whats in your pocket?

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Don Pysz on December 29, 2008 at 5:31pm

Left bunker pocket - 30ft rolled webbing w/ carabiner for escape hooked to pocket, 15 ft rolled webbing w/ carabiner for various uses hooked on bunker adjustment strap and a length of webbing mad into a chest harness w/ carabiner hooked onto pocket edge.

Right bunker pocket - structural gloves (they don't hang up on things in the pocket when not at fires) and a pair of pruning shears zip-tied to a string style glove holder w/ cheap carabiner for keys hooked on to the pocket edge. I use the shears for wire cutters, works great, big mouth to get on wires and battery cables, etc...they have an internal spring ( exposed one tends to get pushed off)

Left coat pocket - window punch, multi-screw driver, safety glasses, seat belt cutter

Right coat pocket - spare door wedges

Stay safe and work smart.

Permalink Reply by Larry Glover on January 1, 2009 at 4:51pm

Left Bunker Pocket: Stuctural gloves, 6' piece of webbing sewed together for either a drag strap or hose strap

Right Bunker Pocket: 15' piece of search rope with 2 D-rings

Left Coat Pocket: Wire Cutters

Right Coat Pocket: Multi-tip screwdriver, Wedge, Cherry Bomb, Metal Door Hanger (similar to cherry bomb), Rescue/Extrication Gloves

On Coat: Flashlight, Knife

I wear my radio strap under my coat and I also have my bailout bag clipped onto to my truckman's belt. My safety glasses are kept in the rig along with some other odds and ends.

As far as having to much, I believe you can have to much in your pockets. We use to have a guy on our dept that his coat weighed as much as an airpack. He had his pockets full but would have to dig around to find the tool that he needed. There are also those that don't have anything in their pockets. They are the ones always asking for tools on the fireground.

Permalink Reply by Doug Yates on January 13, 2009 at 5:40pm

Radio Pocket: 2 Door Wedges, Electrical Tape

Left Coat: 15ft utility rope with 2 D-Rings (1 attached to coat inside pocket), 5 glow sticks(hi-intensity 30min.) Philips head screwdriver

Right Coat: EMS shears, flat head screwdriver, knife clipped on pocket edge, 20ft of 1" webbing rolled and inside medical glove

Left Pant: 2 4ft webbing loops, 1 8ft webbing loop

Right Pant: 50ft Escape Rope with 2 locking carabiners and figure 8 pre-rigged for bailout

Helmet Band: 8 16d nails (door chocks), 2 small door wedges

Radio Mic Strap: Res-Q-Me tool

Permalink Reply by Eric Hankins on January 15, 2009 at 12:08am

Douglas Yates said:

Radio Pocket: 2 Door Wedges, Electrical Tape

Left Coat: 15ft utility rope with 2 D-Rings (1 attached to coat inside pocket), 5 glow sticks(hi-intensity 30min.) Philips head screwdriver

Right Coat: EMS shears, flat head screwdriver, knife clipped on pocket edge, 20ft of 1" webbing rolled and inside medical glove

Left Pant: 2 4ft webbing loops, 1 8ft webbing loop

Right Pant: 50ft Escape Rope with 2 locking carabiners and figure 8 pre-rigged for bailout

Helmet Band: 8 16d nails (door chocks), 2 small door wedges

Radio Mic Strap: Res-Q-Me tool

Doug,

I couldn't help but notice that you do not have a pair of heavy duty wire cutters anywhere in you cache. Is that intentional or did you just forget to put it down?

