Advice for a light for an EMT????

[Marduke]

A little trick I have been known to use:

For a while, I used to EDC a 1xAA Ultrafire C3 (since replace by a NCDI). I put a clip on it for bezel up carry. Now, it is important to understand that I almost ALWAYS have a baseball cap on, or within arm's reach. When I needed some hands-free illumination, rather than hold it in my mouth (which would be especially bad for an EMT if he had already contaminated the light by touching the patient's fluids, then the light), I could clip it to the brim of my hat for an instant, comfortable, bright headlamp. No bulky straps to deal with, and no extra headlamp to carry. You have to scrounge an extra clip from something (old light, permanent marker, etc.), but it gives you the equivalent of having another light.

 

[dougie]

Marduke

I'd love that option of wearing a baseball cap. Unfortunately were not allowed to wear any item of non uniform clothing and guess what? Baseball caps aren't part of our uniform. Officially we are always supposed to wear a hard helmet in car wrecks or when on motorways etc. Health and Safety legislation!!

On my helmet I've attached a specialized helmet light but it isn't ideal. Our hard helmets don't have edges or brims on them like most American helmets do and consequently there aren't many places to attach clips or brackets to hold the normal range of helmet lights. Because we wear visors attached to our helmets normal headlamps don't fit.

As far as contaminating a flashlight before I've put it in my mouth it hasn't happened yet....fortunately! In my case I work alone from a car and unnecessary time wasted in getting extra safety equipment on is extremely limited. In situations such as cardiac arrests seconds count and that is why I love the option of having the G2L in a V70. I can be out the car put my gloves on get flashlight in hand (or mouth) and get to work with as little time wasted as possible.

Shame about the baseball caps though!:shakehead

Doug

 

[Marduke]

They also make clips that specifically clip to the edge of a hardhat, which fit standard size AA lights.

Like these:
http://batteryjunction.com/niizeheclfry.html

Just Google 'helmet clip' or something like that

You don't have a baseball cap as part of the uniform? Maybe you could talk them into providing one with your department logo on the front.

 

[stonehold]

A Pelican VersaBrite might do. Hands free, uses AA's, long run time, articulated head, easy operation and durable.

 

[KeyGrip]

Pelican makes a few for not a stupidly large amount of money.

LumensFactory makes a very nice penlight which they include with orders over $30 on their website. I believe Lighthound also carries them.

 

[K9-Handler]

Hi;

I've been in search and rescue for about 12 years now, but used to ride on a very busy volunteer ambulance as an EMT/Crew Chief/Instructor for 17 years prior. Been an EMT since '84.

Pupil reactivity can be checked with a fairly dim penlight, since he will be doing it in the dark. Outside during the day pupils are already constricted so no light will work. We used to "liberate" some freeby disposable lights at the hospitals that probably came from some drug company as handouts. :devil: You don't need to blind the patients.

For a regular duty light, like finding your way to a front door at 3:00 AM, go with a cheap light, not a SF or SL. Believe me, whatever light you get him will be lost within a year (at the most!) anyway, and if it was a cheap one he won't feel so bad. Ya tend to do a lot of bending over at scenes and crawling in and over stuff, so lost equipment is a given.

Check out the posting a few slots above regarding the Task Force light available at Lowes. Genuine Cree for $30. Get him two! I carry a Lowes 1AA 1w Luxeon (red body) that puts out incredible light and was so cheap it hurts. Ray-O-Vac makes a nice 3-watt tactical light that has an incredible output for (memory) $30 at K-Mart.
No big deal if a hulking firefighter stomps on it at an accident scene....

Good luck!

K9-Handler

 

[MikeLip]

Hi;

I've been in search and rescue for about 12 years now, but used to ride on a very busy volunteer ambulance as an EMT/Crew Chief/Instructor for 17 years prior. Been an EMT since '84.

