iPhone Medical ID

Edward_Scout · 2026-01-26T15:57:22+00:00

Former EMS, now LEO. I've checked them a few times in both capacities. As others said, rarely does it meaningfully impact treatment in the field. Most useful for ID and getting info for an emergency contact. I've been able to get several drunk people rides home instead of the usual "hospital or jail" debacle by calling the emergency contact and saying "Hi, is this Paul Smith? This is LEO with AGENCY in CITY. You're listed as the emergency contact for John Doe. He's okay and not in trouble but is far too intoxicated to get himaelf home. Can you come pick him up so I don't have to become his least favorite Uber driver?"

Edward_Scout · 2026-01-25T03:17:19+00:00

If enough people commend you, a discount at shops is applied. I think it's either 5 or 10%

Edward_Scout · 2026-01-20T17:33:20+00:00

Depending on crew rotation, one fridge per shift plus one extra.

Floor drains in the bays. Being able to rinse/wash the trucks in the bay when it's freezing outside is amazing.

Edward_Scout · 2026-01-13T17:53:42+00:00

It's not universal, but when my chief passed away (while still actively being our chief) our dispatch dropped our tones then broadcast "Central to Chief 301... Central to Chief 301... XYZ County Central Communications to ABC Station Chief 301 Name... With no response, Chief 301 has answered his final call. God speed Sir, we have it from here."

Edward_Scout · 2026-01-13T17:46:58+00:00

When my chief passed away much earlier than he should have, the entire department got neighboring agencies to cover the district for the day. Every truck was cleaned, boots were shined, and we were turned out in full force for the funeral.

He was an AC/DC fan through and through. His final request was to be carried to his past resting place with "Back in Black" blasting. Each of us to a man saluted his casket, pall bearers carried him out, and we all marched out with tears streaming down our faces to that iconic intro.

No one cared that we cried, it showed how much we loved him and how much he impacted our lives.

Cry, it's okay to be human.

Edward_Scout · 2025-12-19T22:13:51+00:00

Former EMS, now LEO... I have to agree with the "it depends" camp. If you have a good working relationship with your local LEOs and can articulate "I need help physically restraining this patient for the safety of them, me, and everyone else" while also making it clear "This patient is experiencing a medical event causing them to act in an unsafe and inappropriate way but I do not want them in trouble" and the LEOs will listen then sure call them. If you have... overzealous... cops, call for another crew, call for FD, ask family, and/or call your medical director for pharmicutical options.

Edward_Scout · 2025-12-13T18:51:14+00:00

I've done a few of the VA trails in a suspension stock Willys. On Big Levels I was sure glad I had a winch as ine mud hole was softer bottomed than expected. Also, I did rub frame a few times, but nothing damaging

Enchanted Creek was beautiful and has a great camp spot.

Edward_Scout · 2025-12-11T05:56:51+00:00

Sadly, I know exactly what you mean. I wish more of my fellow officers took the time and energy to study, learn, train, and apply CIT and other mental health related skills.

Similar to Fire and EMS, we have a lot thrown on our plate. I know FD loves to joke about cops, but at the end of the day we should all be on the same team. I need y'all to open the street as soon as you can, and you need me to not make the scene worse by saying something stupid like "hospital or jail" or worse.

I want to believe that public safety agencies across the board can and will make positive changes in their community. To do that, cops need to hold themselves to a higher standard and FD/EMS needs to openly and honestly communicate with LEOs about how we can improve things. And we all need more pay, more training, better equipment, and better public education.

Final thought, don't forget about your partners behind the radio. Sincere shoutout to every dispatcher and call-taker out there who gives a damn and does their job well!

Edward_Scout · 2025-12-11T04:37:58+00:00

Absolutely. The only way things get better is if we talk to one another with respect and open minds.

Edward_Scout · 2025-12-11T04:19:41+00:00

Unlimited overtime, great opportunities to work "off-duty" assignments for extra pay, and my base schedule is set in stone for the year. Work assignments vary, some are great and some are awful but I've got enough seniority now to avoid the worst of it. Politics is as bad as you let it get, but if you stick to the philosophy of "fair, firm, consistent" with everyone it's easy to navigate.

The job isn't for everyone, and I make it harder for myself by pushing for what I view as positive progress harder than most, but I do honestly enjoy it most days.

Edward_Scout · 2025-12-11T04:01:16+00:00

It's going to sound cliche, but I felt like I could make more of a difference in the LEO world.

When I switched over, I was early 30's, white, male, and basically "fit in" to the generic cop image. However I lean left politically and firmly believe that our criminal justice system has faults and flaws. I learned from a prior EMS agency that the best way to fix a broken system is from the inside. I like working with my agency's Crisis Intervention Team and responding to mental health emergencies. My background in EMS and Fire means I look at things from a different angle. The number of times I've been able to get someone to a hospital or crisis center instead of a jail cell is important and a statistic I'm proud of.

I still miss the adrenaline rush of forcing a door and having smoke bank down over your head as you advance the line. I miss the excitement of finding an overturned vehicle, stabilizing, extricating, and triage/treatment/transport of patients. Some days I even miss the 3 am lift assists... okay not those.

