CHL on ambulance (unknown state)

[chrish20202]

Interesting delima from an EMT or Paramedic. Don't know what state he's in. I'm guessing this is the type guy that has one of those CHL badges and car door magnets!

https://www.facebook.com/EmergencyMedic ... n=timeline
"I have a question for the group. I work at a small non-emergency ambulance company that has a few regular patients we transport to therapies and dialysis appointments. One medic that works with us insists on his right to carry his concealed-carry weapon with him. He also has at least 3 different style lock blade and fixed blade knifes and even has a stun gun and taser on his duty belt. What can be done as a company to prohibit these items and is it considered excess? He validates his carrying them by saying, 'you never know what will happen.' Is this okay?"

[SewTexas]

personally I have more of a problem with him carrying the taser than any of the other stuff. I don't think anyone working around people who already have compromised health should have one of those around them.

the gun should be concealed, and I don't have a problem with him carrying that. Maybe he's carrying a few too many knives, I don't know, most guys I know carry one, sorta seems like he could do with one and the shears in his tool kit?

Is it a bit of over-kill? probably. is it a statement, possibly.
the real question is, however, does it affect his job? I don't see how it would. His attitude however would, I can see that a person carrying all of that gear might be the type of guy that would be a bit cocky.

[bizarrenormality]

What can be done as a company to prohibit these items and is it considered excess? He validates his carrying them by saying, 'you never know what will happen.' Is this okay?"

Sure it's okay as long as there's no company policy against it, same as carrying a cell phone or wearing boxer shorts.

[tboesche]

<QUOTE> personally I have more of a problem with him carrying the taser than any of the other stuff. I don't think anyone working around people who already have compromised health should have one of those around them. <END QUOTE>

Care to elaborate? Why is the taser any more dangerous, than the gun or knives he is carrying?

I am more concerned with this statement <What can be done as a company to prohibit these items and is it considered excess?>

[MeMelYup]

He was carrying the taser as a defibrillator.

[SewTexas]

<QUOTE> personally I have more of a problem with him carrying the taser than any of the other stuff. I don't think anyone working around people who already have compromised health should have one of those around them. <END QUOTE>

Care to elaborate? Why is the taser any more dangerous, than the gun or knives he is carrying?

I am more concerned with this statement <What can be done as a company to prohibit these items and is it considered excess?>

people tend to think of tasers as a "non-lethal" weapon and will use it when they wouldn't/shouldn't use any weapon. a taser is a weapon, and people don't treat it as such.
a taser used on an 75 - 95 year old man or woman is almost guaranteed to kill him, however, I read articles constantly about it being done and killing people, and stunning the shooter "oh, wow, didn't think that would happen!" ....well, let's see, you're introducing an electrical current into a body that almost certainly has a pace-maker what did you think would happen? and why did the shooter do it?? most of the time because the old person was being an ornery old person...when did we stop learning to talk to the elderly? patience people, patience!! that's all it takes

[MotherBear]

People tend to think of tasers as a "non-lethal" weapon and will use it when they wouldn't/shouldn't use any weapon. a taser is a weapon, and people don't treat it as such.

I agree. I also have trouble understanding the purpose of a taser carried by an average person. From what I've read/heard/seen, when they work as they're supposed to, they incapacitate someone for a very brief period of time (5-10 seconds?) and then leave them able to resume whatever objectionable activity they were engaged in. In a case where those few seconds would give a LEO the opportunity to get the upper hand without using lethal force, it makes sense. But for someone like me, I've bought myself 5 to 10 seconds and paid for it by making someone really, really mad at me. Doesn't make a lot of sense, unless I'm missing something.

[srothstein]

I agree. I also have trouble understanding the purpose of a Taser carried by an average person. From what I've read/heard/seen, when they work as they're supposed to, they incapacitate someone for a very brief period of time (5-10 seconds?) and then leave them able to resume whatever objectionable activity they were engaged in. In a case where those few seconds would give a LEO the opportunity to get the upper hand without using lethal force, it makes sense. But for someone like me, I've bought myself 5 to 10 seconds and paid for it by making someone really, really mad at me. Doesn't make a lot of sense, unless I'm missing something.

The LEO versions send a five second blast per pull of the trigger. They can be reactivated as long as the probes are still in the subject. I agree that these have little use for most citizens who are not trying to arrest.

But the non-LEO versions made for sale to individuals send a blast good for 30 seconds. They are intended as a throwaway weapon where you hit the BG and then drop the Taser and run. Last time I looked, if you did this and had a police report of the incident, Taser would send you a replacement unit for free. A 30 second blast is enough to give most people a fair enough head start that they will get away. For people who are unable to run for some reason, I strongly suggest other weapons, even if the Taser is carried and used first to avoid shooting someone.

[jmra]

I would be willing to bet that the FB poster is Antigun and is greatly exaggerating reality. The guy carries both a taser and a stun gun? Sounds like a fish story to me.

[gigag04]

The guy probably has takedowns and wig wags on his POV.

[nyj]

That's a company policy issue.

On another note, an instructor of mine, who was a paramedic back when paramedics were just getting put out on the street, carried a J frame on his ankle for his entire career while here in Texas.

[ojdelarosa]

I don't need to "bet" that the FB poster is Anti-gun. I know they are. I work for this person. The state we are in is Texas. I used to be a supervisor at this small company. When I started working over a year ago I asked for permission to carry my CCW and it was granted. I was demoted because this person suggested to the company owner that the job of supervisor did not suit me and that they were better suited for it. Since they are longtime friends it was no surprise that a week later I was demoted and the week after that this person was promoted to supervisor.

