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In stark contrast to Tactical Pants Blog, Rogue Medic has mucho gravitas.

Infusing dozens of citations and studies, blogger Tim Noonan provides deep, meaningful analysis of processes and procedures in the EMS field.

To be honest, some topics discussed on his blog go right over our head — but not all. Noonan’s use of charts, tables, quotes, sources and commentary helps even dilettantes embrace medical research.

While he has only blogged for a little over two years, Noonan’s paramedic experience spans almost two decades. Last year his blog was even nominated as a Fire/EMS Blog of the Year. He kindly took a moment away from his growing body of study to answer a few questions for us.

Why did you start blogging?

I have been writing on various email listservs for a while. One of the medics I know from the listservs started a blog and has been very successful. A Day in the Life of an Ambulance Driver. I blame him.

What is the inspiration behind it all?

Writing on a blog allows me to format the topic in a way that may help me to make my point more easy to understand. Or it can allow me to just write something that is long and tedious. I do both. I don’t really try for long and tedious, but sometimes I can’t help myself.

Your blog is extremely thorough and at times pretty research heavy. Have you always been interested in formal research?

Pretty much. I find that the most effective way to convince medical directors to change protocols is with well-done and relevant research. I am trying to let people know what research is out there.

By looking at the research and understanding what conclusions can be drawn from any particular study and what may be reading too much into a study, we make progress in providing the best care for patients. If we aren’t doing this to provide the best care for the patients, then we might as well just go home and consider a different line of work.

How did you become a part of Research Blogging?

Research Blogging has their own rules for participation. As long as you follow their rules, you can blog through them.

Basically, they are looking for posts that provide some commentary on a study; something more than just reprinting the abstract or cutting and pasting from the paper. If you look at some of what others write for research blogging, they tend to be shorter than mine, which is not surprising.

I also write for Paramedicine 101, which is run by Adam Thompson. He asked me if I wanted to participate and maybe it was the way he phrased it, maybe it was that I was in a social mood, I don’t know. I try to post once a week there. Sometimes it works out to once a month. Other times it works out to several in a week. I have posted for some blog carnivals: Normal Sinus Rhythm, The Handover and Skeptics’ Circle.

I do not have any specific posting schedule. I try to post something two or three times a week on my blog. I also occasionally participate in some podcasts EMS EduCast, EMS Garage and MedicCast.

You list many quotes on your page—what is your all-time favorite?

I don’t have any particular favorite. I tend to add quotes now and then.

I put a new quote at the top of the blog, since I am trying to focus on pain management research for a while. It is an old quote from Albert Schweitzer: “We must all die. But that I can save a person from days of torture that is what I feel is my great and ever-new privilege. Pain is a more terrible lord of mankind than even death itself.”

One thing I like about quotes is that they get people to think about things differently. Many times people think of Nobel Prize winners as serious people who would never encourage any kind of “disobedience.” But the truth is that they often came up with the concept that earned them the Nobel Prize by being disobedient, non-conformist and rebellious.

For example, teachers are frustrated by hearing constantly that Einstein did not do well at math, yet look at his success. They might be more upset by this quote: “Never memorize what you can look up in books.” But what Einstein was saying is that we need to understand, rather than memorize. It does not matter how much we memorize, if we do not understand how to use what we have memorized.

I like to use quotes to get people to think. Too much of EMS is about discouraging thinking and just following orders. Do you know anyone who says, “I want a THOUGHTLESS EMT/medic/nurse/doctor”? The same is true for any of the emergency professions. Fire fighters, HazMat, police, FBI, any branch of the military, et cetera.

The thoughtless person is the customer service person, who takes up an hour of your time for a simple fix but provides the wrong fix. These are the people who provide material for comedians. This is not being all you can be. This is not what we want our children to grow up to be. This is not what we want when we have to deal with an emergency.

That may summarize my blog. I try to get people to think about things differently. It is only by seeing things differently that we develop the insight to make truly significant changes. The only time we can claim that we do not change is when we are dead. I will be there soon enough. I don’t need to treat my mind as if it is already dead.

How long have you been a paramedic? What attracted you to the profession?
I’ve been a paramedic for 17 years. I was going to be a father and figured that I needed to know what to do to deal with emergencies. I would never be able to forgive myself if something happened to my daughter, and I could have done something to prevent it.

