you guys took that to far

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Permalink Reply by Ben Waller on December 15, 2008 at 7:39pm

No such thing when the overhaul thong is involved.

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Permalink Reply by Chris Gaylord on December 21, 2008 at 3:04am

We're required to wear long pants on all calls...during the day (8-5), everyone's in station uniform except during workout. After 5, the shift guys can change into shorts and t-shirts if they want. If there's a call, they bunker-up.

For EMS, we're also required to wear barrier jackets. That's relatively new...less than a year now.

Back when I was a volly, we were "encouraged" to be in either uniform or bunker pants for all calls, but some guys did respond in jeans or other civilian clothes to medicals (one of our BCs was a priest and would generally show up in his clerical uniform, white collar and all...that sometimes made the patient nervous). Shorts were definitely not allowed though unless you had bunkers or brush pants over them.

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Permalink Reply by titz on December 28, 2008 at 5:43pm

Many of the replies point to the idea that exposed skin is a big no no and can be dangerous and as such shorts are an unsafe and bad idea. When we wear short sleaves we have exposed skin (wrist to elbow), but that is seen as acceptable compared to ankle to knee exposure. Should we be wearing facemasks on every call as well? I only have 2 and a half years on a very busy ambulance but I know I've worked between 2000 and 4000 ems calls. I've yet to see the need for pants on ems runs provided at mvc's and other runs w obvious abrasives, fire crews do the extricating. I'm currently trying to gather info to gain permission to wear shorts on ems runs in the San Antonio Fire Dept. If anyone has any info please let me know. I'm aware FDNY has done a study finding that shorts are perfectly safe to wear, but can't find that report.