8 Must-Have Accessories and Tools for Firefighters

Do you want to be well-prepared as a firefighter? There are some tools that you’ll need to have.

There are a total of 1,064,500 active career, volunteer, and paid-per-call firefighters registered in the United States. Many of these firefighters carry the same firefighter gear with them to ensure that they can stay safe and perform their duties adequately. 

As a firefighter, it’s important to be well-equipped. Here are 8 must-have accessories and tools for firefighters.

1. Flashlights

An essential thing for a firefighter to have is a collection of several different personal lights that can be used in dark conditions. This can help in instances when it’s late at night and electricity is cut off in a building. It can help you to navigate successfully while having great visibility.

It’s best to have a combination of personal lighting tools including at least one or two of each type of light including handheld flashlights, helmet lights, and right-angle lights. LED flashlights are often a good choice when looking for flashlights.

Remember, however, that whatever light you choose to use needs to be lightweight, easy to access, and easy to use, even with gloves on. 

2. Gloves

Another key piece of fire equipment is gloves. It’s a great idea to get good firefighter gloves that can easily be tethered to your wrists so that you can easily take them off and put them back on as needed.

You’ll likely want to have several pairs of gloves including structural firefighting gloves for use around tough blazes. Extraction or work gloves of some kind will also be helpful when it comes to working in vehicle accidents and similar situations. Keeping nitrile medical gloves around can also be helpful as well.

3. Flash Hoods

Having an extra flash hood around can also be very helpful as a firefighter. A flash hood will cover part of your face, neck, and hair and will offer additional protection from fire and heat. It’s a good idea to have an extra flash hood with you in case one gets ripped while in use.

There are plenty of flash hood options available that you can choose from. It can be worth having an extra one since they can add an additional layer of protection. This can help you when the going gets tough and when there are flames around.

4. Knives

Having a knife of some kind with you can also be very helpful as a firefighter.

Getting a high-quality emergency pocket knife can be a great choice and will help in a variety of situations. In addition to or in place of a pocket knife, you may also want to get a lock-back knife. A larger knife can help in a lot of situations where a pocket knife will be too small to be of use.

It’s best to have a sheath for your knife. Ensure that you have a great way to carry it while also having easy access at all times. 

5. Multitool

There are a variety of tools that can be useful to carry with you and they can help in many situations. Wire cutters, folding wrenches, snagger tools, and trauma shears can all be helpful to have.

If you want to simplify things a bit, however, you may want to get a great multitool to clip onto your belt. A multitool can cover a lot of important functionality while still being compact and easy to carry.

Make sure that you consider your options carefully and get a high-quality multitool that will have great durability and will last for a long time to come.

6. Escape Rope

Most firefighters will carry a bailout rope for personal use in order to make it to the ground when on the first floor or higher in a building. A rope can be very helpful and can end up saving your life if you’re ever in a difficult situation. 

Fortunately, there are many great bailout kits available. Getting one can allow you to get a reliable escape rope to use to escape a fire if needed. These kits often include an escape anchor as well. 

Be sure that you get a strong and specialized rope that offers the strength and length needed for bailing out of a multi-storey building. 

7. Door Chocks

An essential part of any firefighters kit should be door chocks, which many people know as door wedges. These simple wedges are all that’s needed to keep an open door secure. 

Door chocks can help firefighters in several ways. They can help to ensure that a door doesn’t close behind them and can help to alter ventilation as well. 

Door chocks can be made easily but it can be a great idea to buy some as well. It’s best to take at least 4 or 5 of these with you at all times to ensure that you’ll be able to have enough for any doors that you need to secure when in a building.

8. Radio

Having a great portable radio is also essential for firefighters. A portable radio can help you communicate with your team and relay important information and updates. 

You should make sure that you take a lot of care when choosing fire radios to use when communicating as a firefighter. Be sure that the radio has plenty of clarity and picks up the signal well. 

You may want to visit bk radio if you want to get a reliable firefighter radio.

Choosing the Best Accessories and Tools for Firefighters

If you want to be well-prepared for your responsibilities as a firefighter, be sure that you have the best tools to use. The tools for firefighters listed above such as door chocks, ropes, and flash hoods can serve you well when working to perform your duties.

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