What's in Your Pockets?

What's In Your Pockets?....

Always an interesting question... Ask any Firefighter what's in the pockets of their gear, and why. Everyone has different ideas, and there is typically an interesting explanation.

Webbing Storage

Webbing is an amazing tool for the fire ground. Every firefighter should carry at least one 20 foot section. Check out some of the other tips that demonstrate the multiple uses of webbing. Even though it's not technically in your pocket, a good place to store a loop of webbing is in the removable kneepad in your bunker pants. It's easy to get to and really doesn't get in the way. This idea was first featured in the Tips from the Bucket section.

Modified Channel Lock Pliers

A pair of channel locks are always handy to have. They serve multiple purposes, and are even useful for removing battery cables on vehicles. Simply grab onto the battery connection and twist back and forth, it typically comes off pretty easy.

The pair above have been modified to be used as a key tool. One end was placed on the grinder to be used to manipulate a lock when using the through the lock method of entry. The other end was heated, bent, then ground down to be used as 90 degree lock tool. The webbing pictured is placed over the sharpened ends to prevent self-inflicted trauma when stored in your pocket.

Tool Wrap

It's sometimes helpful to bind all of the tools in your pocket together, it keeps them from poking multiple holes in your leg! A Velcro strap wrapped around the tools is a great option, unfortunately I just lost mine so this sorry looking strap will have to do for now. When using a Velcro strap be sure to tape one end to make it easier to open with a gloved hand.

The modified channel lock is shown here with the protective webbing in place. Also pictured is the very handy 5 in 1 screwdriver. It has two different flat tips, two phillips tips, and a hex drive that works when disassembling most air handler units.

Like I said before there is typically a story behind what each person carries. The small white screwdriver pictured is used to reset fire alarm pull stations. I have "heard" that using a knife instead of a screwdriver may be a bad idea, it could lead to attempted finger amputation!

Tool Bag

Firefighter Blakely Vasen from Winter Park Truck 61 uses this handy "tool bag" to confine items placed in his pocket. Tin snips are an extremely beneficial tool to carry, they cut through electrical wire, and other wires that you can get wrapped up in during a fire (ceiling grid suspension wire, HVAC coil wire, etc.) The custom duct tape job is to prevent the tin snips from poking through.

By the way, that is the actual knife that taught me the important lesson to carry the miniature screw driver. Notice Blakely now carries mini screw driver also.

Shove Knife and Elevator Key

Both of these tools are great to have. They are light, take up very little room, and are used frequently.

Tin Snips and Backup Light

As mentioned above, Tin Snips are extremely versatile. The importance of a backup light in your pocket should not be underestimated. The one picture in a Pelican "Little Ed", it seems to work well.

Ear Plugs stored in your Lid

Lieutenant Rich Taylor from Winter Park Truck 61 showed me this great idea. Ear plugs are great to have but frequently get damaged or lost. The plugs pictured above are stored inside my lid in-between the helmet and suspension webbing. They bend pretty easily and stay out of the way.

The idea for the sweet paint job was stolen from Lieutenant Walt Lewis from Orlando Fire Department. Apparently Walt stole it from Joey Alverez from Maplewood (NJ) Fire Dept.

Handy (and cheap!) Door Chock

Jason Jefferies from Charlotte Engine 37 sent in this simple and cheap door chock. He was quick to point out that he didn't invent this himself, but we're giving him credit for it anyway! All you need is a piece of 1" or 2" angle iron and an "S" hook.

Drill a 3/16" in the center of the angle iron and insert one end of the "S" hook. Take a pair of pliers and bend the hook so that it closes (pictured on left.) It's as simple as that!

When you use the door chock, simply hang it on the hinge of the door you need to keep open. The beauty of this type of door chock is that it is out of the way and will not be affected by an advancing hose line or accidentally kicked out of the way.

I would recommend painting your chocks with fluorescent paint for visibility and identification. I can see in now, someone trashing the door because they were trying to force it closed with the chock in place...

Cherry Bombers

Alright so maybe it's not really in your pockets, but it could be! One of the brothers from Tampa Fire shared this great idea. They are called "Cherry Bombers." They are made from a wood dowel and a bent nail. They can be placed over a door hinge to keep the door open. Cheap and effective!

Originally we weren't sure who came up with this great idea. Thankfully Tony Perez from Tampa fire gave us the heads up on who deserves credit for this one. Wayne Tolzman from Tampa Firehouse 5 is now formally credited as the originator of this "tip." Thanks fellas!

Rescue Shears & Rescue Hammer

Tim Brozoskie from Baltimore City Rescue 1, sent in some things we haven't featured yet.

The simple utility knife, always sharp, if it gets dull just change a blade, if you lose it, only $3.00

Gerber rescue shears, they are spring loaded, so they operate easy in 1 hand. If you get hung up, you can reach behind you and start snipping, they can cut clothing, seatbelts, SCBA harness, rope, household cables, and are excellent for the wire harnesses found on car doors.

"Rescue hammer" unlike spring loaded punches, this always works, has a seatbelt blade, and in a pinch it can smash household glass.

Linesman pliers, work well on suspended ceiling wire.

Is that a Cigar in your Pocket?

Lt. AJ Isaacs from Winter Park Firehouse 61 had a few more. Cheap, throw-down multi tool. (It sucks when you lose a good one.) Crescent wrench has many different uses including: disconnecting a battery, opening an HVAC, or shutting off a valve. A center punch, wrapped with tape for ease of use with a gloved hand, and helps retain it in your pocket. A yellow crayon, this is good for marking doors during a search. The cigar tube keeps it from getting crushed in your pocket. Epi-Pen tubes work well also.