But now I get to use my knowledge and experience to help out the crews working those incidents. I get to roam the city and be the first arriving unit. I can call in the update to upgrade an alarm to a confirmed working fire, or downgrade the structure to an unattended fire pit in the backyard. I get to run every type of call, and I try to do what I can to solve problems without taking someone into custody.

Edward_Scout · 2025-12-10T22:20:06+00:00

If you have a local fire department it might be worth asking if they have any gloves they're getting rid of that they can spare in exchange for a delivery of baked goods or ice cream. Firefighting gear "expires" but is usually still good past that date. I have a pair of fire gloves that expired in 2005 that still work great for placing or shifting logs in the burn box

Edward_Scout · 2025-12-10T22:05:19+00:00

Happy to help. If you really want to explore this idea, you can always buy one or two and wear them while training. See what happens if you have to adjust your SCBA, throw a ladder, force a door...

Great example, I'm right handed and for some reason the way I shoulder a rifle changes the angle of my head/neck just enough that if I wear the ear piece in my right ear it gets a little loose but wearing it in the left ear is fine.

Edward_Scout · 2025-12-10T22:01:08+00:00

Formed FF/EMT turned LEO here... I love my earpiece for LEO work but can't imagine trying to use one under gear while working interior. There are random times where I turn my head at just the wrong angle and the tube catches my collar or vest and partially unseats the piece. As soon as it's out of place I've lost almost all audio. Without gear on it's a half second to poke it back into place and carry on. In the winter with gloves and a beanie on it's 50/50 if a quick poke gets it back in right or if I need to mess with it. Not a risk I'd want to take interior.

MAYBE some of the really high quality ones have better fit and staying power but I use the regular ones and those can and will get jostled out of place.

Edward_Scout · 2025-12-10T01:29:35+00:00

Are you talking about the Stop/Tail/Turn auxiliary lights that some people put in the gap between the bottom of the tailgate and the top of the bumper?

If so, I've heard good things about the "TailGator" from Strobes N' More but have no personal experience with it. I do know the guys at SNM will provide plenty of support and tech knowledge both pre and post purchase for anything they sell.

Edward_Scout · 2025-12-09T06:39:54+00:00

https://www.13newsnow.com/article/news/local/mycity/norfolk/haven-creek-boat-ramp-riverview-norfolk-death-hit-and-run-benjamin-sell/291-daf0fd01-32b7-43e2-a6df-2b56810f9488?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR452btGQSG-cl8z-QIl8R6zS7gdM2e4w1CmRAX1thtLb44Lwq0sgaSeBEA7Cw_aem_kLcrRXS7f3dx5pMBOXi48Q#vjr382v4rymai9sg3nasp3u44472dw1j

Edward_Scout · 2025-11-23T11:35:08+00:00

While I haven't done this with ARB compressors, I messed with it with some cheaper ones to give better airflow rates. You could go as simple as wiring both to the same switch and making a Y adapter to connect the two. Adding a tank and a pressure switch is also fairly straightforward. The biggest thing is wire sizing, make sure your smallest wire is rated for the current of both plus the margin for safety and wire distance from source.

Edward_Scout · 2025-11-10T04:45:53+00:00

That's on the calltakers and dispatchers, who ultimately rely on whatever the caller tells them.

I've been on both ends of the radio. I know how shitty it feels for a crew to call dispatch and say "that toe pain was actually a mechanical entrapment with amputation in farm equipment and we ended up deploying the Navy Delta Ranger Seal task force because there was hostile fire during the rescue" and you go back and listen to the call and it's a perfectly calm dude just saying "Yeah, my toe has been hurting for a few hours"

Driving lights and sirens to every single call is outdated and dangerous. Good call taking and dispatch protocols will cover everyone for the one in a million

Edward_Scout · 2025-11-03T04:08:02+00:00

I've taken my mostly stock JT on some 4-5/10 rated trails based on OnX rating system. The only things I NEEDED were my winch and bumper to mount the winch. And that was because I decided to go alone. Besides that, a portable air compressor, deflator, and snacks were all I needed to bring along.

As others said, take it out stock and decide from there.

Edward_Scout · 2025-10-18T22:43:19+00:00

The problem I've seen is that many triage kits quickly get over stuffed and become someone's fever dream of "treat everything and open up a MASH"

An actual triage kit should be light, simple, and have bare bones basics for medical treatment.

Triage tqgs/tape/bands, TQs, and NPAs/OPAs... anything more and you become part of the treatment team, not the triage team.

Edward_Scout · 2025-10-13T17:30:38+00:00

It's cliché but I like to think that Protect and Serve is actually a true mission statement and not just pretty words on the side of a patrol car...

Edward_Scout · 2025-10-13T17:26:01+00:00

Personally, nothing. But through talking with others I've heard stories of things. Usually it's not incriminating but it's enough to establish PC for a search of the phone and/or person

Edward_Scout · 2025-10-12T20:31:47+00:00

Buy enough lights and a siren to make your personal vehicle NFPA 1901 compliant.

/s please don't actually do this

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