Every firefighter carries something in their turnout coat beyond what the department issues. The question is what. A good pocket kit covers the small jobs that come up before the big tools come off the rig: breaking a car window, cutting a jammed seat belt, holding a door, tightening a coupling. The right mix depends on your assignment. An engine firefighter on a highway call needs different tools than a truck firefighter on a search. This checklist breaks down firefighter everyday carry (EDC) by company type, with the specific tools Fire Safety USA stocks for each job.
Key Takeaways
- Build your pocket kit around four jobs: vehicle access, cutting, door control and hose work.
- Engine companies should put a spanner, a door chock and a seat belt cutter first.
- Truck companies lean on wedges, a window punch and a multi-function rescue tool.
- Rescue and EMS-heavy companies need cutters that handle webbing and straps, not only seat belts.
- Every tool you carry should work with gloves on and stay attached during a crawl.
- Weight adds up. Pick tools that do two or three jobs before adding another single-purpose one.
The Four Jobs Every Pocket Kit Covers
Pocket tools don't replace irons, a hook or a hydraulic cutter. They fill the gap between arrival and the moment the right big tool is in your hands. Most calls create one of four small problems:
- Vehicle access: breaking tempered side glass to reach a patient or unlock a door.
- Cutting: freeing a patient from a jammed seat belt, or cutting straps and webbing.
- Door control: holding a door open to protect a hoseline or search path, or keeping one from closing behind you.
- Hose work: tightening or breaking a coupling without walking back to the engine for a spanner.
Cover those four and you have the base kit. Everything past that depends on your company assignment.
Engine Company Pocket Tools
Engine firefighters stretch and advance lines, so hose work and door control come first. A folding spanner handles coupling adjustments at the door or in a stairwell. The Folding Pocket Spanner Wrench from South Park Brass is a light-duty, zinc-finished spanner that folds small enough to ride in a coat pocket. Crews working larger supply line should look at the Res-Q-Rench from Task Force Tip, which fits rocker lug handline and supply couplings. Task Force Tip also designed it to work with most 4" and 5" Storz locking couplings.
The Task Force Tip Res-Q-Rench pairs a folding spanner with a window punch, belt cutter and gas shutoff wrench.
A door chock keeps a swinging door from pinching the line. The Fat Ivan Folding Door Chock with Magnets weighs 5 ounces and attaches to your helmet with built-in magnets, so it stays in reach without digging through a pocket. Many engine companies also run vehicle accidents, so a seat belt cutter and window punch belong in this kit too.
Engine company checklist:
- Folding spanner or multi-function spanner
- Door chock or wedge
- Seat belt cutter
- Spring-loaded window punch
Truck Company Pocket Tools
Truck work means forcible entry, search and ventilation, so wedges come first. Carry at least two: one for the door you came through and one for the next door on the search. The Super Door Wedge with Carabiner is a 4.25-inch wedge 3D-printed from PLA+. It clips to your coat on a reflective paracord loop sized to grab with gloves on, and it comes in green, yellow and orange so it stands out on a dark floor.
Super Door Wedges in green, yellow and orange, each rigged with a reflective paracord loop and carabiner.
A spring-loaded window punch belongs here as well. It breaks tempered glass with thumb pressure, so you need no room to swing. The Spring Loaded Window Punch with Pocket Clip has a hardened steel point and an aluminum barrel and weighs 2.5 ounces. The Key Ring Window Punch with Red Point rides on a key ring or a gear bag zipper.
Pocket tools support the irons; they don't replace them. Fire Safety USA's forcible entry collection covers the bars, keys and straps that do the heavy work.
Truck company checklist:
- Two door wedges
- Spring-loaded window punch
- Multi-function rescue tool
- Seat belt cutter
Rescue and EMS-Heavy Company Pocket Tools
Rescue companies and departments with heavy EMS volume spend more time cutting than prying. A standard seat belt cutter handles belts and clothing. Harnesses, stretcher straps and rescue webbing call for a heavier tool. EMI's Quick-Cut Rescue Tool uses replaceable V-shaped stainless steel blades, and EMI rates it to cut webbing with strengths up to 10,000 pounds in a single stroke. Its tip also breaks vehicle glass.
The EMI Quick-Cut Rescue Tool cuts heavy webbing with replaceable V-shaped blades.
For vehicle access in one package, the Auto Rescue Kit from Fire Hooks Unlimited bundles a seat belt cutter, a spring punch, a shove knife and a trunk key.
Rescue and EMS checklist:
- Seat belt cutter with replaceable blades
- Webbing cutter for harnesses and straps
- Spring-loaded window punch
- Vehicle lockout tools
How to Carry Pocket Tools So They Are There When You Need Them
- Test everything with gloves on. If you can't open the clip, unfold the spanner or press the punch in your gloves, the tool won't get used. Our guide to structural, extrication, wildland and rope gloves covers which pair to test with.
- Secure every tool. Pocket clips, key rings, carabiners and magnets keep tools from falling out during a crawl.
- Give each tool a fixed pocket. Reaching for the same spot every time beats searching in the dark.
- Watch the weight. A few ounces per tool adds up fast, so favor tools that cover more than one job.
- Keep spares on the rig. Pocket tools get dropped and left at scenes. A backup set in a tool bag on the apparatus covers the gap.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a firefighter carry in their pockets?
Most firefighters carry a window punch, a seat belt cutter, a door wedge or chock, and a spanner or multi-function rescue tool. The exact mix depends on company assignment: engine crews favor spanners and chocks, truck crews favor wedges and punches, and rescue crews favor cutters.
What is firefighter EDC?
Firefighter EDC, short for everyday carry, is the set of personal tools a firefighter keeps on their gear for every call. It covers small tasks like breaking glass, cutting belts, holding doors and adjusting couplings.
How many door wedges should a firefighter carry?
Two is a common minimum for truck and search assignments: one for the entry door and one for the next door you need to control. Engine firefighters often carry one wedge or chock to protect the hoseline.
Can a pocket window punch break a windshield?
No. Spring-loaded punches break tempered glass. Windshields are laminated, and AAA's 2019 testing found that none of the escape tools it tested could break laminated side glass. Use a glass saw for laminated glass.
Are pocket tools issued by the department or bought personally?
Both happen. Some departments issue a standard pocket kit so every member carries the same tools. Others leave it to the individual. Standardizing by company type makes it easier for a crew to know who carries what.
Build Your Pocket Kit
Fire Safety USA carries window punches, seat belt cutters, door wedges, spanners and multi-function rescue tools in one place. Browse the full pocket tools collection, or connect with a Fire Safety USA sales rep to outfit an entire company. Questions? Call 1-877-699-3473.