I had watched Emergency! in the 1970s and liked the show, but every time I was around an injured person, I would look worse than the injured person. I learned to deal with that and found that I like EMS.

What’s the most frustrating part of your job?

The useless limitations on appropriate care. The pay. The benefits. The respect. The hours. The working conditions. Depending on when you ask, I’ll give a different answer.

And the most rewarding?

Helping people. Whether it is helping a patient directly, helping a student/coworker to understand something better, so that they can help patients better, or helping to change protocols to allow for better patient care.

For an interesting perspective on this, David Konig has written This Job Is Not About Helping People.

We hear that some medics do, in fact, wear tactical pants on occasion. Do you wear them? What’s your uniform like?

Yes. 5.11 Tactical Series. These are my uniform pants, and I like them.

My uniform is tactical pants, a polo shirt, boots and a belt. And underpants—they’re tactical pants, not commando pants. I like this uniform. I have no desire to wear anything even remotely formal. I have spent too much time wearing a suit to ever want to wear one again.

When Facebook switched “become a fan” to “like,” we were admittedly devastated.

Becoming a fan of utterly random things such as ice cubes, bookmobiles and mustaches is what social networking is all about. Sure, it’s great to connect with new-to-the-Internet relatives and hi-remember-me folks, but we prefer pure irreverence. And declaring fandom of intimate objects seems too ridiculously pointless to be ignored.

If you’re an LEO or a just a huge LEO supporter, get your mouse clicker ready to “like” the following pages. But we’re going to still refer to you as a “fan.” So there.

1. Handcuffs – It’s no surprise this popular restraint devise has garnered 930 fans. While those who wear ‘em might not ‘like’ it, others surrounding them probably do. Latest post: “Cops never think it’s as funny as you do. They sent me a picture of me speeding, so I sent a picture of a check… so they sent me a picture of handcuffs.”

2. Canine Police Unit – Life on the canine police unit isn’t easy street. And with zero fans currently, it’s up to you to show this page some love. Latest post: “Just passed a police training seminar in the parking lot of the scottish right building parking lot, a police station and a cop canine unit. Scottish rite? Seriously? Yes.”

3. Badges – Flash this page to your friends, and they’ll think you’re really something. With a respectable 412 fans, you might become the only fan who actually owns one. Latest post: “Badges dress up day today at Hooter’s! I’ll be Mrs. Officer tonight…come see me lol!!!”

4. Parking tickets – Truthfully there were two fan pages for these little love notes. We chose the page with 70 fans because of its page description: “Parking tickets are the roads way of suggesting to idiots to learn how to read. Pictures make it so you don’t even need to know the language!” And you thought getting a ticket was shameful enough.

5. Police officers – Only 240 fans?! Come on LEO world, represent! Latest post: “169 dollar speeding ticket grrr.. God Bless Eagle County for having the most polite and HOT police officers in all the land…at least it wasn’t all bad.”

6. Dunkin’ Donuts – OK, OK … totally stereotypical. However, who doesn’t like donuts? They have more than 1.4 million fans. Hello, it’s time to join the crowd. Latest post: “I Found a Dunkin Donuts in Kuwait Got pics of me in front of it. there should be one on Sabattus st in Lewiston Maine so I wont have to go that far anymore )”

7. Flashlight – Nothing will equip you better in the heat of the night than this handheld light, which is apparently called “torch” outside of the U.S. Latest post: “Crazy morning today! The kid’s school had no electricity and I was sent back and asked to come back with a flashlight among more crazyness!”

8. Tactical Pants – Betcha didn’t see this one coming! The one and only spot on the ‘Book that celebrates uniform pants. Latest post: Reader’s Poll: ‘How much are you willing to spend on tactical pants?’”

9. Police Baton – Another essential piece of equipment. Unfortunately this page only has one fan! C’mon, doesn’t anyone else out there like twirling a baton? Latest post: “I <3 my police baton. The end.”

10. Gun Holsters – We admit to making this page ourselves specifically for this post. But gun holsters are awesome, so can you blame us? Latest post: “Gun Holster Basics: The basic function of a holster is to secure and hold a firearm, or another object, in a location where it can be easily accessed.”

