P.P.E ?

[Chief 50]

Our organization is a rural Volunteer ambulance service. We run about 1500 calls per year. Up until last year, we never had uniforms except those that the member bought themselves. Last year, we issued every member a complete uniform (shirt, pants, shoes, etc.) Members are wanting to wear short pants on the ambulance in summer. The Safety Officer, and Uniform Committee say no way. Need to have long pants, and safety boots, not shorts and tennis shoes. Has any other small Volunteer Depts had to wrestle with an issue such as this ? Please give me your thoughts, and how to reach a comprimise. Thanks.

[FSRIZZIO]

We had the same thing come up a few years ago. Basically shorts were disallowed for obvious reasons of persoal protection. You wear gloves on your hands, goggles on your face. Exposed legs can pickup lots of pathogens, let alone the danger of a cut and your own blood getting in the mix. I've seen a few Depts. use them before, and they keep you cooler, but overall it's not too good of an idea.
Be Safe, Frank

[This message has been edited by FSRIZZIO (edited May 07, 1999).]

[e33]

Not to mention that shorts do not present a professional appearance, just my opinion.

[Ledbelly]

Chief...not a small volunteer dept. but we also went thru the same issue last year. In the end, shorts were allowed on a trial basis. The two major concerns are both mentioned here...protection for EMS personnel and professional appearance. Understand, our uniform pants were 100% polyester (?!) and some were anxious to get away from them no matter what; some weren't convinced of their 'protection' either as it didn't seem to take much to soak them thru. (But we did look marvelous...!) This year the city is coughing up for 65-35 blend pants and so attitudes may change. As far as EMS goes, it was left to the discretion of the crews to make sure they had 'adequate' PPE...gowns, etc. Personally, I'm still undecided. Comfort is a big issue in the summer (here) and some look alright in shorts and some don't. [ http://www.firehouse.com/interactive/boards/smile.gif And I've been on EMS runs where I wish I had a Class A hazmat suit, much less our meager poly britches. There probably isn't a simple solution; as long as EMS crews have (easy) access to extra PPE (masks, gowns, pants, drapes, etc) I guess I could go with shorts since, luckily, the majority of our EMS runs are not 'nasty' ones. Maybe you could convince someone to go for a trial basis...and keep track of exposures, etc? By the way, this came up for us because the PD started wearing shorts.

[sgt128]

We made the decision that shorts were acceptable as a uniform in the summer, the hot humid stuffy air in Maryland can be a pain.
On calls, the members have a choice, to wear coveralls, or go ahead and wear (gulp) turnout pants.
Shorts were aproved for medical calls, but not for car accidents, as we decided that a thin pair of pants did not protect a whole lot more than a pair of shorts would.
The shorts have to be of a decent length and not be cutoffs.

[Pelican Lake]

We had the same thing come up a couple of years ago. We are a VERY small volunteer ambulance that ta crews respond from their homes and in the summer (it don't last long here, northern WI) we had people who didn't want to change from being at the beach or playing volleyball or gardening to put long pants and a nice looking shirt on. They commplained that it took too long. Well showing up at an accident scene in cut-offs and a halter-top may look good to & on some, it's not very "professional looking" or safe for the EMT. So we made a compromise, wear what you want, but make sure you have something to put over it in the ambulance when you get called out. It's usually a t-shirt w/ a pair of sweatpants, but it still looks better than the alternative. http://www.firehouse.com/interactive/boards/smile.gif Stay Safe!

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People Helping People

[MD FF EMT-P]

I would avoid shorts like the plague. Which, incidently, one could get wearing them. No more time that your personnel actually spend on an ambulance call, why not let them wear what they want around the station :-), and issue jump suits for them to wear on calls?

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[Planter8]

The small Michigan department that I work for is 100% paid-on-call. We run fire as well as ALS transport. Our current policies prevent us from wearing shorts, so the City has purchased jumpsuits for all of the members. I personally prefer to simply wear my bunker pants, as this leaves my upper body exposed to the air (just make sure your not wearing a Budweiser T-shirt). After clearing the hospital, I can then lose the bunkers and drive back in comfort.

Many of the members simply keep a pair of navy cotton pants and a department T-shirt in thier POV's, and change at the station. I think that the two major concerns are to protect yourself, and look professional.

[Phil4601]

I would have to give shorts the thumbs down. For many reasons mentioned above. Professional presentation and protection from infection are the big ones.
The on duty crew wears uniform consisting of 50/50 blend white uniform shirt for medics and light blue for EMTs. Dark blue cargo style pants are usual for both.
The second out crew, which are not required to be in station unless the first crew is out usually utilize jump suits that the service purchased for the members. We are a very small EMS organization, and do EMS only, though we have a very good working relationship with the local volunteer fire departments.

In my own personal opinion, shorts just can't meet the requirements for safety and professionalism

[GTFDLt61]

We are a call Fd that runs first response EMS. We purchased nomex jumpsuits for all our members a few years back, and found that they were like bounty, the quicker-picker-upper. It was terrible. So we went with a 65/35 Poly-cotton suit. It offers reasonable protection to most medical emergencies, is very visible and easily identifiable as a member of the Fd. We also have the option to wear our bunkers.
Our ambulance comes from the neighboring town's volunteer company. The ambulance is staffed during the day, and the ambulance crews come from home at night. Daytime is not a problem for them, they are in uniform, however, at night or an A-2 call during the day, we run into a similar uniform dilemma with them. We have had some of their members show up in bike shorts and halter tops (not a pretty sight), still greasy from having changed the oil in the car, or they have their co-ed shirts on. We have complained to their Chief time and time again just to get them into jumpsuits. The suits work for us, they are cool enough in the summer, give you an extra layer in the winter, and are excellent as an identifier. We have had problems telling the difference between family, bystanders and the ambulance crew. Good luck in your quest, but I'd say no to shorts. As far as I'm concerned, as an economical way out, jumpsuits are the way to go. There are many vendors that can give you a quality, comfortable suit for well under $100 each.

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[firepros]

Yikes! Shorts worn on EMS calls? When is the last time you had a patient complain about how you were dressed for the call? What are we fearing? Shorts simply make sense in the right weather. If the medic is more comfortable, the level of care usually is also. Professionalism? A blimp in shorts looks just as professional as a blimp in a jump suit. Professionalism has nothing to do with how one looks. It is our traditional society norms that cause these impressions that shorts! Oh My! Goodness! Mabel, look at the hair on that guy, Gee! Gladys that boy has a beard how disgusting. You can't please everyone. Go with what may be defined as "community expectations" and not percieved notions. You can paint a house to be pretty good looking but if the foundation is weak what do you have. One of the largest and most progressive departments in the USA wears shorts (Phoenix) and many others. Uniform shorts/pants and a uniform shirt, t-shirt or golf style shirt marked with the department name, patches is the "team" wear of today. Be sure they fit. Poor fitting uniforms are worse than, Oh my! Shorts! Excessive baggage hanging out of a uniform and the panting from being out of shape looks much worse and is indicative of one not taking care of themselves before caring for someone else. Now let's move on to the topic of, "purple hair and more hardware on theirnose and ears then in my tool box", on paramedics...... professional?

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Ted J. Pagels, Fire Chief, Menominee, MI 49858