EMS Personnel... suggest the best Duty Carry.

[Zatx]

So I am 12 days away from being a certified EMT and it looks like I may already have a job lined up working on a 911 truck.

I currently EDC a Caly 3 CF w/ZDP.

In my opinion this may be way too classy of a knife to be carrying considering the abuse it could potentially be taking.

What knife would you recommend for duty carry?

(PS - In my state, Indiana, EMS personnel may carry auto's legally)

Thank you!

[jackknifeh]

So I am 12 days away from being a certified EMT and it looks like I may already have a job lined up working on a 911 truck.

I currently EDC a Caly 3 CF w/ZDP.

In my opinion this may be way too classy of a knife to be carrying considering the abuse it could potentially be taking.

What knife would you recommend for duty carry?

(PS - In my state, Indiana, EMS personnel may carry auto's legally)

Thank you!

I'll prove that I know nothing about your job by asking this question. What is a 911 truck? I can't recommend a particular knife since I don't know what specific tasks it will be needed to do.

I believe you would want to carry something what will perform 100% at as low cost as possible. You may need to lay your knife down and forget it or need to carry someone or for any reason loose your knife. I'm thinking your job would be very hectic at times and loosing things might be common (or would be for me). That is why I would have two requirements. First is a great performer regardless of cost, performance is foremost. Second, keep the cost as low as possible expecially if your knife/tools belong to you personally. Maybe you are provided tools or a perk that if you loose personal items you can be reimbursed.

[Monkeywrangler]

I'd suggest a look at the serrated Salt series, or a Rescue. Anything in H1 will not rust if it gets wet or gory, etc.

[stonyman]

I don't think you can go wrong with the Assist model with the recessed carbide tip. Every emergency responder should have one..............oops I better grab one!LOL

[Zatx]

911 Truck means that I'm on a unit that responds to 911 calls. Most ambulances you see roaming the streets are actually transport units that are taking patients from one hospital to another or a nursing home to the hospital or vice versa. The Caly 3 would be fine for transport duty because it would probably never be used.

On a 911 truck we could be responding to any form of emergency from swift water rescue, vehicle extrication, to grandma stubbed her toe.

I'm not too worried about rust due to water or gore. I take good care of my equipment and the knife would be getting regular maintenance.

[jossta]

I second the assist, and maybe a Delica or something similar for a backup in case you need a finer point.

[MountainMedic]

First, congratulations on completing your EMT class. As someone who kinda backed into EMS around 19 years ago, I assure you it will be a rewarding choice.

Now, to the question at hand, after many years of 911 and transport carry, I would recommend the PS version of the Delica/Endura for a single knife EDC. I found it somewhat beneficial to carry a Rescue/Atlantic Salt in a color you can find if you lay it down/drop it along with the Endura/Delica. I used many others including the Military, Paramilitary, Manix, Manix 2 and others but I always seemed to come back to this combination. Just my $ 0.02.

[tonydahose]

waved rescue.

[SparkyMark86]

If you would like a Spyderco I would go with a PS Endura 4. But if you are looking at other knife makers the new Benchmade Triage looks good. I love my Spydies so you know where i come down on the issue. :)

[dman62]

A rescue and endura/Millie combo would be my choice. Check out the sale on rescue's at Cutlery Shoppe.

[SteelIsReal]

I would say a Blunt tip assist or Rescue, with a loop of paracord through the lanyard hole & secured by double fishermans knots. Then the paracord looped through your belt. 15-20 inch reach of cord would probably be plenty, and you won't lose your knife. :cool:

[Joe Internet]

An EMT that I talked to only used trauma shears, because he didn't need to worry about decontaminating them if they got nasty. He just threw them away and got a new pair from stock.

[smikesmith3]

My experience in this comes strictly from the voice of a customer/friend that I sell knives to.

He is a Firefighter/EMS and been in it for about 20 years. He is a HUGE fan of the Assist. He has the orange handle version. He has it placed in his coat. He has actually turned a few other guys onto the knife too.

Spyderco really hit a target market with this item. The oversized finger groves, the bigger hole and wide thumb stop. The blut tip. The carbide tip (I have seen great videos of this vs the competition) if absolutely needed and the whistle.

This we designed to ASSIST you in your job. The price may be a bit higher for something that is going to get beat to heck but considering how much you will use it, $75 bucks is nothing.

Do not hesitate to get the Assist.

[jackknifeh]

My experience in this comes strictly from the voice of a customer/friend that I sell knives to.

He is a Firefighter/EMS and been in it for about 20 years. He is a HUGE fan of the Assist. He has the orange handle version. He has it placed in his coat. He has actually turned a few other guys onto the knife too.

