Flashovers Top Picks For Firefighter Multi-Tools

With 16 tools, a seat belt cutter and a pair of spring loaded pliers that can be operated single handedly, the Leatherman OHT (One Handed Tool) takes out our top pick for multi-tool.

Although it doesn’t have as many tools as other options, we think the ability to use the OHT with one hand makes it way more versatile and more than compensates for not having scissors or a file. It also comes with a sturdy belt pouch.

If it came with spring loaded pliers & a seat belt cutter the Leatherman Wave would have taken the number one spot as the top pick for multi-tools. One of the most popular multi-tools in our surveys, the Wave has 18 tools, 2 more than the OHT (additional scissors and file), is super high quality and would serve any firefighter or first responder very well.

The Victorinox Rescue Tool receives an honorable mention on our mutli tool list because of how popular it was among firefighters in our survey. This sturdy little tool has been designed for first responders, with tools like a window breaker, seat belt cutter and disc saw for shatterproof glass, however with only 12 tools and the lack of pliers we think that both the Leatherman OHT and Wave offer better bang for your buck if your looking for a general purpose all round multi tool.

If you want a quality pair of trauma shears that does more than just cut stuff there isn’t anything on the market that comes close to the Raptors. Not only will the heavy duty scissors cut through the toughest material (leather, plastic and soft metal included!) the Raptors come with a built in ring cutter that makes easy work of ring removals (check out this video on Youtube), a seatbelt cutter and a glass breaker. For extra convenience, they also fold up so you can stow them easily in a pocket or the provided belt clip.

It’s easy to use, works first time, is discreet and comes with a built in seatbelt cutter. We reckon it’s best feature is the fact that you don’t need to apply pressure against a piece of glass in order to operate it, eliminating the risk of pushing your hand or arm through the glass as you break it. (Check out the Safetypen in action in this video)

If you’re not going to be busting windows every day and you’re after something a little more economical, the Resqme Tool by Resqme is a handy bit of kit. It features a concealed punch that activates when pushed against a window and a seat belt cutter to boot.

This product was super popular in our surveys and the only reason we didn’t give it number one was because our experience has shown us the Holmatro tends to break glass first time almost every time in a more controlled way, while the Resqme can be a little trickier to master.