What's In Your Pocket?

[TFW1TFW1]

I know this has probably been covered before, but I have a purpose behind it.

I want to know:
1.) What tools do you think are ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY to carry in your fire gear pockets (taking into account size and weight) such as wire snips, screw and nut driver , pliars, center-punch, etc.?

2.) And of those items, which ones do you SPECIFICALLY RECOMMEND for any firefighter (i.e. Craftsman Mini-Ratchet 2000 (ficticious)) that have worked well for you and held up through the years.

I want to make kind of a "Master List" and condense it to the most highly recommended items that can fit into hopefully one pocket of your gear, but just about cover it all. Please take into consideration size, weight, and durability. I hope to offer a kit with these specific items in it and have it created by firefighters, known as the lightest, yet most durable set of tools available. I know there are multi-tools (Leatherman, Gerber, etc.) out there, but I am not a big fan of those personally, and they can not do even some of the basics very well. So, give me your thoughts.

Thanks for your help in advance. I'll do comparative updates as we go so you don't have to read all the posts if I get a lot of responses, like a poll.

______________________
MGHjr
www.thefirefighterwithin.com

[rfd599]

TFW:

Here is my personal list:

Helmet: 4AA Light, Punch, and Sprinker Wedge/Door Chock

Coat Pockets: Nothing, usually covered by SCBA Straps and Truck Belt

Truck Belt: SL Fire Vulcan Hand Light-Left Side on Biener, Pick-head Axe on the Right Side

Pant Pockets: Cable Cutters, Multi-head Screwdriver, Chalk, Extrication Gloves

These are just what I carry in mine, I am sure others will have lots of other suggestions.....i.e....webbing , carabieners, etc.

rfd599
www.IllinoisFireStore.com

[spfdtruckman]

Being a truckman here goes:

Left pants pocket: 12' section of webbing sewn together, Allen wrench tool.
Right pants pocket: 1 sprinkler stop, 3 door chocks.
Left coat pocket: Leatherman tool, Streamlight Flashlight
Right coat pocket: 3m Dust mask, Ear plugs, Safety Glasses
Upper coat Pocket: Radio
Helmet: Goggles and Brain.
Hands: Halligan and Flat head axe.

[DeputyChiefGonzo]

I don't carry too much in the pockets of my bunker gear.

I have two Hingestar door props (they are great... one of those "why didin't I think of that!" items. Here is a link to their site http://www.hingestar.com/)

30 feet of milspec webbing

personal escape rope

Leatherman tool

small screwdriver and allen wrench for resetting pull stations

extra pen and paper (kept in a resealable plastic bag to keep dry) for taking down information,

spare battery for my portable radio (you know Murphy..radios go dead at the worst possible moment!),

a spare battery for the Bullard thermal imager (Murphy has found another thing to mess with!)

window punch

small pair of vise grips for shutting off gas utilities.

[sjfdfirefighter]

I think the best tools that a fire fighter can carry with him is safety tools.
Pants-12 ft webbing with a carabiener-3door chalks -safety glasses-folding utility knife-wire cutters(this is one of the biggest tools i cary. It is big enough to cut through small pipes. great cutter. suggested to me by fire safety instructer) - personal safety rope(goes along with harness we have on pants)
Coat-Flashlight- radio (dont carry a lot of other things in the coat other than gloves when i dont need them. -winter hat and winter mittens(carried in winter time)
I dont carry anything on my helmet. We use traditional style helmets that are some what heavy so i try to keep the weight down.
The other thing that i carry that is helpful is two cards that say friction loss in a hose and gpm for different size hose
sjfdfirefighter www.stjohnsburyfire.com

[pvfire424]

Capitol One !!.......NO wait, that's in my wallet

[TFW1TFW1]

Awesome....keep'em coming. I'm writing it down. Good stuff!

[Bikefire]

Over the last 25 years, I found myself carrying things I didn't need, and things I needed I didn't carry.

In conclusion... Now I don't carry anything. I have found that rookies carry lots of things, and if they don't have it, I send them for it.

OK, OK... I carry Nitrile gloves, hose rope tool, and door markers. I'm with a rescue company, just grab a tool box if you think you'll need it.

[IFDFFENG20]

A few dollars for incidentals on the street.

[F52Westside]

Left Pant pocket - Fire Gloves, 20' 1" webbing with a 'biner, pair of dikes(soon to be replaced with some cable cutters)

Right Pant pocket - 30' 8mm cordage with alum. 'biner, 25' 1" webbing w/ a 'biner, tool roll w/ channel locks, 5/16" open flat ratchet "thingy" for batteries, shove knife, window punch, tick AC detector, and a multi tip screwdriver.

Left Jacket pocket - Hood

Right Jacket pocket - set of sprinkler wedges )also a set in my helmet, and a wedge-it(although I might try one of those hingestars like Gonzo has.)

[clancyxdogg]

...and a wedge-it...

I've seen a lot of guys with those lately. Are they really better than my wooden wedges? I mean like 8 bucks better? It seems to me that between needing two or three, and forgetting/losing a couple a year, it could be a real strain on the wallet.

BTW-

L coat - rubber work gloves, leatherman tool
R coat - leather work gloves, wood wedges
L pants -utility rope
R pants -wedge or two, hose spanner, hose strap (sometimes)

[ecfr1978]

Helmet: flashlgiht(streamlight 4aa)
Coat: 1 wedge-it, and a knife secured to the lapel mic holder(Globe Gear)
vulcan lightbox w/a wedge-it, radio strap, fire gloves
Right Pants Pocket:Flat-head & philips head scewdriver, window punch, wire cutters, vise grips w/ 12" chain, 9" channellock, trauma shears(all in a tool pouch) 6 ft' rope with two "biners" 15' webbing
Left pants pocket: sprinkler wedge, 3 rubber door straps, electrical tape, 2" medical tape.

