Recommendation? non-tacticool emergency response knives

IMG_0812.JPG Maybe these are what they have in his building.
I also recommend a leatherman multi tool. Maybe a surge.
marcinek said:
Heh? o_O

Maybe a Leatherman Raptor is worth considering. In addition to shears it has a glass breaker for breaking into...the..toilet stalls.
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barmettlerjosh said:
Benchmade triage has a glass breaker and strap cutter.
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I was going to post the same thing. I haven't personally owned or handled one. I was poking around on BladeHq's YouTube page a few days ago. Man they were convincing, an actual firefighter showed us the many benefits. I think it's worth a gander.
 
Good advice so far. Just to repeat and reinforce, most knives with a window breaker are not really worth your time. The exceptions that I would go for if needed would be Victorinox and Spyderco (I do like benchmade, but I have not handled a triage). But as a buddy of mine who's a fire-fighter has told me, when you need to break a window, everything is a window-breaker, and it takes as much practice to use most tools. I feel like he even managed to break a car window with a floor mat. (it had a rock stuck in it, he hit the rock with the flat of the ax)

Raptor would be good if you have a designated first aid kit I do like fanny-pack or shoulder-bag style as you can keep the pack stuck to you if you need to keep moving. Otherwise a Wave or Surge will get most of it done without too much fuss.

I do like specialist tools, but strap cutters do take some practice (and you have a knife) and you won't be giving 02 right? In a pinch you go for whats comfortable, so you'll be working with your EDC in all likely-hood, so make your EDC a multi since you have the choice.
 
Wow, thanks for all the responses so far. A lot of good options were mentioned. I have to digest this, because there is so much to choose from.

Maybe I need one knife for the office and another knife for in the car! Yeah, that sounds logical to me :)

For those wondering: The toilet doors all have 2 or 4 coloured glass panes in them. I was as surprised as you were when I first saw that. It's an old, big pre-ww2 monumental building, so I'm guessing these doors were fashionable back then? I understand that because it's a monument, we're not allowed to change these kinds of things. Also, we all have these 'flexible spots' where you don't have a fixed desk, but you're supposed to be flexible and just take whatever desk is free (almost everyone has their own laptop). Strangely enough, I end up in the same spot 90% of the time, but we have no drawers or anything like that to store these kinds of tools in and have them handy. It probably sounds kind of weird to people that aren't used to it.

The benchmade triage looks really nice, but it's a bit expensive. The Victorinox Rescue looks really functional, but a tad too big. A multitool would be good to have in my bag, but probably wouldn't carry in the jeans as well. All of the knives mentioned up until now look like solid picks, so many thanks for all of your input.

I'm going to see what else happens in this thread. I hope this thread will prove useful to others too.

Right now I'm leaning to saving up for the benchmade, or getting the Victorinox Rescue or a mulitool in my pack (or maybe both).

I think the leatherman Raptor would be good too, but I think carrying it on my belt would get too many weird looks from my coworkers. If I ever come across a great deal on it, it might just find its's way into my pack or my car though!
 
Lodd,

If you feel that the Victorinox Rescue is to large then you won't like the Triage. Keep in mind that you should have exam and work gloves as part of your kit. What feels large to you now may be perfect when you wear protective gear.

The two reasons that I never bought the Triage were it's overall size for an EDC and the G10 scales were a little rough for my liking. I also was not crazy about the carbide tip sticking out of my pocket all the time.

The Vic Rescue is the same size as the Soldier 08 and all the Trekker models from Victorinox. Remember, it does come with a belt sheath. Yes, the sheath is red in color but after a short time no one will notice or care. I think you can get black ones also.

I never saw the Leatherman Raptor until after I retired. I don't think Leatherman offered it back then. I am not really sure that I would want one, though. Tools do have a habit of disappearing, getting left behind when the call is finished, or they go with the patient, etc. Also, I've been in situations where people decide they want your gear more than you do. It happens. A good quality pair of shears work just fine for me. Plus, I look at the Raptor and can't help but think about keeping it clean.LOL.
 
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The triage was one that I always thought neat. If you want a bigger knife and different blade type, the contego has a glass breaker (honestly, just really like the knife and it has a glass breaker).

Sounds like you're looking for something smaller so I really don't have any good suggestions other than the triage as it's the only one I've looked at closely. I feel like for a lot of what you're asking it may be better to get a few different things, like a small pry bar/tool, a small knife, and maybe even a hammer or some other bludgeon instrument to break glass. I'm curious how the spring loaded glass breakers do against non-tempered glass, they seem to be pretty effective compared to the spikes as you don't need to try and push you're hand through a window to break it.

I think something like a modified sheepsfoot mini-grip works well for running along surfaces. I often flip it edge up for cutting items off of more delicate surfaces I don't want cut but the design still has some belly to push material up the edge and has a little bit more useful of a point.

I do prefer low tip blade designs when I need to be careful cutting. I just find it more controllable. Wharns for pokey, sheeps for safety.
 
