Unintentional CCW at a hospital as a patient in an emergency situation?

[cplguy]

What would happen if a valid CPL holder that is armed had something bad happen to him out of his control, (such as a seizure/stroke/cardiac arrest/ran over by a car, etc), and the valid CPL holder was armed, but unconscious, (or in a coma), due to medical conditions. What is the reaction of the medical staff that are treating you?

Let's say they were walking down the street like normal, or over at a friend's house, then they had a grand mall seizure, and the ambulance ends up getting called; which ends up in a very expensive trip to the hospital. The patient has had no medical history of seizures in his entire medical record since birth.

What happens with the weapon, and what reaction would there be? What happens when they realize that you are legally authorized to carry the weapon? Do you get it back?

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[NC Bullseye]

Please don't worry about this, at this point you have other problems more pressing.

One of a few things will happen. Most likely, the paramedics that respond will find it on their assessment and turn it over to police and you can claim it later usually hassle free. Another possibility is that if it's a scoop and run and they find it on the way to the hospital, they hold it for hospital security and they secure it either for police or for you when you leave. One last possibility, no one finds it until you get to the ER and they find it, then it's back to hospital security or police. This is not an uncommon occurrence and most rescue/emt workers have a procedure as do the hospitals.

You will get your gun back as long as it's not stolen and you are legal to carry.

[deafdave3]

Police will secure it for you.

[msgt/ret]

I asked this question to a couple of local LEOs recently, their response is the weapon would be secured by hospital security and returned upon discharge or if transferred to another facility then the weapon would be returned to a designated party.

[deafdave3]

I asked this question to a couple of local LEOs recently, their response is the weapon would be secured by hospital security and returned upon discharge or if transferred to another facility then the weapon would be returned to a designated party.

Wow. I'm not so sure I'm comfortable with hospital security handling my gun.

[cplguy]

Thanks for your answers. Since getting my CPL, I've actually been wondering about this situation. (what if I cross a street and because I was stupidly inattentive not watching where I was going and end up getting creamed by a truck), would I get my side arm back upon release from the hospital, (if I lived through it)?

[cammo]

I have a friend who is an ER doc and I just asked him this, coincidentally, at a dinner party. He said if I go into the ER, "it all comes off" and the hospital retains it "all" for you until you are released.

[SIGguy229]

Please don't worry about this, at this point you have other problems more pressing.

One of a few things will happen. Most likely, the paramedics that respond will find it on their assessment and turn it over to police and you can claim it later usually hassle free. Another possibility is that if it's a scoop and run and they find it on the way to the hospital, they hold it for hospital security and they secure it either for police or for you when you leave. One last possibility, no one finds it until you get to the ER and they find it, then it's back to hospital security or police. This is not an uncommon occurrence and most rescue/emt workers have a procedure as do the hospitals.

You will get your gun back as long as it's not stolen and you are legal to carry.

This is the correct answer.

[retsupt99]

Wow. I'm not so sure I'm comfortable with hospital security handling my gun.

I'd be more worried about how the hospital handles my emergency. Worst scenario, I can get another gun, but I only have one life.

[Luis50]

This happened to me once and as they rolled me into surgery, I saw my Glock on a gurney with a Hoppes oil I.V. and three nurses trying to calm it down!

[tbroy]

That's easy. Hospital security holds it for you, as we do for all other patients that come into the ER that are unable to secure their valubles. It is understood that an accident is just that, an accident. If you happen to be carrying a weapon upon your admission, and you have a valid CPL (or CCW) the weapon in secured in a safe. Upon your discharge the unloaded weapon is returned to you. If you happen to not have a valid CPL, the weapon is simply turned other to the local police. So simply, don't worry.

[ccw9mm]

Please don't worry about this, at this point you have other problems more pressing.

It's not a worry. It's merely the question asked. It doesn't imply folks are failing to be more concerned about the more important problems; it just means this was the question.

What is the reaction of the medical staff that are treating you?

They'll disarm me. It's not as though it's much different than having anything else in the pocket or on the body. I'll be out of it (per the described scenario), so I won't much care. And since I'm not a criminal, the ramifications are highly unlikely to be ugly. They'll put the gear in a bag along with everything else. At some point later, I'll get everything back, no matter whether there's some extra paperwork or checking for some of the items. Simple enough, it seems to me.

[BugDude]

The hospital ER will put it in a patient belongings envelope and seal it with a description of the item and the patient identifying information and lock it in a safe. It would be returned to you when you leave the facility. It happens every day, no big deal.

[CPTMO]

I have made a living out of running hospital Emergency Departments. This happens on a regular occasion. We secure the weapon in the ED and call hospital security. They along with the nurse in the ED will both place the weapon in a sealed envelope and both sign for what went in. The envelope goes to hospital security where it is locked in a safe. A tag with a matching number as the envelope goes on your chart so that everyone knows you have belongings (but not specifically what) that are locked in the safe. It is not a big deal to us at all. I think you will find that most of that have made a living out of ED work have our CWP.

[Thumper]

A couple years ago I was taken by the medics to the hospital. Hospital Security took my weapon and locked it up. A few days later, the nurse discharging me took me via wheel chair to the pharmacy for my meds and Security to pick up my weapon... nicely sealed in three plastic bags that I was asked not to open until I was off hospital property. One bag had my weapon, one my magazines and the third my ammo. Remember, you're one of the good guys, don't sweat it.