I know I am a sub-rookie and all, but I have a major problem with firefighters carrying all kinds of garbage on their helmet bands. I recently saw a new minted LT who had every inch of his helmet band covered with crap, including a pair of trauma sheers with plastic handles. The last time I looked at my trauma sheers, the had a handle that could only withstand autoclave temps up to 280 degrees. It seems to be a sign of expertise to carry all that s*** on your helmet. Thoughts?
Permalink Reply by Hugh on September 14, 2008 at 3:22am
Mike you may want to carry some different size wood chalks in order to prop doors open or to shut down a sprinkler head or two and a crayon to mark the doors that have been searched. Don't go overboard but it does make your job easier if you got to prop a door open fast and go to numerous floors or if you have a person trapped so these little gagets do come in handy see in my station I run Engines,Heavy Rescue with seven extication tool setups and hooked up and are turned on by two switches in the cab as we are arriving on scene of the accident thats how we designed the truck,105 ft rearmount aerial and a squad and a hi-ex foam truck used for the application of hi-ex foam with 25-50-100ft sections of tubing to ventilate or put the application of foam down in a building with numerous floors we find it easier to ventilate the building and faster and the home or business is back in operation for business along with two medic units in our station. Hi-Ex Foam smothers a fire like dish detergent but we carry it in 5 gallon containers and we have two to three 55 gallon drums on hand if needed. Great for hospitals or hotels or expensive homes or businesses or office buildings.Hope I helped you Brother. Hugh Fawcett 57 House Irwin, PA
Permalink Reply by Hugh on September 14, 2008 at 3:41am
Zach I think you mean just the opposite with carrying those small gagets on your helmet like wood chalks to prop open doors and to shut off a sprinkler or two because thats for interior firefighters now high ranking Officers don't have to carry all those gagets on their helmet most of the time a high ranking officer does not have to enter the structure if he has his other officers trained properly along with their firefighters. If you don't take some advice if you get into a good ripper than make sure that you are with that firefighter that has those small gagets on his helmet because you may find it may save your life some day..... Just a Veteran Firefighter of thirty years. Hugh Fawcett 57 House Irwin,PA
Well ,I guess I might as well give my 3 cents worth . My opinion is as long as it is a life saving device ie a flashlight made for the helmet,It is o.k.. The front or side safety decals are o.k. if they are associated with fire .These skull and cross bones or other items are not good for our image.A good reflective decal helps if you are down and they need to find you.Nothing else should be on. Good luck to all.Be safe.God Bless.
Why are you worried about sheers, has no one melted a Garity before but me. That was the flashlight to have and everyone wanted on, Heck I still have one its reliable unlike some of the new gadgets. Wooden wedges are still used. Get over it, and let it go. Maybe insted of posting a blog ILDisasterEMT should ask his LT why he caries what he caries and why, you may learn something.
Ron
Some of u may know this some of u may not, but the inertube section used to carry chocks, and sometimes everything else is a tool itself. It is ment to be able to us as a door strap, to keep doors from latching behind you. Place it on the doorknob, pull and twist it over the latch, then around the other doorknob. There for it should not be placed behind a leather company shield/front, due to the fact it would be hard to access. Personaly i carry one wood door chalk in it, If we respond to a highrise where I might need more, we will have a highrise kit with us that has got some more. Otherwise my job is to operate the bail, not trauma Shears or a flash light, more than likley I wont be able to see anything even with a flash light.