As a firefighter / emt I have responded to 1000's of 911 calls and I've yet to pull out my knife on a scene. I recommend you pick up a cheap pair ($5) of trauma shears (to remove clothing) and maybe a small flashlight as poor lighting or no lighting can be a problem sometimes. You can also pick-up a small fingertip pulse oximeter (checks blood oxygen saturation and heart rate) for about $15-20 that will give you something to do and make you look like you know what your doing until fire gets there.
 
I don't think a Buck csar-t responder is any more intimidating than a Native 5. I have the thicker version (without the seatbelt cutter) and even that isn't a "don't save my life with that" kind of blade
 
roosterscrow said:
As a firefighter / emt I have responded to 1000's of 911 calls and I've yet to pull out my knife on a scene. I recommend you pick up a cheap pair ($5) of trauma shears (to remove clothing) and maybe a small flashlight as poor lighting or no lighting can be a problem sometimes. You can also pick-up a small fingertip pulse oximeter (checks blood oxygen saturation and heart rate) for about $15-20 that will give you something to do and make you look like you know what your doing until fire gets there.
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I'd say get a Petzl Taktica. They're cheap, super usefull and being able to have the light on your head and your hands free will pay off in an emergency.
 
Lodd said:
Yeah I guess it sounds kinda weird. The guy who gave the first aid bit of the course said they often find people who get heart attacks on the toilet, because often, just before the heart attack, people feel like they need to go. I can tell you, this course is NOT FUN if you are a slight hypochondriac.:)
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IIRC stimulates the vagus nerve when you bare down creating a vasovagal response causing near syncope to full syncope. Your body usually corrects quickly but if you have a CAD or preexisting cardiac conditions the stress could potentially cause an MI. More commonly MI's are related to physically stressful situations, again especially with people that have preexisting conditions.
In reponsonse to the OP's question the raptors are a great tool but relatively big/bulky. Swiss Army Rescue Tool smaller easier to carry and just as useful. Ultimately a pair of good trauma shears and a good prytool will do everything you need.
Just my 2 pennies.
Cheers
 
In theory, your employer should provide you with the basic safety equipment that you may need. In theory. However, don't be surprised to find a storage locker for your safety gear poorly stocked.

I know of one agency that supplies hard hats, goggles, safety vest, dust mask, trauma shears, and very cheap gloves. After that you are on your own.
 
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wensynch said:
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The yellow knife looks kinda neat but, I am not really sure that I like the strap cutter out in the open like that.
It's also made in China. If I am buying a Buck knife, I want it made here in the US. Buck does a beautiful job on the heat treatment of their US products.

You know, I have often thought about buying a fully serrated Spyderco Tenacious and dressing the blade tip with a file. Instant rescue knife. Use it on the job and a plain edge everywhere else. Egronomics would be the same as your EDC and if it disappeared on a call you would only be out about 40 dollars.

Does Spyderco still make a serrated Tenacious?
 
Look at the Benchmade Triage or Spyderco Assist. Bother aren't made to be tacticool they're more designed around EMT, Firefighter duty.

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Again, some excellent suggestions. I also really appreciate the practical tips from the more experienced people in here.

A light and a small prying tool would definitely come in handy, especially if the latter comes with some options for nuts and bolts.

I figure maybe I could make or buy a small (leather?) caddy that could contain the knife, the prying tool, maybe some shears and the flashlight. It would mitigate some of the concerns I have about the sizes of some of these wonderful tools and mostly conceal them so they wouldn't stand out as much. When I have a shift I could just put the caddy next to the radiotelephone on my desk and just grab them both when a call comes in.

You've all given me a wonderful excuse to buy some neat gear :) Of course, that's all this is; an excuse to look at some gear. Yes, all of it is practical and might prove handy, but I'll probably just do fine without this stuff. My employer provides the first aid kits and defibrillators and they are usually all in order and if I notice one isn't, it's fixed quickly.

That said, I like all of the stuff you guys posted so far, so it'll be really hard to choose. I think I'll pay a visit to some nearby stores when I have the time, see if I can handle some of this stuff first. The thread seems to have a slight preference to the Victorinox Rescue tool, so that's definitely high on my list.
 
Lodd said:
A light and a small prying tool would definitely come in handy, especially if the latter comes with some options for nuts and bolts.

I figure maybe I could make or buy a small (leather?) caddy that could contain the knife, the prying tool, maybe some shears and the flashlight. It would mitigate some of the concerns I have about the sizes of some of these wonderful tools and mostly conceal them so they wouldn't stand out as much. When I have a shift I could just put the caddy next to the radiotelephone on my desk and just grab them both when a call comes in.
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Look at nylon EMT holsters at your local police/fire uniform supply. There's also tons of stuff online. Online brands include Rothco. Spec Ops, Blackhawk, StatPaks, and Condor, just to name a few. You may also find that your local nursing uniform supply house may be helpful. If you are willing to order stuff from China, you can get some stuff dirt cheap. I just ordered a pouch from overseas two days ago and it cost me about seven bucks.

You could also change what type of backpack, laptop or messenger bag you use for your computer. Or maybe just add a small fanny pack to the gear you already carry. Try looking at cell phone holsters. I've seen pouches added to shoulder straps too.

Oh, add a small notebook and pen to your list. You may need to take SOAP notes on a patient at some point. You can get notepads with forms already printed but a small plain notepad works fine.
 
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