11. Guns – To go along with gun holsters, of course. Except this page has 38,632 fans. Very impressive. And a little scary. Latest post: “Guns are safe, smart, and fun for the whole family.”

12. COPS – It’s everybody’s favorite TV show. And it’s one of the longest-running shows in American history. Latest post: “cops raided, plants pulled!!! ”

13. Police Scanner – How can a cop not like the police scanner? OK, don’t answer that… Latest post: “my mom just tolld me the police scanner was blowing up during the parade most streets we were on had atleast one person call the cops they were trying to track us down with calls”

Next week we’ll follow up this post with the top 10 Facebook pages for police departments and law enforcement-related foundations… promising to be a little more useful but a little less fun.

Did we leave any pages out? Let us know what Facebook pages are your favorite in the comment section below!

(Images via Wikimedia)

No police blog lays down the law quite like Second City Cop.

Better known as SCC, the blog has made a name for itself by exposing the corrupt underbelly of Windy City politics and police. Run by a group of anonymous Chicago police officers since May 2005, the scathing commentary has become more than just a way to vent.

In addition to giving the world a realistic glimpse into the Chicago Police Department, SCC has been hailed as the voice for the beat cop. Because of its provocative nature, it’s not uncommon for a single post to garner more than 130 comments. Typically anonymous and sprinkled with curse words, the comments only add to SCC’s in-your-face allure.

Why is SCC is written by multiple people? How did you find each other?

We feel multiple points of view and input contribute to a well-rounded blog. We are friends and acquaintances of many years, districts and units.

Do you think SCC would be the same if it wasn’t anonymous?

Definitely not. We’d all be on midnight foot posts guarding abandoned factories or something nonsensical. The politicians and bosses would have us strung up by our ankles.

You told The Chicagoist the blog was started “to entertain ourselves” … What’s been the most entertaining aspect of it all in the past five years?

Most entertaining? The shenanigans of the politically connected being brought to light, the current and constant missteps of the current superintendent and his staff who have never been the police, never will be the police and look down at police as a bunch of provincial hicks.

Do you feel like blogging is therapeutic as well?

We certainly feel a bit better after getting some rants off our chests. We feel better when some positive change comes out of it, too.

Did you ever imagine the blog becoming so popular or influential?

Nope. It’s flattering that people think we matter that much. We’re just regular cops doing the job by day and typing sarcasm and silliness on off hours.

Do you truly feel like the “voice of the beat cop”?

We don’t consider ourselves the “voice of the beat cop” — that would be arrogant. We’re simply people with opinions sharing with mostly like-minded people who happen to be cops. The “beat cop” thing is secondary to us exercising our wit.

What’s the best thing about being a cop in Chicago?

Chicago cops, by and large, are the best people in the world. Frank, honest, generous to a fault, brave beyond belief, dedicated to a city that treats them badly, a Chicago cop is an amazing individual. They are the best people we have ever known.

And the worst?

The worst is the politics that has infected this job, and the politically connected who erode what is left of morale.

What’s something all LEOs have in common no matter where they work?

An innate ability to sense and recognize BS, no matter the source. Some people mistake it for cynicism, which does exist, but cops see the real results of misshapen political decisions, failed social programs, hopelessness, despair, etc. We see people at their worst, and we see it long before the politicians try to cure it.

Do Chicago cops sport tactical pants? What are your uniform pants like?

If we aren’t wearing our regular 80/20 polyester blends, we have the cargo pants with roomy side pockets and a more breathable fabric. They wear better than the old pants, but if you try to carry anything in the pockets, it looks like you just came from riding in the Kentucky Derby .

(Image via Flickr)

Some price high-ticket items based on solid construction, unique design and quality materials. Others select a price tag based solely on the brand, retailer or demand.

And sometimes for quick moment a product falls in both categories.

The world of trousers is no different. The Ultimate Guide to Tactical Pants outlined a variety of pants at a range of prices—from $39.99 (MSRP) to $160 (MSRP) to be exact. Each pant offers something distinct at its price point.