Spyderco really hit a target market with this item. The oversized finger groves, the bigger hole and wide thumb stop. The blut tip. The carbide tip (I have seen great videos of this vs the competition) if absolutely needed and the whistle.

This we designed to ASSIST you in your job. The price may be a bit higher for something that is going to get beat to heck but considering how much you will use it, $75 bucks is nothing.

Do not hesitate to get the Assist.

I'm not a firefighter or EMS or anything. Most people tell me I'm nothing. :D I have wanted an Assist for a long time now but instead of spending the money on that I now make sure I have a hammer in my car (windows) and I always have a knife even though it may not have a blunt tip. I've thought about keeping my Byrd Wings in the car. It has a blunt tip serrated edge. Now though, I've been spending money and have all the knives I need (plus one or two :D ). So I can get an Assist now and not worry about waiting on another knife that I want and will use more often on a daily basis. But for someone in the rescue business I think it would be the first purchase along with something for EDC (if you didn't already have a EDC knife). I haven't thought about that knife for a while now until this thread so as usual this thread may end up with me spending money. :eek: :D At least this purchase would be definately wisely spent money if I could help someone else.

I'll take this opportunity to thank the people who daily are in the position (by their own choice) to help others sometimes by risking their own well being. Thank you.

Jack

[Blerv]

There is a reputable online dealer who has an overstock of 79mm Rescues for $35. I think with Nutnfancy's coupon code you can get free shipping till the end of the month.

I can't say the name of the dealer but it rhymes with "cutlery shoppe". Crap, I'm horrible with rhymes. :o

[Zatx]

I really like the look of the Assist you guys have mentioned. The challenge being in EMS is that it takes forever to save up for a new knife!

[jackknifeh]

I really like the look of the Assist you guys have mentioned. The challenge being in EMS is that it takes forever to save up for a new knife!

I have no idea how the EMS business works but are you responsible for providing all tools, protective gear/clothing you need? Are you employed by a company that charges people they help depending on what they do to help them? Remove baby from car: $100.00, perform CPR: $50.00, save a person's life who doesn't own a Spyderco knife: Service not provided. :D

All kidding aside is EMS a private service provided by companies for profit or is it a state or federal provided service funded by taxes? I have heard of roofing contractors that make the employees buy their own nails so they don't waste nails. Wouldn't they possibly use less nails than necessary if they had to buy them themselves? I'm sure EMS technicians want to perform a great job and great tools/equipment is essential. This is kind of off subject but having to save your money to have quality tools to do a job like that seems wrong.

Jack

[BDNX]

I'd suggest a Saver Salt...

[Zatx]

I have no idea how the EMS business works but are you responsible for providing all tools, protective gear/clothing you need? Are you employed by a company that charges people they help depending on what they do to help them? Remove baby from car: $100.00, perform CPR: $50.00, save a person's life who doesn't own a Spyderco knife: Service not provided. :D

All kidding aside is EMS a private service provided by companies for profit or is it a state or federal provided service funded by taxes? I have heard of roofing contractors that make the employees buy their own nails so they don't waste nails. Wouldn't they possibly use less nails than necessary if they had to buy them themselves? I'm sure EMS technicians want to perform a great job and great tools/equipment is essential. This is kind of off subject but having to save your money to have quality tools to do a job like that seems wrong.

Jack

They supply us with the basic tools needed to perform our jobs according to State and Federal guidelines. If the State or Federal government do not require a certain piece of equipment, odds are they aren't going to buy it. Technically I don't "need" a pocket knife of any kind to do my job. But having certain equipment makes performing my job much more effective. And if I'm more effective then the patient receives better care.

Currently I carry the following equipment while on duty:

Leatherman Surge Multi-tool w/bits attachments, etc.
4Sevens Turbox 123x2 LED Flashlight (470 Lumens)
4Sevens MiniX 123 LED Flashlight (230 Lumens)
iTP AE EOS AAA LED Flashlight (in surge holster) (96 Lumens)
1 - Pupil Flashlight (cheapy low output)
Spyderco Caly 3 CF w/ZDP
2 - Tul Needle Point Black Pens
1 - stand alone seat belt cutter (cheap plastic variety)
1 - Stethoscope
1 - Pad of Paper
1 - Blackberry Touch
1 - Utility Shears
1 - Dressing Shears

That is about $1000 worth of gear, plus $200 boots, $65 pants (per pair), and none of it provided by the Ambulance service.

