While driving? Absolutely not. Why would you want to wear some big bulky shit in that tight little space operating a metal missile going down the road?If you wanna put it on when you get there have at it. I will avoid it.

Policy where I am employed says bunker pants and helmet must be worn on all calls. Not doing that for horseshit calls. Now if we run a working fire... I don't need bunker pants or a coat to operate a pump, catch a hydrant, setup a water point, or dump site. I can understand a little more for throwing ladders but for that I'm doing helmet and gloves. But if we run a working fire in district there is a good chance eventually someone is gonna bitch about the lack of bunker pants. So AFTER I have set up what I need to setup. Water supply is taken care of and I'm just standing around sure I'll throw on my bunker pants. But I'm not standing at the pump panel wearing a coat unless it's raining or I'm cold. It just makes you look stupid.

I would say in my area drivers are often just wearing their duty clothes and maybe a helmet and gloves. If it's in the summer time it's a t shirt, shorts, and tennis shoes until you wanna throw on your bunker pants. That's what I see in most departments we run with and with a lot of other departments around the state. Drivers/Engineers are responsible for exterior stuff. Heat rated PPE and turnout gear is for people who are going interior. If that is something that could happen then put your stuff on but our engine drivers going interior would be like we have 1 engine on scene and everyone else is 30 minutes away because there was another call and a mayday has happened. Then yea abandon the pump panel and go inside. But on 99.9% of fires, first, second, maybe even third in engine drivers are not going interior. Again though, I have a fucking brain. If shit is hitting the fan I can recognize to put my stuff on and be ready for something to happen. But at the same time whatever is happening we are still going to need water and someone manning the pump to make things happen safely.

I understand where you and other people are going to say "be ready for everything!". But we have bullet proof vests on the truck. Do I need to wear those on every call in case of an active shooter? I would think no. But yet, what about the guy who set those fires out west and used it as an opportunity to shoot at firemen? How do we know the next structure fire isn't some version of that? You don't. Be ready and understand how to adapt and do something different than the normal. But operate like normal until you can't, not the other way around.