‘What’s in Your Pockets?’
A popular credit card commercial asks, “What’s in your wallet?” In EMS we carry many tools and items on our rigs, but some folks take it a step further and carry EMS essentials in their pockets or on their belts. Recently we asked a cross-section of EMTs, paramedics, and emergency physicians to share what’s in the wallets—er, pockets.
My pockets/belt always have the following:
- ChapStick—You never know when you’re going to be outside for a long period of time, and there’s nothing more distracting on a call than chapped lips.
- Headband—Being a girl and having your hair in the rain, snow, or wind can become very annoying and distracting. Plus a headband can work as an ear warmer in the cold.
- Pens—Always have more than one. The obvious reason is to write down information, but other things I use them for is poking a hole in a saline bottle to use as a flush on scene for wounds or glass.
- Weatherproof notepad—Best paper to have during rainy, wet calls.
- Leatherman Raptor scissors—By far the best tool I carry! I swear by this! I’ve used the ring cutter on numerous calls, the scissors are amazing, the window punch is helpful at times, the O2 wrench is a lifesaver, and then of course it has a seat belt cutter. I use this almost daily at work.
- Pager and radio—Self-explanatory.
- Gloves—Always have a pair in my pocket—no chance to forget them then.
- Cash—When the shift decides to order lunch, you never want to be the person left owing people money.
- CO meter—We are in and out of businesses and homes, and you never know if that toxic gas is present.
- Multi-USB plug—When you get stuck on those long, drawn-out calls and everyone’s phones are dying, having an adapter for multiple people to use is helpful.
- Phone charger—A dead phone for us means no Active911 and a form of communication to our command staff and hospitals that’s no longer available.
—Ashley Coble, emergency service specialist, firefighter/EMT/fire official/CFIT, Hopewell Township Fire District No. 1, N.J.
Wallet, keys, and phone. Radio and gloves. Shears and a penlight.
—John Guterman, EMT, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey EMS, Newark, N.J.
A handful of gloves, a tourniquet, emesis bag, trauma shears, penlight, pens, notebook, flashlight.
I keep it light but have many of the essentials that might be needed on the spot when there isn’t immediate access to the stuff in the ambulance. I’ve been told carrying a tourniquet seems a little tactical, but I picked it up from a friend who firmly believes it’s one of the most important tools to have handy! I always make sure to carry at least 2–3 pens because I’m notorious for losing them. My most-used tool, however, is my little notebook. It gets beaten up, but it’s so much easier to jot down the pertinent information there than to start filling out a PCR, especially with an agency that only does ePCRs. I’m not going to take out the tablet during a high-intensity situation; I want to focus on ensuring the patient’s safety and stability and fast transport!
—Amanda Kimler, EMT, Five Quad Volunteer Ambulance Service & Mohawk Ambulance Service, State University of New York at Albany, N.Y.
I carry the basics, of course: my phone, 1–2 pairs of gloves in each upper pocket for quick access if things get messy. I have a penlight I always make sure is nice and bright and a small tactical police flashlight for when I need to peek behind doors in dark houses, basements, and even at lockboxes and keypads for citizens who leave keys outside. Altoids for the late-night stank-breath. Sometimes I’ll throw an N-95 in my pocket when I expect the patient to be very ill. And of course I’ll clip my ID and radio on too. My lanyard with my keys to the station, which also has a window punch and seat belt cutter. Last but not least, my Leatherman Raptor shears, which I mostly use for their handy oxygen wrench. I guess I fit a lot even though it feels like I carry a little.
—Kristina Daurenheim, EMT, Community Ambulance Company, Sayville, N.Y.
In the front pouch I carry 4x tourniquets, 4x QuikClots, 4x pressure bandages, and 4x nasal airways—pretty much just the M-A-R of MARCH. Front left has two ATS kits: one for advanced airway, one for IV. I have a legit chest seal, a Celox injector, and a big abdominal pad for big messy injuries. A lightweight laryngoscope, large syringe for suction, ET tube, and a King. The IV one has a start pack. On the right side above the extended-care pouch is a knife.
On my right hip/flank is my third level of extended care: a SAM splint with that sticky Ace wrap roller gauze and a hard sunglass case with meds. Narcan, epi, atropine, benadryl, glucose, and a couple of syringes. Left side: small admin pouch. My CamelBak hose fits nicely there, and inside is Silly String (bomb guys recommend it for trip wire detection), a flashlight, a Rite in the Rain-brand pad with pencil (coldproof!) and pen, a small monocular (to assess from a distance), a Wedge-It door check and an extension mirror (to see around corners and into attics and crawl spaces).
On the back is a portable soft stretcher and a 500-cc CamelBak because I get thirsty, There is also a carabiner on the back strap so my guys can drag me out more easily when I’m having my very own bad day.
—Christopher Strattner, JD, MBA, EMT-P, Rockland County (N.Y.) SWAT
Knife, gloves, flashlight, pens, radio, pager, work gloves, ID, tape, stethoscope, Raptor, watch, N-95 mask, and an emesis bag. It all tucks in neatly on my belt.
—Lt. Sean Cass, EMT, South Orange Rescue Squad, N.J.
My cell phone, my wallet, a pen, a piece of paper to keep track of patients, and a #10 blade for the occasional finger thoracostomy and even rarer cric.
—Alex Zozula, MD, emergency medicine resident, Stanford University Hospital, Palo Alto, Calif.
Tape with tourniquets rolled in the middle for those busy moments. Raptor shears because they cut everything. Police Pro space pen—writes in all weather and conditions. N-95 mask. Gum. Hemostats for 1,000 uses. Pager. Radio loop. Gloves. The M&M’s container I put my used glucose test strips in when my sharps container isn’t near (bad habit, I know, but it’s my habit). Stethoscope. And my wallet for late-shift coffees.
—Kent Sargent, paramedic, ACP, Toronto
Barry Bachenheimer, EdD, FF/EMT, is a firefighter and member of the technical-rescue team with the Roseland (N.J.) Fire Department and an EMT with the South Orange (N.J.) Rescue Squad. With an emergency services career of more than 30 years, he frequently serves as an instructor for both departments. Reach him at bbachenheimer@southorangerescuesquad.org.