Most ambulance services that respond strictly to 911 calls operate at a loss and are run by either the local hospital or city/county fire departments. Most patients that ride in an ambulance are either Medicaid or Medicare patients. Medicaid/Medicare have not changed how much they pay for an ambulance run since 1991 which is about $130.00. Obviously the cost of everything has gone up since then.. heck just look at fuel.

Wages of the EMS personnel that are responding to your heart attack, your motor vehicle accident, the sudden birth of your child, have not changed since 1991. A basic EMT starts at around $8.00 an hour. The kid flipping burgers at Mcdonalds is making $12.00 an hour.

The people working in EMS aren't in it for the money. They are in it because they care about people, and they want to save your life. The EMS community makes incredible sacrifices of their time, their families, their sanity. Most marriages end in divorce (where the spouse isn't also in EMS). Most of the kids grow up without one or both parents around enough. Most EMS personnel work two full-time jobs plus over time (up to 96 hours a week), just to make a living wage.

Luckily I have a full-time career that isn't in EMS. I work in EMS part-time to give back to my community, to make a difference in someone's life. What little money I earn while doing it, I invest in further training for myself so I can be even more effective in patient care.

But you know what? I have yet to meet someone in this business that sits around complaining about how much they make. They knew what they were getting when they got into it. It is a lifestyle. It is in their blood.

It is who they are.



God Bless them all.


.

[jackknifeh]

They supply us with the basic tools needed to perform our jobs according to State and Federal guidelines. If the State or Federal government do not require a certain piece of equipment, odds are they aren't going to buy it. Technically I don't "need" a pocket knife of any kind to do my job. But having certain equipment makes performing my job much more effective. And if I'm more effective then the patient receives better care.

Currently I carry the following equipment while on duty:

Leatherman Surge Multi-tool w/bits attachments, etc.
4Sevens Turbox 123x2 LED Flashlight (470 Lumens)
4Sevens MiniX 123 LED Flashlight (230 Lumens)
iTP AE EOS AAA LED Flashlight (in surge holster) (96 Lumens)
1 - Pupil Flashlight (cheapy low output)
Spyderco Caly 3 CF w/ZDP
2 - Tul Needle Point Black Pens
1 - stand alone seat belt cutter (cheap plastic variety)
1 - Stethoscope
1 - Pad of Paper
1 - Blackberry Touch
1 - Utility Shears
1 - Dressing Shears

That is about $1000 worth of gear, plus $200 boots, $65 pants (per pair), and none of it provided by the Ambulance service.

Most ambulance services that respond strictly to 911 calls operate at a loss and are run by either the local hospital or city/county fire departments. Most patients that ride in an ambulance are either Medicaid or Medicare patients. Medicaid/Medicare have not changed how much they pay for an ambulance run since 1991 which is about $130.00. Obviously the cost of everything has gone up since then.. heck just look at fuel.

Wages of the EMS personnel that are responding to your heart attack, your motor vehicle accident, the sudden birth of your child, have not changed since 1991. A basic EMT starts at around $8.00 an hour. The kid flipping burgers at Mcdonalds is making $12.00 an hour.

The people working in EMS aren't in it for the money. They are in it because they care about people, and they want to save your life. The EMS community makes incredible sacrifices of their time, their families, their sanity. Most marriages end in divorce (where the spouse isn't also in EMS). Most of the kids grow up without one or both parents around enough. Most EMS personnel work two full-time jobs plus over time (up to 96 hours a week), just to make a living wage.

Luckily I have a full-time career that isn't in EMS. I work in EMS part-time to give back to my community, to make a difference in someone's life. What little money I earn while doing it, I invest in further training for myself so I can be even more effective in patient care.

But you know what? I have yet to meet someone in this business that sits around complaining about how much they make. They knew what they were getting when they got into it. It is a lifestyle. It is in their blood.

It is who they are.



God Bless them all.


.

I just don't know what to say. Except another God bless you all. The fact that you don't earn enough to even have decent equipment to do the job is just part of the story. I met a young girl in Mississippi that had been in EMS. She did what was needed and became certified and got a job riding in an ambulance. After several months she decided to quit. About half of the calls were to small bars or somewhere for fights or some violent situation. By the time they went in to help someone on a couple of calls the violence started again and the EMT techs were threatened because they were trying to help someone that someone else didn't want to be helped. I only talked to her for an hour or so and I don't know any details but doing that job means you never know what you are getting into when you get a call. She had a young baby and decided she wanted to be around to care for him/her more than she wanted to help strangers. I hated that she had to make that choice. I would have made the same choice but I'm one of the guys that has never taken a job to help others even in the best of situations where I am never personally threatened.

Jack