What Knives are our EMS and Firefighers carrying?

M

MrPres

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Sep 12, 2005
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Did a search, and couldn't find a similar thread, so here it is! I'm going into the EMS field and I was wondering what people currently in that line of work prefer to carry. Any thoughts?
 
My knife dealer just sold a bunch of the BM hook's to local fire fighters.
BM5.jpg
 
From a FF standpoint - anything beefy enough to grasp when wearing wet gloves; stout enough to not break under stress; inexpensive enough to not lose sleep over if left behind, loaned out (for good), or gone missing; and sharp. A lot of the CRK&T models fill that bill - I've got a few and have, um, er 'given away' a few more...

From an EMT standpoint - almost anything a FF has handy will do. ;)
 
I know a forest fire fighter who carries a Gerber Multi tool. It's not very exciting. To him a knife is just another tool. He doesn't even know what brand axes they use! yea, I asked...
 
I carry a Benchmade 551 Griptilian and Benchmade Model 5 Rescue Hook in my firejacket.

In a pouch on my uniform belt I carry a Benchmade Mini RSK Mk1 in CPM-M4.
 
+1 on the Benchmade hook. I don't like anything big and pointy near my patients if I can help it, for both their safety and mine.

The slot used for the O2 wrench is handy, too.
 
When I am running with the squad, I just carry whatever I am EDC'ing at the time, currently a 710. On top of that I carry a byrd meadowlark rescue version or a Spyderco Salt. Very sharp, very stainless, and blunt tip, works very well. As far as fancy glassbreakers, I don't carry a knife with one of those, never had to use one, and we have glassbreakers on the ambulance
 
Spyderco Paramilitary and a Leatherman Ti charge for me.

ac1d0v3r1d3 said:
I know a forest fire fighter who carries a Gerber Multi tool. It's not very exciting. To him a knife is just another tool. He doesn't even know what brand axes they use! yea, I asked...
Click to expand...

If the Pulaski he uses was procured in the last 20 years, odds are it's a Barco, with a minor chance it was made by Council. If it's older than that, could be a TrueTemper.
 
Hi,

When I play FF, I just carry what ever is in my pocket. Which is generally a slip-joint of some kind, (and generally plain high carbon steel to boot). As a FF, your team should never get off the truck without at least a set of irons. When you have close to a half-million dollars worth of truck and gear on scene, you should have what you need to do the job at hand. And if you don't, you should be calling for the people who do.

When I work as an EMT on the ampalamps, the last thing I ever want to see is a sharp pointy tool next to me and my patient. At least one of us is already having a bad day and I don't want to deal with the possible extra stress that could be caused by the sight of the knife. Or the risk that some adrenalin-pumped assistant might cause an injury. If there is cutting that needs to be done, my EMT shears will do it.

That said, most of the FF and EMT's I know carry either a multi-tool, or a small folder that fits easily and unobtrusively in a pocket. They are handy around the station and in the garage. Us older guys tend to favor slippies and the younger guys smaller folders, either frame or liner locks.

In 15+ years of doing this, I have never needed a knife on scene. Though I will say that I've used my multi-tool a couple of times. I had to pop the hinge pins out of a bathroom door once. And I used it to unship a toilet to make it easier to remove a patient from a bathroom. And then I promptly left it behind, never to be seen again. But, I could have just as easily used the tools from the toolbox on the rig to do the job. I was just too lazy to get them.

Remember, Scene size up and Scene Safety! I don't want to read about anybody on the secret list.

dalee
 
In 6 years the only time I can rmember using a knife has been once or twice,I;ve used my leatherman quite a few times.Shears are your best friend when sum1 needs to be "trauma naked".I have used my Gerber Hinderer a few times but that was only to use the O2 bottle opener on side of the knife.
 
Almost none of the EMTs in my area are knife people. They carry whatever is cheap and sharp from Big R or Walmart. Occasionally I'll see one with a Benchmade.
 
Here's another recommendation for the benchmade rescue hook series, it is ridiculously sharp and cuts through belt/clothes/plastic/rope with ease
 
yes it is

but i had one, and one day i was using it, and it got caught up along a zipper and dulled it a bit

at this point, it is extremely hard to sharpen, it is chisel ground and difficult to get to
 
At the time I was an EMT (early 90's), I carried a Victorinox SwissChamp, but if I was back in the field today I'd probably carry something that can be opened with one hand.
 
Leatherman multitool and a Surefire Delta Folder....but honestly most of what I need as a paramedic is a smile, a friendly hello, and a pen.
 
Spyderco Rescue for cutting around patients. Benchmade Rescue Hooks are good for seatbelts and other "tight" fabrics, but they suck at loose clothing. I like a good FB for bunker gear. Something that you don't have to use finer motor skills to open with big gloves. The BM Grips are seen a lot around the fire house too. Then there are the majority of the guys with the Lowe's Box Cutter knife. That knife is everywhere because firemen are cheap.

I used a BM dive knife for a while until the sheath took a dump. The Spyderco Assist is another really good knife. The cobra hood helps with opening with gloves, but like I said before, a FB is better.

You can keep the glass breakers off knives. There is one on a rescue wrench I carry, and I have a center punch for auto windows. The ones on knives are junky IMHO.
 
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