ridealong

[CABNN1]

im going on a ridealong with the paid department i live in. they are letting me bring my turnouts (im a explorer in the neighboring city). What calls should i put my turnouts on when we are going? medicals or just TC's and fires? i dont want to be the only guy on the truck thats wearing them when we roll. even if its just pants. if you guys could just post what you wear on certain calls cause i know some departments only wear pants or coats to certain calls, or full PPE to this and that.

[explorer478]

ok I can see where your coming from man. Im almost always putting on my turnout gear when I dont need to. One of the rules of our explorer post is that we have to where full turnout gear to all calls except for medical calls. But I dont listen to that. Put on your turnout gear on: all types on fires, fire alarms in your stations district, wrecks (maybe just your bunker pants and helment, thats what I do), smell of gas or smoke calls(just see what the firefighters are putting on). DO NOT put on your turnout gear on: medical calls, fire alarms not in your district, lift assistant calls. On medical calls, be sure to wear a pair of medical gloves (there always should be a box of them on each rig), and also ask the crew if they need help carry the medical bags, also help lift the patient into the ambulance and then take off your gloves and put them on the ambulance floor. I know all this because firefighting is in my famliy and my dads a firefighter and i've been a fire fire explorer for little over a year now.
Good Luck

[Geinandputitout]

im going on a ridealong with the paid department i live in. they are letting me bring my turnouts (im a explorer in the neighboring city). What calls should i put my turnouts on when we are going? medicals or just TC's and fires? i dont want to be the only guy on the truck thats wearing them when we roll. even if its just pants. if you guys could just post what you wear on certain calls cause i know some departments only wear pants or coats to certain calls, or full PPE to this and that.

I'd do whatever the crew getting on the truck is doing.

[theflash083]

I'd do whatever the crew getting on the truck is doing.

werd.
i wear the bunker pants on every call....

[FDNYexp6012]

I do the same thing your doing, I ride with a neighboring Dept. I put my turnouts on basically every run, if its a box alarm then I wear full turnouts if its EMS then either coat or pants, just to identify myself. Good luck riding. Be sure to post up how it went. Ill be riding this friday again with the neighoring Dept.

[NWOhio157]

This issue has been raised a few times... and for the sake of having nothing to do right now, I won't be a jackass and tell you to go search.

Our SOG we have written for our ride alongs can be viewed here:
http://www.box.net/services/ipaper_b...ed/eaxr2sj0gc/
I would post all of our SOGs, but I'm in the middle of going through it right now with another advisor making some grammatical corrections and we're changing some other stuff.

This policy was agreed upon by the Chiefs of both of the departments we're allowed to ride with (Rossford and Northwood). While we don't have a policy in place as of yet as to what to wear to each specific kind of call, that's being worked on currently. The policy does say that on all MVAs, full PPE will be worn (obviously minus the hood, unless it's winter time - I'd wear it for warmth) ANSI Class II Highway Safety Vest over the coat unless otherwise specified by the IC or the shift crew - The vest must be on atleast. For fire runs, the policy should read that full PPE will be worn unless otherwise specified by the IC or shift crew (that was a typo - it's being fixed). Policy for EMS runs says that at least basic BSI precautions be taken.

I've been out 25 times between either department - seen 2 fires, been on 2 MVAs, and 10 EMS runs. On the fires, I was in full PPE minus the hood changing out air bottles most of the time. On the MVAs, I was in my turnout pants - I was on those runs before we were provided with the vests. For the EMS runs, I've never put my bunkers on, but I have a mental plan for when I will put them on - Anything with lots of blood. The things is, 99% of the time, you don't know that until you see the patient.

As far as patient contact or helping to lift the patient - NO. The closest I've ever gotten to touching the pt. was on a head injury from a fall and there were only 3 of us on scene, including me, so I slid the board under. We're there to observe. Sure, help them carry the bags or the LifePak, but there's too much liability issues if you're touching the pt.

Sorry for the long-winded post.

[ndvfdff33]

When you go to the truck, check and see what the rest of them are doing. If they put their gear on, put yours on. If they grab it and put it in the truck, well you get the idea I'm sure.

[Firescueguy]

"help lift the patient into the ambulance and then take off your gloves and put them on the ambulance floor"

HOLD UP!!! If you are simply "tagging along" on a medical call as a 1st responder engine co., then I'm ok with that statement. HOWEVER, if you are actively transporting with the ambulance crew, then your gloves belong being on until the pt. is transferred to the ER's stretcher & your stretcher linen is removed, THEN you can remove your gloves after which you should promptly
wash your hands thoroughly.

Don't fall into that bad habit of "oh, this is just a sick call" because if that simple sick pt. decides to upchuck during transport (or worse, decides to code), you do not want to be trying to jam your sweaty hands into a fresh pair of gloves while dodging puke or doing compressions.

If you are simply on an engine & assisting the crew, then by all means once the crew has loaded the pt., then dispose of your gloves properly (I would suggest asking the engine officer where they usually put them..the EMT/medic in charge may not appreciate you throwing stuff on the floor of their bus (ambulance).

Just my 2 cents..Stay Safe and enjoy your ride-along!!

P.S. - I wouldn't anticipate you lifting any pts. in the ambulance on a
stretcher, most agencies (including my own) usually have policies
precluding explorers from lifting pts. (for their safety & yours).

[explorer478]

hey FireRescue guy, I was talking about on an 1st responder engine company. Putting the used gloves on the ambulance floor is what my captain told me to. but diffrent depts have their own ways

[CABNN1]

How about stuff like shootings, pole fires, wires down, TC's on small roads, etc?