We went ahead and added the Bungee Cord trick from a few weeks ago to the What’s in Your Pockets page, and figure we’d include another submission while we were at it.
Lieutenant Brad Dougherty from Navy Region Mid-Atlantic Fire & Emergency Services sent in this latest what’s in your pockets update. The irony is that his submission is about what’s not in his pockets. He took an old army ammo bag and placed some of the items that firefighters typically carry in their pockets. The bag has a large interior compartment which has some organization slots on the inside. It also has exterior compartments for other items. These compartments allow the bag to be organized without being too cluttered. He uses the bag to eliminate the excess weight in his pockets. While responding to an alarm, he reaches into the bag to retrieve what he may need on that particular alarm. He even pointed out that he has taken the whole bag on a few special occasions.
21 thoughts on “Tool Bag”
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I think it is still important to keep a few tools in your pockets. The bag idea is great, especially for specialty lockpick tools or seldomly used tools.
Keep wire cutters and the essential tools in the pockets where they will “come in handy”…the less useful tools can go in the bag.
Ive actually seen a guy use a “fanny pack” as his tool bag, kinda strange to see but definitely works.
Good idea, but i think that having all your tools in a bag and just getting the ones that you think you will need can get you in trouble. As soon as you dont take something in you will need it. Carry the basics with you and put the specialty tools in the bag. Not knocking it or anything, if it works for you go for it.
Stay Safe!
I do the same type of thing. I have the essential (Fire Duty) tools in my pockets: small knife, wire cutters, 10 in 1 screw driver, some rope, a few chocks, etc… I also have a small bag similar to this one with some less commmonly used, more “service call” oriented tools: electrical tester, small adjustable, small pry bar, a few screw drivers, more chocks, work gloves, extra flash light. I put this next to my riding position on the piece at the beginning of the shift when I check my pack/equipment. Sure beats carrying the whole tool box from the piece to d/c an appliance or whatever the case is for the numerous service calls we handle. Seems to work for me and my local! STAY SAFE BROTHERS!
I call it my bag o’ tricks. It contains the tools the FD wont buy but we often need.
Most of our guys have put together a small “carry-on bag” that goes by their seat. I don’t think many guys keep tools in their bags, but rather use them to carry things like spare fire & work gloves, dry socks & t-shirt, forestry shirt, extra hood, mittens & winter hat, granola bars, breath mints, etc… Ya know, things that can make you a little more comfortable and make all the difference when you’re soaking wet at 2 a.m. with a wind-chill of -20 degrees… On second thought, that probably doesn’t effect you Florida jakes!
Be safe Brothers!
Chris
I guess I like the bag idea because it will get rid of the extra weight in your pockets. However, on most trucks, you already have a tool box and hopefully it has most of this stuff already in it. I may be all wet here but why be redundant.
That a boy Brad, I see you have time in your busy day. For me I carry a few Items in my “pocket”. But I have worked with Brad and their is a real need for the items, He works at a Navy base that is poor on certain equipment on certain apparatus, Some of the buildings are larger then a foot ball field and the ships (larger), So you may not have the time to call for the tool box. You have to make due. It could be like a pen, you have one on the rig, but you have to ask some one every time you need to write something down. When he responds to the same building he knows what tool he probably will need. I know their are a lot of Departments in the same boat.. Little funding, missing tools, so if you need to get the job completed fast you may need your own collection of tools.
P.S. I see you receive a promotion, Good Job. I hope things a well. Tell the guys HI. By the way did the Beas give you the ok on this…. LOL
Remember: Essentials in the pocket, everything else in a bag on the rig.
My canvass bag has saved me numerous times, some of the items not listed above that can be lifesavers include extra t-shirt, (long sleeve for winter) winter wool cap, extra hood + gloves, chap stick, door chocks, nails, dollar bills (for the soda machine while relocated…I know where that was going) Various USAR/Tech Rescue and local target hazard cheat sheets…the options are endless.
Quick story/side note: this bag works great for the “OOPS I forgot my gloves guys”:
While responding to a confirmed structure fire I noticed the my roofman scrambling with one glove on his hand and flailing around looking for his other glove in a panic. Much to his surprise my spare set strategically hit him in the noggin from across the doghouse. The a$$ you save may be your own!