Heh - I've been doing it since 1975. I'm an old dude. And yeah, I agree with the giveaway lights, they work fine. I also recommended SF since I am a firefighter - we don't dedicate people as EMTs or firefighters, we rotate through the jobs. Surefire can take getting stomped on, dropped, scorched, wet (and bloody and puked on and stuff - I have a few lights that I won't sell to anyone because they may not be something you'd want in your pocket. My Tri-Star Phaser is, umm, gross). I haven't lost one yet, but if that's a concern you raise good points. Mag also seems like a good, reasonably inexpensive option, though I've never tried one as a service light. And you can replace it by going to your local Walmart.

 

[Brozneo]

Im a paramedic and I use a few light for different situations. I carry a cheap incap penlight for checking pupils. I carry either an A2 or Milky L1 - depends of the bigger light I'm carrying. I also carry either a Mag11 or a SF M6 with LED Tower Module. I always want one incan with me to see colours better. Therefore If I have my Mag11, I have my Milky L1 and when I have my M6 LED I have my A2.

I have never found myself in a low light situation where I have had to hold one of my lights - usually a by-stander / police officer / fire fighter will hold my light for me! Yay!

 

[K9-Handler]

- usually a by-stander / police officer / fire fighter will hold my light for me! Yay!

That's how I lose them! :laughing:

 

[dougie]

I don't want to go off topic here but I was at a crash once where the police had got there first . They had used a large and expensive first aid kit at the scene. We arrived and took the patient to hospital....later on I saw one of the police officers who told me it had gone missing !! Strange world!

D-

 

[MikeLip]

That's how I lose them! :laughing:

That's how I got my Welch-Allyn! A doc at the local ER asked me to hold it for him. In my shirt pocket it went and the next day I'm going "Hey, why is my shirt so heavy???"

I never met that doc again, so I still have the light 10 years later.

 

[bonvivantmike]

I am an EMT, and I carry an L4 with McE2S for two-stage. I seldom have to use it on high, but when I do, it's there. And low works well for looking for items dropped on the floor, or illuminating a scene when my eyes are dark-adapted.

I also carry a UK eLED Penlight S for checking pupils and other low-light tasks. I haven't yet felt I needed an incandescent for tissue color rendition or other purposes.

And both lights run on rechargables!

Another light I sometimes use is the Fenix L2D. The low is low enough for pupil checks (usually with the corona of the beam, not the hotspot) and the turbo mode is enough to light up any scene. And it runs well on NiMH AAs. It has the added bonus of fitting in the flashlight slots of most EMT holsters, which are designed for Mini-Maglights.

 

[RAF_Groundcrew]

As much as I love my Surefires, I recently got a Pelican 3610PL (Little Ed), for my voluntary EMT dutues, and I'd recommend it for these reasons;

Right angle head with clip - forward facing light when clipped to a jacket.
As water resistant as you're ever likely to need.
Photoluminescent bezel - so you can find it in the dark.
4 AA cells, readily available.
32 Hour runtime.
Good throw beam.

Affordable, and available from lots of places on the net (I got mine on ebay from e-bestsource). I've also replaced the label on the front of the light with some 3m Diamond Grade yellow reflective tape, for a little extra conspicuity.

 

[saildude]

Your "32 hours of runtime" is a delusion - uses the same Led system as my 2410 which has about 3 to 4 hours runtime and only so so regulated. Not even Pelican can explain how the 32 hours was arrived at ( I tried to get them to explain their numbers when I first bought my 2410 and found out that things were not as advertised )

Interesting side note - the spec. sheet that came with my 2410 called out I think 4 hours but you had to have bought the light and read the fine print on the inside sheet. The light does have a nice beam though. Nice reach etc.

 

[Hitthespot]

I can't remember what thread or who posted it but I do remember the light. I'm pretty sure he was an EMT and I believe he said all the trucks in his city were issued Surefire E2e's. He thought they were great lights for the job. Perfect for close up work with a nice spot to spill ratio. I own an E2e and also feel it or the L4 might be the right light for the job.

Bill

 

[RoyJ]

Not even Pelican can explain how the 32 hours was arrived at

Simple - hold an infrared thermometer to the bulb filament and see how long it remains above room temperature