The New York Times recently posed a simple question: “Why does this pair of pants cost $550?” It is a very logical question that consumers ask all the time no matter the item or the price.

The pants in question? Basic cotton gabardine khakis from Band of Outsiders sold, of course, at Bergdorf Goodman. The reason for the pricing? It’s never too much if that’s what people are willing to pay.

“The cost of creating those things has nothing to do with the price,” David A. Aaker, the vice chairman of Prophet, a brand consulting firm, told The Times. “It is all about who else is wearing them, who designed them and who is selling them.”

As a recent addition to the tactical pants guide, Kitanica’s $160 (MSRP) PNT X.A has sent heads spinning with its cost. Nobody summed up this astonishment better than commenter Drang on The View From North Central Idaho. He wrote, “And… $160.00 a pair? WTFBBQ?”

But before you completely rule out the pants based on price alone, do realize that all-American parts and labor goes into every pair. To top that, the pants have 100 separate pieces that need to be assembled. While not everyone will jump on the $160-pants bandwagon, someone out there is bound to appreciate its outstanding aesthetic.

Believe it or not, there are pricier tactical pants out there. For instance, Crye Precision sells Combat Pants AC for $179 (MSRP). Granted, these pants are also completely USA-made; additionally, they are Berry compliant and come in MultiCam. On the more militaristic side, TAD Gear offers a tactical-like pant for $189.95 (MSRP) and Rail Riders has a cargo pant for $98 (MSRP).

The real question is: How much are you willing to pay for a pair of quality tactical pants?

(Image via Flickr)

Summer vacation can’t come soon enough. But when you’re standing on your suitcase, even jumping on it a bit, in order to close the sucker, having a few extra pants pockets would be nice. Especially when cruising through airport security.

That’s where Scottevest comes in. With 16 pockets, Scottevest’s Ultimate Cargo Pants might not be specifically labeled as “tactical” though certainly qualify.

The $70 pants have a linen/cotton blend making them exceptionally breathable, even in desert-like conditions. And if things get too hot on the range, easily zip-off the bottom portion of the pants creating cargo shorts. The lightweight material is treated with Teflon®. One downside is that there’s just a single color option—sand.

Designed for on-the-go travelers, the 16 pockets and compartments includes a handful of trademarks—HangingPockets™, DeepPockets™ and ChangeStopper™ pockets. Oh, and don’t forget airplane pockets.

What do all these trademarks mean?

Without inspecting the pants firsthand, we can only assume these pockets are similar to the hanging/deep pockets often found on most tactical pants. As for the ChangeStopper, it apparently uses a special stitch pattern to keep loose change from slipping down to the bottom of the front pockets. There’s also a key holder, a secret pocket and a pen/stylus pocket.

Another pretty cool pants feature is its personal area network where you can connect wires to devices while in your pockets. Actually all of Scottevest apparel contain some sort of wire-connecting network.

On the Scottevest site, the pants tout many positive reviews. Many say the pants are comfortable (even when packed with gear) and excellent in sweltering temperatures.

Never heard of Scottevest? Founded a decade ago, the company wanted to provide travel gear that didn’t include a “man-purse” or fanny pack. Now they even make a vest that includes a special iPad or Kindle pocket.

SRO and blogger Dustin Brock with his family

Patrolling the streets can be tough, but at times dealing with the woes that befall adolescents can pale in comparison.

Dustin Brock knows firsthand. He deals with middle schoolers (and, by default, their parents) day in and day out as a law enforcement and school resource officer.

On his blog Kindergarten Cop, he describes his run-ins with disrespectful students, maniacal parents and we promise there are some nice folks in the mix. Brock paused his hallway watch to fill us in on kids these days.

And a special tip o’ the hat goes to Rebecca at Hott Cops for pointing us to Brock’s blog. Thank you!

Why did you choose to become a school resource officer?

I chose to become a SRO for several reasons. Part of my passion is teaching. I love to teach. But I also love law enforcement more. So, getting a chance to affect kids for good is a big reason I chose SRO. It combines the best of both worlds.

Also, to be honest, another reason is the work hours. I have a family and am also the sole income provider in my home. I have four great young kids under the age of seven, and spending time with them and attending church services on Sunday are paramount for me and our family’s happiness.