It's Cold Out

Hunter McConnel from North Star Fire Department in Interior Alaska sent in this idea. It's not really in his pocket, but we'll consider it good enough for this page. He told us that a lot of the brothers from frigid Alaska do this, and that he didn't "invent it." We'll you know the rules, if you’re the first to send it to us, you get the credit. He advised that they carry two of almost everything because it is so cold and when you or your buddy forgets your hood you have an extra one right above your head. It's definitely not something that would ever be a problem in Florida, but it sounds good enough to us.

Putty Knife

Here's what Lieutanant Eric Norberg from West Warwick Rhode Island Fire Department carries in his pockets. He points out that it may seem like a lot of extra "stuff" and added weight, but he's willing to carry the extra pound or two to make his job easier.

He uses a homemade shove knife, ground down from a putty knife. It has a nice handle and the spring steel it is very flexible. A pair of vise grips that are designed to go around circular objects, like lock cylinders, pipe, etc. A standard credit card for slipping past a knob and key lock on inward swinging doors. A 6 in 1 screw driver, not only does it have large and small slotted and Phillip’s head, it also has two hex heads that fit most HVAC units or duct work. A rubber door strap, it is a simple piece of inner tube tire with two slots in it to slip over each side of a door handle. It prevents self-closing doors from latching behind you. An electrical current tester, just plug it into an outlet or hold it near a suspected live wire to confirm its status. A spanner wrench with multiple uses including, a gas shut off, small pry end, and standard and Stortz connections. Lastly, a dental pick for tripping any intricate door latching mechanism, or any other small detailed thing.

Another Door Chock

Lt. Jason Rivera Rescue Co. 1 Stamford, CT Fire Rescue Dept. sent in this variation of the angle iron door chock. It’s a piece of angle iron with a nail welded to the inside angle. The nail is then heated up with an oxy/acetylene torch and bent over so it will hang on the doors hinges. They may not be pretty, but they take about 5-10 minutes to make and are a lot cheaper than the store bought brands. If you forget one after a run, no problem just go make another, it’s also a good training opportunity to use the oxy/acetylene torch.

Nail Wedges

A bunch of readers have sent in the idea of using nails as wedges, but Captain Mike Alsup from Ocala Fire Dept was the first to include a photo. Besides carrying "regular" wedges he carries 8 penny nails in the strap of his helmet. They are lightweight and out of the way. Open the door, place the nail in between the door and the jamb, and "set" them by pulling the door shut just a bit. He also points out that with this size, you can still slam the door shut if things go bad.

Masonry cut nails also work very well. When using this method on a metal door and frame, simply open the door, place the nail in the screw heads of the hinges, and the door closer does the rest.

Which pocket is it anyway?

Firefighter Mitch Sanders from Orlando Tower 11 send in a real simple idea about keeping stuff in your pockets...Which pocket is it in? He mentions how it drives him crazy digging thru his pockets looking for that tool that is needed RIGHT NOW! He suggests organizing your pockets like the compartments on the rigs. He has an extrication pocket (valve stem tool, center punch, etc.), search pocket (chocks, nails, small search rope, etc.) and tool pocket (screwdriver, wire cutters, etc.) He points out how we go to great lengths to organize our rigs so that our tools are stored for EFFICIENCY, and why should our personal tool should be any different?

Wedge Storage

Firefighter Ryan Marzheuser from Sycamore Township Ohio sent in this photo of another way to conveniently store a door wedge. Simply drill a hole into wedge and loop an EMS or fire extinguisher tag through the hole. (See, we knew EMS has it’s place on a truck company!) This allows this loop to be clipped onto your bunker coat. You could really use the tag to secure the wedge almost anywhere. Just pull on the wedge to place it in service. The beauty of this method is that it is truly a break away set-up, it will free itself if it gets hung up on anything.

Tool Sleeve

Lt. Tim Biermann from Baltimore City Rescue 1 sent in this great idea to keep your pockets organized. This tool sleeve is fashioned from a scrap piece of 3" supply line and sealed off with some duct tape. He pointed out that it keeps your tools together and upright for easy access and removal. It also prevents your tools from poking through your pockets, and jabbing you in the leg. He also gets credit from being the first person to come up with a good use for hose on a Truck Company.

Flashlight Wrap

Lieutenant Walt Lewis from Orlando Fire sent in this idea of wrapping your backup flashlight. At first glance you may not understand the need for a flashlight wrap, but read on, this one makes perfect sense.
A backup flashlight that is simple to use with a gloved hand is vital on the fire ground. An idea he picked up from a previous partner (Engineer Mike Horn, may he rest in peace) is to wrap the handle of the flashlight like you would a Halligan. One step better, is to have the oxygen tubing end at the push button to activate the light, so that in a hurry, with gloves on, and in the dark, you can find the switch and get your light going.

Pruning Saw

Lt. Pat Gallagher from Martin County Fire has an interesting idea for hurricane windows. He has found that a pruning saw makes quick work on them, and caries a small folding saw in his pocket for that purpose.
He has noticed a significant increase in the popularity of hurricane windows in his coastal area of Florida. For obvious reasons hurricane windows don't break like traditional windows. They are laminated, and designed to remain in place even after taking a significant impact. He has found that using a Halligan to create a purchase point and using the saw to be quite effective. Once the purchase is made, the saw can be used to "clear" the window. This method works well if a window needs to be opened in a hurry, without having the proper equipment readily available.
A saw would be the tool of choice if multiple windows need to be opened. Obviously the preferred method would still be to take the entire frame out, and the glass shouldn't be too much of an issue. Another interesting observation about hurricane windows is that they tend to be mounted flush regardless of the type of building construction being used. The old trick of flush mount = wood frame, and recessed (with sill) = block or masonry may not be as much of a tell-tale sign as it used to be.