Avoiding bed bugs in EMS?

SyntonicGarden

I run with an EMS squad. One of the calls we got this weekend involved going into the home of a patient who openly stated he was treating his home for a bed bug infestation after we'd been in his home for several minutes. This was my first "exposure" and the team I was running with didn't seem too bothered.

After my shift, I came home, stripped down, threw my unwashed gear in the dryer on high, and hopped in the shower right away. (A bit much? I'm not sure, but I don't want these buggers.) I asked the others on my team and they said they run into bed bugs all the time, and as long as you don't sit down, you should be fine. I can't not treat someone with them and I won't find out about them until I'm already inside and they tell me they have them.

I eat when I'm stressed. This would stress me out. As gross of a topic as this may be, since there are so many first responders are on here (Police, Firefighters, EMTs, etc.) and ya'll have to go into people's homes to do what we do, how do you keep from bringing these unwanted hitchhikers home with you?

How do you keep them off of your clothes? How do you keep them from getting into the upholstery of your vehicle?