STORAGE PIPES
BY FIREFIGHTER GREG DEVERELL, TRAINING OFFICER, LAPEER (MI) FIRE DEPARTMENT
Have you ever approached a door and then reached into your turnout pocket to find a shove knife, nail, or key tool only to find it buried at the bottom under a multitude of items or that the nails fell through the pocket`s drain hole? I have tried several methods of carrying small and sharp tools before finally coming up with the idea of using PVC and plastic pipes for storing the tools. These storage pipes keep the tools dry and accessible and can be easily customized to accommodate the length of the tool.
SUPPLIES
The supplies, which can be easily obtained at a hardware or plumbing supply store, include the following:
pipes: 2-, 34-, and 12-inch;
caps;
female adapters;
plugs;
907 elbows; and
PVC glue.
I found that using a female adapter and a plug on a two-inch pipe works better than a two-inch cap, because the caps are hard to remove with a gloved hand and when there are changes in temperature. Also, the 907 elbows on 34- and 12-inch pipes are easier to obtain from your turnout pocket and to open. n
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(Top left) Nail holder made with 34-inch plastic pipe, 907 elbow, and caps. (Photos by author.) (Top right) Various tools in-cluding shove knives, key tools, nails, a center punch, and 2-, 34-, and 12-inch storage pipes. (Bottom left) Two-inch storage pipe with female adapter and a plug, 34-inch storage pipe with 907 elbow, and 12-inch storage pipe with 907 elbow. (Bottom right) Two-inch pipe, cap, and female adapter and plug with various forcible entry tools.
