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Garbage on helmet bands
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?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Joel C Kelley on
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Dude, I think the original author was trying to learn from us, and calling him down for asking is not going to help him learn, or make him a better firefighter.
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Permalink Reply by Ralph Long on
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Well I could see chocks, knife, and light. Trauma sheers no. Chocks and knife are much easier to get to on helmet then in pocket at times.
Stickers on the helmet i see no problem with them. Because I'm one that will wear my shamrock stickers, which mind you are NFPA approved, All the stickers that we have on our helmets are NFPA standard ones, We have our specialty stickers IE Extrication hurst, Haz mat. Rit, Oh and lets not forget SCBA Respiratory certified without that you don't wear an SCBA ( no interior) .
I do agree most stuff should be in turnout pockets but not to over do it because over stuffing your pockets will get you hung up also.
But my Department members that do carry things on their helmets do not over do it.
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This is true. Would be consider $14,000.00 Garbage. LOL
I didn't think of the TIC mounted on the helmet and i just got one. LOL
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Sounded to me like el subrookie was trying to learn from senior personnel, not to bust anyone's chops. It is, you will agree, a safety issue, and one that fresh fish should be well instructed on, so rather than calling down the rookie, let's teach, so we don't lose any more firefighters in the line of duty.
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Permalink Reply by josh slagel on
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My view on this subject is its his helmet let him do what he wants with it i own my helmet and i carry two door chalks and a light .
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Permalink Reply by Jack Booth on
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I know how you feel. I watch Firefighters in my department (some of them are even officers) and they have all kinds of crap on their helmet, all laced through their helmet band. I even have a Lieutenant that carries his gloves through his chin strap that is wrapped around the back of his "Lid". It just depends on what they are used to responding to the most... or what their norm is. The Lieutenant that I just spoke about is a EMS guru... which their is nothing wrong with that (I love working in EMS also)... but some of our brothers and sisters have to realize that even though they are all EMS, but no fire... they might have to work and act as both Fire and EMS. I know that most people are either one or the other... Fire or EMS, but you have to adapt to both worlds... and "dress out" your gear that will compliment both. Trauma shears do not belong in your helmet band, nor do gloves... I don't even like to really put a flashlight their... but I have one. If you have a bunch of crap laced through your helmet band... then you are creating a better chance for you to get intangled during a structure fire. Just keep the bare essentials that you need on your "Lid". All everyone needs is a couple of "door chocks" and maybe a flashlight. Like I said... it's all personal preference. Your opinion may differ from mine... and both of our opinions will probably differ from the next person. It's just whatever works best for you. Please take care of yourself and stay safe.
Jack
FTM - PTB
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Permalink Reply by Mark Bernas on
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I carry one door stopper on my lid, because it conveniently nestles behind my shield with a hook I can snag with gloved hands. I always felt like this was a matter of personal preference, but it does seem to me that your young LT has gone rather overboard.
Common sense ought to dictate to each firefighter what can safely/sensibly be "stored" on the helmet. If not, departmental policy ought to step in and settle the issue. Helmets aren't designed to be storage racks, nor billboards to advertise how equipped you are.
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Using this logic, you'd say the same things about wearing seatbelts on apparatus. It's his ass, so if he doesn't want to wear it, fine.... they're his hands, so if he doesn't want to wear gloves, fine.... they're his lungs, so if he wants to not wear SCBA in a smoky environment.... you get the picture. There's no place for that in the fire service.
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Permalink Reply by Michael Reinbeck Jr. on
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Less is more, only important things should be mounted on your helmet. (A flashlight, Wedges/Cherry Bombs, and a Cutting Tool.) That is more than enough stuff on a helmet anything else and you have to consider entanglement hazards.
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Siren, I gotta disagree on tis one. I said before that all rookies should have this much safety consciousness. It just doesn't take a physicist to figure out that tons of baubles on our helmets make us LESS safe. In an industry where risk is written into the job, we should minimize the amount of risk we assume. I have rethought my helmet as a result of this forum and stripped down to just my stickers. In this case, I think rookie was right! I for one am not abouve having my life improved by a rookie with something real to offer.
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Permalink Reply by Todd on
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I don't wear anything on my helmet, but for those who think it's an entanglement issue....we are talking about an innertube, not superglue. Whatever is entangled is going to give way with minimal pressure.
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I wasn't talking about the band breaking.
It's been my observation (not experience, again I don't wear anything on my lid) that with the ease in which things get knocked out of these bands, that there is minimal entanglement hazard.
I can't count the times I've heard "Hey hold up a sec" while someone put a Garrity, chocks, etc back in their innertube. A few months ago I chewed out a set of rookies who spent most of their time replacing their lights in their helmet band during SCBA drills than actually doing a search.
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