Does working with middle schoolers ever bring back memories of your own middle school experiences?

Working with middle school aged kids does bring back memories good and bad. It also reminds me of how much things have changed over the years. The challenges they face today and the ones I faced as a child are very different or more difficult. They have drugs, sex and now disrespect for authority as some of their top challenges.

What do you find the most baffling about kids that age?

The thing that is most baffling to me is the sheer disrespect of authority, entitlement thinking and lack of taking responsibility. When I was in middle school I hardly saw my SRO. But when I did I had the utmost respect for him. It was always,”Yes sir and no sir.” Nowadays, kids try to talk on my level and speak to me like I was their peer, and that is not the way it’s gonna be. They even try my words, and I have to show them instead of talking to them to get their attention sometimes.

You recently wrote about a bullying case. This seems to be the most problematic with kids in their early teens. Is there anything LEOs can do to prevent this type of bullying?

I think the most important thing an LEO can do is be available, let the kids know that you are there to help. Also, for me, I get so many bullying reports that they are mostly trivial and some unfounded.

With this last case of bullying where I arrested a girl for a severe case of it occurring over a period of months and every afternoon until it became physical, I initially did not take it to heart. I guess that is my fault initially due to be inundated with it on a daily basis . You kind of build a tolerance for it. But in this case I learned that just because it was reported to me once, and then the second time was several weeks later, I felt it wasn’t a real danger. However, my inaction — though it hadn’t got to the criminal level — did bear some responsibility to the problem aggravating further.

So, all in all, take each case seriously and communicate with your administration for intervention where applicable. I would take that a step further an keep the “triangle of success” open involving parents, admin and student in the communication process.

Aside from the bullying, what’s the worst thing you’ve seen as a SRO?

Actually, the worst thing I have seen as an SRO happened just a few months ago of which I wrote a detailed summary of in my “Kindergarten Cop” blog article entitled, “Oh, What Did Yesterday Bring?”.

This incident was twofold in outcomes. First, a mother fed up with her daughter’s misbehavior comes to the school and literally beats her down onto the ground. It was an old-fashioned street brawl in front of school while classes were changing and other parents and school staff were about. After arresting the mother, I had several teachers tell me this was a “cultural” thing and nothing bad or criminal was done to the child. I arrest the mother for child abuse due to it being caught all on camera (luckily). While I am depositing the mother into the jail booking area, my Sergeant calls and tells me my school principal banned me from the campus. Never in a million years would I have seen this day coming. There is a first time for everything.

When you wake up in the morning, what’s the part of your job that really excites you?

The thing that excites me about putting my uniform on is knowing that I represent freedom and protection for the citizens of the county and school. There are not many good examples out there in our society, or the media has them covered up with negative press. So, I feel it a challenge to set the bar high, and try to aid someone in getting through middle school since it’s an awkward time. I love the challenges that befall me, and the ever-changing issues that come my way. There is never a dull moment. I mean NEVER.

Tell us about the SRO uniform. Does it include tactical pants?

I wish my uniform involved tactical pants! I work for an old school, old-fashioned Southern sheriff. While a lot of these characteristics of a sheriff are great, and I love working for him, the traditional dark green sheriff’s polyester-blend uniform with polished leather, metal badges and pins is what I am told to wear. So, while it has its initial on-the-scene effect of gaining respect and knowing who is the authority when arriving on scene with polished boots, shiny pins, and dark green fabric…it is still hot and not as easy to work in.

In the school I work in, I wish I had BDU’s bloused, ball cap (maybe)and a polo to right honest with you. My middle school is in the heart of the city and is primarily urban in nature. Its like patrolling the streets. There is nothing tactical about squeaking leather and shiny pins that can cut me or another. Sorry for rambling but I wish this could change.

Now that you’ve read the guide, you probably know all there is to possibly know about tactical pants, right? Wrong.

While it may appear that way, we still think there’s more to learn. Our goal is to constantly expand and update The Ultimate Guide to Tactical Pants for as long as tactical pants exist on this planet. So, basically forever.