Permalink Reply by Michael Bricault (ret) on January 17, 2009 at 5:46pm

-You can absolutely have to much stuff in your pockets. All one need do is attend a survival class at FDTN (Fire Dept Training Network) in Indianapolis to realize just how much is to much. Aside from wire cutters, knife, webbing and carabiners, stuff you need to save yourself, what else do you need? Can't it be retrieved from the apparatus by someone else?
-The training that Lt. Jim McCormack and FDTN put on is some of the most difficult and useful available. Some have called it SEAL training for firefighters.
-One of the most interesting things I see with younger firefighters is the Home Depot pockets. Knives, wire cutters, webbing, adjustable wrench, spanner, duck tape, screw drivers, allen wrenches, socket set and the ever present Leatherman. Then there is all of the junk on the helmet.
-Speaking of the helmet junkyard, most young firefighters don't even understand why they put all that stuff on their helmet other than they see the old timers doing it. In point of fact, the old timers carried stuff on their helmet because they had only two pockets on their coat and no bunker pants pockets (pull up boots back then). Overstuffed pockets and helmets loaded down with hooks, wedges and lights become nothing more than snag and entanglement hazards.
-Most of this stuff carried by firefighters should be left in the apparatus since it cannot be retrieved from the bunker pockets and employed immediately while the firefighter is wearing structure gloves. If you cannot use it immediately and will not need it immediately then you can wait for someone to bring it up from the apparatus. It is just weight in your pocket.
-In fact, these Home Depot firefighters are usually the same ones that cannot put on their scba face piece, pull up the flash hood, properly don the helmet while wearing structure gloves. If you cannot perform these basic tasks while wearing structure gloves then you need practice. Thats Right... while wearing structure gloves!!!! This is how we now train all of our new firefighters; everything is performed while wearing structure gloves.
-If you need tools, grab a set of Irons, a hook, the can, the TIC... how about a Rabbit Tool?
-So, now that I have pontificated and irritated everyone here, I'll climb down off my soap box and tell you what I carry.
-First, everything is accessible and useable while wearing structure gloves which I carry in a pocket; those dangly glove keeper things are a snag hazard too.
-I carry one wire cutter, one large folding knife, two pieces of two inch tubular webbing each twelve feet long tied on itself using a water knot and carried in separate pockets. Each of the two pieces of webbing has a carabineer attached to it.
-One the front of my coat I have a Pelican Little Ed flashlight.
-No wedges? No. I use the Halligan to break a hinge. Nothing on the helmet? Nope. Your helmet (and yes I have a leather one) was never designed to have all that crap carried on it. Some depts, FDNY for example, even have rules now prohibiting firefighters putting things on their helmets. They saw the light; it is a hazard.
-What about the...? Nope. You should be able to fix most of your problems with the tools in your hands or your partners hands. If not, then it is probably not urgent and I or someone else can retrieve what is needed from the apparatus. Spread the wealth around and put those guys standing around outside to work.
-Something no one seems to be harping on is something I and all my teammates carry religiously; escape/bail out gear. Packed into one pants pocket is 50 ft (it fits great with room to spare) of NFPA 8mm rated escape line with a Crosby Hook sewn onto the end as an anchor point. There is a PED device woven in/pre attached (figure/escape 8 can hitch on itself and therefore not work, plus the PED is smaller and safer to use) to the 8mm escape line and it attaches to an escape harness I wear under my coat. Clean, no unnecessary snag hazards.
-When mentioning escape gear many firefighters forget the harness. The kits you can buy on line are great but are usually missing something... the harness. Most of these kits rely on a tool wrap technique instead of the Crosby Hook anchor point. I'll say it plainly, the Crosby Hook is better and faster and safer anchor point to use than the tool wrap which is a tenuous technique at best. Buyer beware.
-Take a class from a certified instructor. In fact before I explain what escape gear is needed to our new firefighters, I make them take the class first. They get the info at the end of the class.
-No, we do not issue escape gear. If you want it you must privately purchase it. But, we do offer a course to everyone. Yeah, I know its weird. We're working on it. It is no easy trick to come up with funding to buy 800 escape kits.
-Carry only what you need right now. If you need tools then bring them; the Irons, a sledge, a hook, the rabbit tool, the TIC, a can.... everything else that is not needed right now can wait. Get it out of your pockets. Save the weight and reduce the snag/entanglement hazard. Take a really good and difficult survival course and see that your gear needs to go on a diet.
-When was the last time you used most of that junk in your pockets anyway? Really used or needed it? Be honest with yourself.
-Sorry for the rant; I teach this stuff and it is a pet peeve.
-Stay safe.

Permalink Reply by Jeff Clayton on January 17, 2009 at 10:41pm

I too have gone through the FDTN survival and RIT training. We don't send our members there, we brought them to us for the train-the-trainer...someday I'd like to go there to experience the FDTN first hand! As Michael said, carry the tools you'll need to save yourself! A little tip, if you're going to wear your SCBA waist strap (like your supposed to) keep your survival equipment in your pants...then you can access it without undoing your SCBA.
I will admit, I carry two wedges on my bucket, and a pair of modified channel locks in my coat along with a small slot screwdriver for re-setting pull stations.
Stay safe everyone...

Permalink Reply by Doug Yates on January 23, 2009 at 4:58pm

Eric, I forgot about the tin snips, also in my right coat pocket.

Michael I know what your saying about having to much gear in my pockets. But I know where everything is and i have used everything in my pockets at one point or another. My department has manpower issues and instead of waiting for someone to retrieve a tool of the rig it is easier to pull it out of your pocket. We have many 4 story office buildings in town that cause activated alarms regularly. A wedge is a little more practical than braking the hinge. But when the situation arises, you do what you have to do.

Be safe
Doug

Permalink Reply by Michael Bricault (ret) on January 23, 2009 at 10:03pm

-Doug I hear what your saying. I work in one of the largest FDs in the country so I understand what your saying about activated alarms in multistory buildings. I also understand that breaking hinges isn't the best answer all the time. Perhaps my point wasn't plain enough.
-Under emergency conditions, all bets are off and you do what you need to. If, for example, using the Halligan on the hinge isn't appropriate, then maybe the urgency isn't there either and you can wait for someone to bring up the high rise kits.
-Instead of the one or two little items in your pockets, if high rise activated alarms are a big issue, I would challenge you to bring up high rise kits in your department. A self contained, yet light weight kit, that contains all of the smaller tools that will be needed during a high rise gig.
-Unfortunately, manpower issues be damned and I must respectfully disagree with you about all of the stuff firefighters carry in their gear. Anyone that has gone through the survival training at FDTN or something similar will be able to immediately attest to the point.
-As a firefighter in a very busy area, as a fire service instructor and safety advocate, I will reiterate the absolute necessity that anything that is carried in pockets must be deployable and employable while wearing structure gloves. If you can't use the gear while wearing the gloves then you don't need it immediately and thus don't need to carry the gear.
-Can you access and use a roll of tape, ems sheers or access webbing stuffed into an ems glove with structure gloves on? Very doubtful. Therefore, save yourself the headache and ditch the excessive weight, snag hazards and dexterity.
-Again, this topic is a pet peeve; sorry for the rant.
-Stay safe.
-Lastly, I haven't heard mention of an escape harness to employ the escape gear that you're carrying. I would also recommend that every firefighter carry escape gear; it is essential, but should be carried only after the firefighter has been trained in the proper use of the specific gear and jumped on it at least five times and then annually to insure proficiency and ease and speed of deployment.

Permalink Reply by Doug Yates on January 25, 2009 at 2:29pm

I am agreeing with you, my gear is a bit much. I do have a fire service harness for escape. I can access the webbing in the ems glove with structural gloves on, as well as the ems shears. The electrical tape on the other hand is not accessible with gloves on, but does not add much bulk either. I do have reasons for my added gear.

Stay Safe,
Doug