Virginia EMS personnel carry regulation update pending -- fire mission

[DaveH]

[Re-posted from a VA-ALERT with prior approval of VCDL]

[First person singular pronouns (I, my, mine, etc) and “PVC” reference Philip Van Cleave, President VCDL]

EMS regulations to be updated to allow personnel to be able to carry! Please comment on the regulation
************************************************** ***************

VCDL has long supported allowing EMS personnel (and everyone else for that matter) to be able to carry on the job. EMS work can be dangerous, especially when they arrive on the scene of a crime before the police do (happens a lot). All innocent life is valuable and people should be able to protect themselves wherever they might go.

There is a proposed change to a regulation that would allow EMS workers to carry (concealed with a CHP or openly) and it is in the comment period. This was supposed to be fixed a few years ago, but a snafu caused only one of the two locations of the weapon ban in the regulations to be removed.

I would encourage everyone to make a comment supporting EMS personnel!

Here is the link to the regulation comment area:

Virginia Regulatory Town Hall List Comments

Suggested title: "I support REPEALING the ban on weapons"

Suggested comment: "I support REPEALING the ban on weapons in EMS vehicles"

In the "commenter" area, put in your name, a comma, and then "citizen," like this, "John Doe, citizen"

Let's roll!

VA-ALERT is a project of the Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc. (VCDL).

VCDL is an all-volunteer, non-partisan grassroots organization dedicated to defending the human rights of all Virginians. The Right to Keep and Bear Arms is a fundamental human right.

VCDL web page: http://www.vcdl.org [http://www.vcdl.org/]

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[Badey]

Commented in support of repealing the ban. Good luck!

[mlr1m]

Same question I posed on the other thread about EMS weapons bans. Does the law effect only governmental agencies or does it apply to private companies as well?

Michael

[DaveH]

Same question I posed on the other thread about EMS weapons bans. Does the law effect only governmental agencies or does it apply to private companies as well?

Michael

See: full text @http://www.townhall.virginia.gov/L/ViewXML.cfm?textid=5346

It strikes out

6. Possession of a firearm, weapon, or explosive or incendiary device on any EMS vehicle is prohibited, except:

a. A sworn law-enforcement officer authorized to carry a concealed weapon pursuant to § 18.2-308 of the Code of Virginia.
b. Any rescue line gun or other rescue device powered by an explosive charge carried on a nontransport response vehicle.

The revision simply removes the ban imposed on the State on everyone. So, it effects governmental agencies and private companies -- in that they are no longer banned from making the call, themselves.

However, as,

§ 18.2-308. Personal protection; carrying concealed weapons; when lawful to carry; penalty.

SNIP

O. The granting of a concealed handgun permit shall not thereby authorize the possession of any handgun or other weapon on property or in places where such possession is otherwise prohibited by law or is prohibited by the owner of private property.

SNIP

is still in effect. Therefore, private companies will be able to ban or alow firearms at the workplace, as can any private employer in Virginia.

OTOH, Re: public owned squads, I am not sure how

§ 15.2-915. Control of firearms; applicability to authorities and local governmental agencies.

A. No locality shall adopt or enforce any ordinance, resolution or motion, as permitted by § 15.2-1425, and no agent of such locality shall take any administrative action, governing the purchase, possession, transfer, ownership, carrying, storage or transporting of firearms, ammunition, or components or combination thereof other than those expressly authorized by statute. For purposes of this section, a statute that does not refer to firearms, ammunition, or components or combination thereof, shall not be construed to provide express authorization.


Nothing in this section shall prohibit a locality from adopting workplace rules relating to terms and conditions of employment of the workforce.

SNIP

will play out. However, I suspect that they too, will be able to ban or alow firearms at the workplace.

Got to fight each battle as it presents itself.