Eventually we will include an in-depth look at all 30 plus styles of tactical pants. For now, we started with the basics—the original tactical pant from each manufacturer. Later on, we’ll add high-quality photos to give you a better idea about what each pant looks like before you decide to buy a pair. Essentially, this is our non-fiction War and Peace, if you will. We want it to have as many chapters, as many details as possible—no matter how minuscule.

In order for us to improve upon this guide, please let us know what we’ve missed. Is there a certain style or brand that should be included? Was there something we forgot to measure? Anything specific you’d like to see photographed? Tell us!

And if you’re a manufacturer, please send us your pants! We might have some or most of your styles in-house, but unfortunately we don’t carry every tactical pant under the sun—at least not yet. If you do send us your pants, we’ll gladly test them out, take a lot of pictures and tell you what we think.

Feel free to leave a comment or drop us an e-mail. We’re here to help. We’d like nothing more than to provide you with the most comprehensive information and be a resource for tactical pants enthusiast worldwide.

Unfortunately we all can’t afford custom-made duds. Yet with a few snips here, some tucks there, you can create tailor-made pants in a few minutes.

But what happens when you’re in a rush—there’s no needle and thread—and, like most of us, you don’t know how to sew? Well, your pants can magically still be hemmed. How? With products like Steam-a-Seam 2 and Stitch Witchery, you don’t need to be a seamstress to get the job done.

Witness the fastest hem-job you’ve ever seen before in your life…

1. Mark the pants where you’d like them to be hemmed. If you’ve never hemmed anything before in your life, check out e-How’s measuring steps.
2. Press with an iron where they need to be hemmed. That way the creases set in.
3. Apply Steam-a-Seam around the hem, and press it with an iron. Let it cool, and peel the paper off. If the paper tears or rips, stretch the fabric.
4. Once the paper has been removed, fold up the cuff and press the fabric again.
5. If you see any creases or uneven fabric, simply pull apart the spot, straighten it out and re-press.

There’s also a Lite Steam-a-Seam 2 that offers another more flexible option for those who find the others too stiff. We hear the best way to use the lite version is to press it on the pant with your fingers then press it with the iron using no steam. When you remove the paper, press using steam.

Have no interest in the DIY aspect? Stop by an alterations shop. Pant hems generally cost anywhere from $5-$15. Typically the price will depend on the material and lining of the pant.

Have you had your tactical pants hemmed before? Is there a particular brand that requires hemming?

Do you like tactical pants? For us, this is pretty much a rhetorical question. Yet, that very question was posed on the Utah Concealed Carry forum.

Below are the results from the site’s poll. With 40 votes, more than half said they wear tactical trousers. Surprisingly enough, the other half either didn’t know what tactical pants were or believe that “tacticool pants are for mall ninjas.”

On the forum, those unfamiliar with the pants said they wear cargos from Wal-Mart or classic Wranglers. Both 5.11 and LA Police Gear’s pants were mentioned by tac pants fans as well as Propper and Woolrich. Someone admitted wearing their tactical pants to meetings with fortune 500 companies with no one even raising an eyebrow.

However, other brands like Blackhawk, Vertx and EOTAC were left out of the conversation. So, now we ask a very non-rhetorical question … What’s your favorite tactical pants brand?


Remember, every vote counts! And what makes you loyal to your brand? Is it the fit? The fabric? The price?

Gray Powell - "4G" iPhone = Lifetime of Tactical Pants!!!

It’s easy to misplace your cell phone. It could happen to anyone, really.

But when you’re an Apple software engineer, and your phone is a prototype of the next iPhone … well, calling it a “mistake” is a nice way of putting it.

This mishap has turned Gray Powell into an overnight celebrity. And here at TacticalPants.com headquarters, we want to make sure he never has to go through the stress of leaving a fourth-generation iPhone in a San Francisco bar again.

How do we plan to accomplish such a feat?

While some have offered to help Powell drown his sorrows, we’re giving him something better: A lifetime supply of tactical pants! Just think, with the always-trusty cell phone/mag pocket, he needn’t worry about top-secret gadgets slipping away.

He’ll receive one pair for the next 20 years, which in tactical pants years, we estimate that’s about 4,000. OK, that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but you get the idea.

Do you think Powell would have found himself in the same situation if he’d just worn tactical trousers to the bar? We think not.

(Image via Gizmodo)