Stay low and stay safe, thanks for allowing my 2 cents!
I agree with all of the above comments. I also keep and extra gear bag with much of the same, I dont know how many times I have checked the tool box on the rig in the morning and noticed that the cable cutters or other essential tools have mysteriously disappeared (left onscenes or put in a pocket and forgotten about) during the shift before. Talk about a life saver when you dont have to walk across a multi-story storage facility for a screw driver and everyone looks at you like a god when you got all the right tools!!!
Great idea. When I worked at Brunswick Naval Air Station we had one of these bags on our three structural pieces. Just a great idea especially when you work in HUGE buildings like a hangar and can’t walk back to the rig for something like the guy above mentioned. Merry Christmas guys and gals, be safe.
I also use the toolbag metheod and it works great. in my bag i carry a pair of channel locks, heavy duty pliars, 2 sets of extrication gloves, an extra pair of structural gloves, a digital camera, safety glasses, small pair of bolt cutters, adjustable wrench, a small and med size flashlight, extra wedges, a prusik, and an extra leatherman multi tool. many people here in western nc use tool bags. be safe guys.
Love the idea, I think I remember seeing an article in one of the trade magazines about the same thing. Unfortunately, I have to play musical fire trucks. Depending on the call will depend on whether I’m on the engine or truck. It would just be one more thing for me to have to grab and go to the piece with. One of these days when my dept. starts with proper staffing I might do it.
Stay Safe
Hey Brad think thats a great idea. Keep up the good work Bro. Wheres the ARFF Bag at! just kidding
great idea. we carry a small tool bag on all our first out apparatus in addition to our tool boxes. ironically, we very rarely use the tool boxes because the tool bags carry most of the usable essentials. of course, these bags do not replace the tools an individual might carry on him. great cheap way to get the job. much love for this sight…keep up the great work!
A pair of Paramedic Shears are worth their weight in gold. They cut through coax cable, suspended ceiling hangers, even a penny. Many a firefighter has become entangled in cables, wires, and ceiling hangers. I also keep a disposable “glow stick”, (the type you bend and it lights up)in my pocket as well in the event flashlight gets entangled and I have to get away from it or it dies. If I am entering via a window I crack it, jam it in the wall under the window so as to give me a reference point to return to if it gets shytty in there. The bag is a great idea. Just have to remember where you put it down and get it BEFORE the ceilings get pulled.
facetothefloor…
Great idea utilizing the glow stick. That will be one more thing I will add to my collection. I carry most of the tools mentioned above and the only thing I haven’t seen so far that I carry is an extra set of elevator keys.
This is a great idea to lighten the load in your pockets and only take what you may need on a given response. This idea appeared in the June issue of Firehouse Magazine page 95 written by Capt. Tony Tricarico of FDNY Squad 252 in Brooklyn
I WAS ABOUT TO FORM A SUPPORT GROUP FOR GUYS WITH BAGS. I KEEP A BAG WITH SEVERAL DIFFERENT TYPES OF GLOVES, EAR PROTECTION, EXTRA EYE PROTECTION, WOOL SOCKS, ETC. W/ MY GEAR. EVERYONE THINKS I’M CRAZY, BUT I THINK GUYS WITH BAGS ARE THE ONLY SANE ONES!
I put together a tool bag for mostly alarms, service calls, “high-rise” calls, and the ever fun “smoke check”. I made mine because I hate carrying things in my pockets. I only carry wire cutters and a shove knife in my pockets. I switched to a surplus army medic bag because of the shoulder strap and it’s compartmentalized.
Thanks for all the great comments I’ve really enjoyed all the feed back.
Stay Safe
Brad
An old timer and good friend of mine Kevin (Volunteer in PG County) has carried a bag like this for years. Great guy and one to learn from, Kevin was in one of the busiest Engine/Squad houses around Morningside 27. Whenever they were on a Squad run Kevin would reach in his tool bag and get what ever he needed for that call and vice versa for Engine calls. I was just surprised to see it here. I did think anyone else ever carried a bag like his. My pockets are always full. I never wanted to carry an extra bag around. But now I can see the benefits. Thanks for sharing