Carry a firearm.

I'm not sure how I feel about carrying a deadly weapon while on duty. What would be the restrictions to that. Who would be able to carry, why and when would you draw your weapon and if you draw would you fire? I'm not sure 80% of the fire and ems community would have the brains enough not just to shoot someone. That's why I suggested in my last post about maybe carrying mace or a taser. Less leathel. Yes I get there is training to that also but someone shouldn't die if you need to deploy either.

On fire side what would you do with your weapon when you go on a structure fire and go interior? On both fire and ems what would you do with your weapon if you need to go inside a school, post office, a prison if your aganecy covers one.

There is more to think about than just saying all the sudden yes I'm gonna carry. And I'm sure there are people out there who have their ccw that carry while on the job and no one knows. Me myself leave mine at home locked away when I'm at work or doing the volunteer thing. But that's just me.

It'll never happen. The way the gun laws are now and with the liability associated with carrying a gun, no agency is going to want that sort of responsibility hanging over their heads. There are way too many factors to consider that can go wrong if ems is carrying a firearm when dealing with combative patients, psych patients, or even just going to a call and having someone see it on the personnel and looking for it as an opportunity to "obtain a gun" (if you will). I could go on and on, but you get the point. It could turn bad REAL FAST. It's just not a good idea.

I can't see this as being necessary. Overkill on so many levels.

I think if EMS providers start carrying firearms someone is going to get hurt.

I do think it would end up being overkill. In my own mind, I separate "medical professional" from any individual carrying a firearm very distinctly. It's a good point, jules, that there are too many opportunities for it to go wrong. I also think the education required for any EMS provider to carry while on the job, licensed before beginning work on an ambulance or not, would be extensive. Regarding personal safety in general, both agencies that I work for usually have security or police present during EMS calls, at least to initially clear the scene. For anyone who works for an agency without that kind of close relationship with police, have you ever felt that there is a need for more extensive protection than the current methods in place?