Two weeks after that, all the employes were issued a new "weapons policy" stating that CHL was not permitted at work. We were forced to sign and adhere to this policy under penalty of termination. We were told that weapons were not permitted to be carried because they endanger the patients. On this policy I wrote that I did not agree with it and I don't believe that this policy has anything to do with safety but I will adhere to it because I don't want to be fired.

But that wasn't enough. A week later in the middle of a patient transport this person returned the form to me and told that I must sign a new blank one "right now" without any comments (or else) because it needed to be clean so that it could be "approved by the state".

It gets worse. Now we are even discouraged from carrying small pocket knives. And at least every other week since then I get harassed about my attitude and when I am going to be "okay" with this policy. My reply is always "never". But I do adhere to this policy. I don't talk about it I and don't do anything to try and undermine authority. I don't believe it is right but it is over and done and I just want to forget about it. Still, almost every other week I am called into the office for a private meeting where my attitude, lack of productivity, or whatever is discussed and soon a segue into when will I agree with the company policy is made. I'm really tired of it.


For the sake of clarification:

• I am a long time Texas Concealed Handgun Licensee.
• I do have an NRA sticker on my car.
• I don't have takedowns or wigwags on my car.
• I don't carry a CHL badge around.
• I am a very calm/docile person.

Up until the implementation of this "weapons policy", I did carry:

• One 3.5 inch folding knife for fine cutting that I kept in a pouch on my belt.
• One 4 inch folding knife for knock around rough utility type stuff so I wouldn't mess up my good one. I kept it clipped to my pants pocket.
• One 3.25 inch fixed blade that I kept in my vest pocket for small jobs where a fixed blade was safer to use than a folder.
• One 4.8 inch fixed blade for heavy cutting, prying, and hammering work that I kept in my other vest pocket.
• One C2 taser unit (not a taser & a stun gun) as a less lethal form of defense which once deployed cycles/shocks for 30 seconds giving you plenty of time to put the unit down and escape an attacker or run to safety. I kept this in my shirt pocket.
• One KelTec 7rd .32 acp pistol that I kept in a pouch style holster on my belt perfectly concealed and secure on all 6 sides in a way that unless I told you about you would never know was there.
• Two extra mags on another pouch on my belt.
• Several other small items like a small wrench to tighten and work on oxygen tanks and fittings, tape, a tire gauge for daily unit check reports, extra pens, a small first aid kit, some paracord, a penlight, scissors, a multitool, a stethoscope, SpO2 meter cause the company ones are always out of battery, extra gloves and hand sanitizer, my own blood pressure cuff cause the company ones always go missing, and two small flashlights.

I never said that I carry this stuff because "you never know". I "do know" and I have used almost all this equipment at one time or another for work or to defend myself or others.

I was a boy scout and I like being prepared.

I take responsibility for my own personal safety and protection and do not expect to be rescued by anybody.

I am an American and a Texan. I like being armed. I it is part of my heritage, culture, and religion. I believe it is a God given right to bear arms. And it is a right that good, honest, hard working men and women have paid the ultimate price in order for us to enjoy.

To not exercise this right or any of the rights enumerated in the US constitution is insult to their sacrifices.

And they are rights, not privileges, or suggestions, non-negotiable, and not open to interpretation based on what is in vogue or trendy.

I would never wish to deprive any law abiding citizen of sound mind their natural right to defend themselves. I believe that to do so is to say "no, you don't have the good common sense to know when you need to defend yourself only I do because I am superior to you"

Disarming law abiding citizens is an act of tyrants and cowards. It is just plain wrong.

If anyone reading this is considering implementing a no weapons policy at their workplace I can tell you first hand it SUCKS and none of my coworkers feel any safer since we got this policy. In fact a lot of people have told me they feel less safe.

Try your best not to let this happen to you.

My name is Omar J. De La Rosa. Stay safe and God bless.

[n5wd]

My only question, Omar, is based up my 24-year career as a medic in Texas, winding up as a Licensed Paramedic working at MedStar in Fort Worth before starting a new job as a teacher for the Fort Worth ISD teaching health science technology (not bragging, just letting you know that I know a bit about EMS and how it works in Texas).

Why are you still working for that company?

If you've got a red patch and you don't like where you're working, there are always other private companies doing transfers and the occasional emergency runs, and there are a whole bunch of public agency EMS systems out there looking for medics. Finding a job in EMS is not a problem - finding the right job that suits you in a company/organization that you WANT to work for may be a bit more difficult. But unless you're with a DPS like DFW Airport or Highland Park, etc., I doubt that any of the agencies are going to let you carry on-duty in their trucks.

[howdy]

My only question, Omar, is based up my 24-year career as a medic in Texas, winding up as a Licensed Paramedic working at MedStar in Fort Worth before starting a new job as a teacher for the Fort Worth ISD teaching health science technology (not bragging, just letting you know that I know a bit about EMS and how it works in Texas).

Why are you still working for that company?

If you've got a red patch and you don't like where you're working, there are always other private companies doing transfers and the occasional emergency runs, and there are a whole bunch of public agency EMS systems out there looking for medics. Finding a job in EMS is not a problem - finding the right job that suits you in a company/organization that you WANT to work for may be a bit more difficult. But unless you're with a DPS like DFW Airport or Highland Park, etc., I doubt that any of the agencies are going to let you carry on-duty in their trucks.

Most of the Ambulance entrances in West Houston are posted 30.06. That is why I don't carry. My department does not have a firearms policy.

[chrish20202]

My name is Omar J. De La Rosa. Stay safe and God bless.

Just a few questions, How can u carry in Texas and work on an ambulance when you have no idea where your next call will be (might be at a location that has 30.06 signage or another prohibited place)? What are you going to do with your gun? I've gone to the County jail and school Nurse Office many times to pickup patients, not to mention most hospitals have appropriate 30.06 signage.