Shifts and Shears: Our Namesake

Here's why a good watch and quality shears might save your sanity (and maybe a life).

In EMS, there are only two tools you can really count on: a pair of trauma shears that won’t fold under pressure, and a watch that reminds you there’s a light at the end of the shift. These aren't luxury items, they're essentials. Your scissors and your watch are your silent coworkers—reliable, judgment-free, and crucial for both clinical work and emotional survival. That’s why we named our brand after them.

Trauma Shears: Because your teeth aren't an option.

Let’s start with the shears. If your trauma shears can’t slice through jeans, boots, duct tape, and your patient's sense of fashion, then they’re just metal sticks pretending to be useful. Those crusty ones in the rig’s jump bag? They wouldn’t cut through a graham cracker. A good pair of shears is a badge of preparedness, a field-tested necessity, and—if we’re honest—a low-key flex. You clip them to your belt not just because they’re useful, but because they look like you know what you’re doing. Our top pick? The Leatherman Raptor Rescue. They’re tough, foldable, come with a belt holster, and have enough built-in tools to make you feel like a trauma ninja. Those tools: strap cutter, ring cutter, ruler (5cm), oxygen tank wrench, and carbide glass breaker. They really do have everything you need. Bonus: they may or may not open beer bottles (allegedly).

Honorable Mentions:

• XShear Extreme Duty Trauma Shears

  • Industrial, unhinged, possibly forged by gods

  • Hardened Japanese 420J2 stainless steel blades

  • Patented blunt tip and curved design for patient safety

• MEUUT Tactical Shears

  • For the provider that loses their shears as quickly as they lost their dignity

  • Budget Friendly

  • Comes in a 2-pack

How to count the seconds to the end of your shifts... The Watch.

That's right, it doesn't just tell time. It's your sanity tracker. While the fitness trackers and smart notifications are useful, you need a shift-proof beast that works in the dark, survives bodily fluids, and doesn’t panic when it slams against the floor. Here is what we've got.

The Casio G-Shock 5600 Series is a legend for a reason. It’s simple, durable, water-resistant, and you’ll still be wearing it when you’re 85 and yelling at new hires. The G-Shock GA100 is another great choice. These watches are built like tactical tanks. They’re shockproof, waterproof, bleach-proof, and have a backlight that doesn’t blind you in a dim ambulance. If your idea of a good time is trying to palpate a pulse in the rain, these are your watches. They don't just survive shifts—they dominates them, and now so will you.

If that's not your style, here are some other great options:

If you're more of a "function over flex" type, the Timex Ironman Classic 30 is your best friend. It’s lightweight, relatively cheap, and the Indiglo backlight is bright enough to chart but not so bright it wakes the patient. It’s got alarms, a stopwatch, and a layout even your half-awake brain can handle during back-to-back calls. The Ironman is the kind of watch that just works—no ego, no extra fluff.

Then there’s the Garmin Instinct 2, for the overachievers among us. This one’s got GPS, heart rate tracking, stress monitoring, and enough durability to withstand a tactical assault—or an overnight transfer to a facility with no elevators. It’s pricier, but if you want to monitor your vitals while you monitor someone else’s, this is the one. Solar charging is optional. So is being that extra.

These two tools—the shears and the watch—aren’t just gear. They’re symbols of readiness. They represent your ability to act fast, think clearly, and make it through another 12 without losing your mind. That’s why Shifts & Shears is more than just a name. It’s a mindset. You carry the gear because you care. You track the time because you have to. And somewhere between the chaos and the clock, you get the job done.