[F52Westside]

I've seen a lot of guys with those lately. Are they really better than my wooden wedges? I mean like 8 bucks better? It seems to me that between needing two or three, and forgetting/losing a couple a year, it could be a real strain on the wallet.

It does work well and is versatile(sp) but not sure it is worth the money. Like you say forgetting and losing them and that kinda stuff. That is why I am considering the one Gonzo was talking about, it's a little cheaper.

[masterFF]

Coat:
-inside pocket: ear plugs, rubber gloves, CPR pocket mask, Milk Bones
-Right pocket: Wedges, safety glasses
-Left pocket: Window punch, seat belt cutter, shove knife, multi-screwdriver, key tool, wire cutters

Pants
-Left pocket: Left glove, personal escape rope
-Right pocket: Right glove, hose strap, webbing

[rescue84]

helmet: 4-aa fllash light, ear plugs on string tied to inside of helmet and hoodie
left jacket upper: hard eye glsass case, cable cutters 10" , 4 rubber home made door latch covers .
rght jacket upper: Streamlight Survior smoke cutter , empty for now soon to be cheap utility knife.
left right lower jacket leather overhaul glove.
right pants: 6' webb-hose strap -yellow,
left pants: 20' web orange. with aluminum biner.
Fire innovation Colorado belt sr3: chain saw/ flash light strap left.
50' 8mm escape rope in bag cliped to tag ring.
- firehooks unlimited-Hammermax in axe holder.
large binner steel on holders
CMC aluminum ladder hook on M.U.S.
radio sling out of jacket between scott pack belt

[tecrsq]

Left pants pocket - bag with individual slots for the following:spring loaded linemans pliers, 6 " Craftsmans Robo Grip pliers, 2 shims, door hinge stop plate, TFT combi-wrench, chalk, Buck knife, kerry key and shove knife.

Left pants pocket beside bag - blue piece of 15' pre-sewn 1" flat H.D. webbing with aluminum autolock carabiner, spare carbon hood.

Right pants pocket - Pelican LED flashlight, Ringers Extrication gloves, pouch with 30' of 8mm accessory cord and aluminum autolocking carabiner.

Left coat pocket - pocket mask, pouch with spare nitrile gloves, earplugs

Right coat pocket - small bag containing a pen, 2 power bars, Goody's brain ache powders, immodium and an insect bite/ sting stick as well as a particulate mask.

On my S.C.B.A. I have a bail out bag with 70 ' of high temp 8mm rope, con space single pulley, aluminum autolocking carabiner and a 20' orange sling of 1" flat H.D. webbing.

My coat has a H.D. anchor sling around the chest and it's secured with fold over PBI material that is closed with velcro to keep it secured and I keep a big hook Carabiner on it for lock offs on the Truck, ground ladders or bail out situations.

I also have a Pelican Big Ed on the coat as a primary light.

Seems like a lot when you take it all out but configured this way I can access everything with minimal effort and the immediate equipment can be accessed with a S.C.B.A. on.

I also keep an extra bag with other stuff on the apparatus to allow for a comfortable extended stay on energency scenes.

Minimalist I am not but I need very little to get me by and that makes me more comfortable on any scene.

[SPFDRum]

What I have: Qualifiers-Truckman, company is RIT trained and dispatched as such to other districts.
R bunker- channel locks, wire cutter, versi screw driver
L bunker- 10' webbing loop, 3' webbing loop, ff gloves
R coat pocket- work gloves, door boots x2
L coat pocket- allen set, leatherman, 1 wood wedge
Inside pocket- dust mask x2, safety glasses
L coat breast pocket- radio (if it works)

[Dave1983]

This is what I would consider "basic"...

- pair of spare fire gloves

- heavy-duty dikes or linesman pliers

- buck type knife

- multi tool (leatherman type)

- heavy-duty webbing with loops & D-ring (Save-a-Jake would be better)

- flashlight

- a couple wedges (for sprinklers/doors)

- personal escape rope

- window punch

- foldng spanner w/ gas shut off

- A means of marking rooms/buildings that have been earched. We use a roll of bright orange tape, that stuff they mark constructon sites with.

[Acklan]

The must have first.

Flashlight. I prefer the BigED D-cell
10" cresent
ScrewDriver. One of each.
3" folding knife.
10" slip joint pliers.

Now what I carry.

Flashlight hanging from mic loop. BigED D-cell
10" cresent
10" slip joint pliers
10" Vise Grip
6 'n 1 screw driver
Tin snipes
Work gloves (Aside from my fire gloves)
2-6' tension straps
5-door wedges
50' 8mm dynamic repelling rope
15' 8mm rope
2-6' 8mm ropes
4.5" folding knife hanging (lanyard) inside radio pocket from mic loop.

Not in my pockets but I also carry a TNT tool, TIC, and radio.

[TFW1TFW1]

I see a few common themes and I will be posting condensed results soon. Just out of curiosity, I see a lot of the "webbing with a biner or d ring" in several posts. I've talked to a bunch of local guys about what they use it for, but can you guys include some feedback on it? I see a lot of that as part of your essentials. Thanks, and I'll get those numbers up shortly.

______________________
MGHjr
www.thefirefighterwithin.com