[BerettaMan]

I am in need of medical attention. The ambulance is called. You arrive and do a body survey. You discover I am CCW. What next??

 

[Rob72]

Are you dead yet? Is the signature on your DL legible/forgeable, in low-light- for the bill of sale you wrote out to me three days ago? Do you carry a NICE pistol- keep in mind this may bear on question # 1?:image035:

Seriously, assuming PD is not immediately available, and I'm not busying my hands with immediate life-preserving actions (and you are not coherent enough/capable of retaining your weapon) I would clear & safe it, show it & all accessories to my partner(witnessed & logged in the run report), & hand it over to LE or hospital security at the first opportunity.

While I, personally, would not want my weapon handed to LE/Security (I know my own level of integrity- no one else's), as a care-provider, it would pass the liablilty buck to "Appropriately Authorized Personnel". Some localities may have written protocol, but at the time I was active, we did not, so that would have been my considered course of action.

Edit to add: Your CCW or lack thereof would not be my concern. Your appearnace might dictate how I would be in handling your weapon (preserving a decent guys hardware or preserving for trace evidence).

 

[czman2006]

In NC, the weapon is removed, showed to others present, and given to LE for "safekeeping". EMTs on my squad are not allowed to clear the weapon due to the EMT possibily not being trained in handgun safety and having an accidental discharge. Someone who is a great guy could be CAO (conscious, alert, oriented) when you arrive at the scene and due to his injury, go combative very quickly. Not his fault but not a situation where they need their gun! And God help you if you transport to the hospital and they find a concealed gun you didn't know the patient had on him!

Excellent question, BTW.

 

[Tom357]

It was strictly bag and tag for us. Announce the presence of a weapon, show it to the crew, note its serial number, bag it and label the bag with the patient's name. Turn the bag over to PD, either on-scene or at the hospital.

 

[MattInFla]

Our service, in Maryland, had a strict do-not-handle policy for firearms found on patients. We were supposed to call in law enforcement to handle it.

Since nearly nobody who is not a law enforcement officer can carry in Maryland anyway, civilian CCW was not a real concern.

Matt

 

[jarhead79]

Good post!!!

 

[exposurecontrol]

I suspect protocols have probably changed since CCW became law, but when I was with the fire district we practiced a few scenarios where the individual had a knife, but the subject of someone having a gun wasn't discussed. As far as the knife goes it was recommended we simply tape the knife to the individuals leg. I never had that problem during a response, but generally I think that most of us would have requested law enforcement respond to take care of the weapon if they weren't already on scene.

 

[firefighter4884]

I'm giving it to law enforcement if at all possible. If for some reason that's not feasible for me to do, and I'M comfortable with doing it, I'll make the weapon safe and take secure it until I can give it to a LEO or a security officer at the hospital.

We're taught to be extra careful if we have to deal with a State Trooper, even one who is uncon, we're not supposed to disarm them if we can possibly avoid it (don't want him waking up at the wrong time) and let another trooper do the work. However, if there is no second trooper available, and he really needs care, then we're told to disarm them, being sure to tell them exactly what we're reaching for, and how we're doing it, and then tellin them exactly where we put the weapons.

--Jim

 

[Concealed_23]

the way that our protocalls are set up we have to do the 3 R's

Radio, Retreat, re-group

Standard safety issue for us...Good Post!