Texas Firefighters

[RKirby]

The real answer is to get rid of those restrictions for everyone with a CHL.

I couldn't have said it better myself.

[stevie_d_64]

Strange...

I find myself torn on this issue...And the side I fall on is not the one some may think I would be on...

Being a state certified firefighter and seen my fair share of shinanigans, both on and off a scene, it just doesn't make much sense to me to carry on my person a firearm when I should be consentrating on the job I am performing at that time...

Most departments have SOP's that direct responders to act, or not act, when a scene is perceived to not be secure for any first responder EMS services are needed...

Those are just the breaks...

Imagine yourself in that volatile situation...You are performing life-saving methods on a patient and someone on the scene presents a clear and present danger to you, your crew and the patient you are stabilizing...You reasonably determine that deadly force is necessary to protect your life and those with you, and you stop that threat...

What do you have on your hands now???

What do you think is going to happen afterwards???

Do you believe you can continue to effectively function as a first responder to the first patient??? After you have just shot someone else who was threatening you???

Ask yourself these questions...There is no need to respond directly to these questions I just thought up...

Volunteering to serve your community in this capacity is a noble calling...It is one that is fraught with risks before, during and after responding to emergencies in your community...

Why complicate your calling by carrying a firearm on your person in these situations...Your mind will be not totally focused, at times, when all you should be doing is consentrating on the patient(s)...

I hate to be the devils advocate on this one, but I just look at this a little differently I suppose...

If there is no way to secure a scene (either fire, rescue or medical emergency), and the law enforcement that usually responds with us cannot or is not capable of securing the situation...I'm really sorry...

That is the risk everyone takes on both sides of the equation...

Just my opinion...

[ninjamedic2293]

I agree with you that it is a logistical nightmare but I dont feel that that should prevent me from exercising the right to self defense. Although I have a duty to my patient and my team mates, I have a deeper responsibility to return home to my wife and children at the end of the shift. We are forced to provide less than optimum care all the time as you know due to unforeseen situations and events. If that nightmare scenario ever came true I feel certain that you would attempt to provide care to all persons as well as you could until your backup arrives, at which time you will be taken off of the streets and placed on administrative leave for a period of probably a month or two while an investigation is performed and then you will certainly (at least in my city) be taken before a grand jury and subsequently to trial if it comes to that. After that you WILL BE sued. The nice thing about getting sued is it implies that you are still alive. None of that changes the fact that I have a right to self defense which I did not give away when I raised my hand and said I wish to help people.

[mr surveyor]

almost 30 years ago when I was active as a firefighter and ambulance jockey, I had several very uncomfortable experiences. Actually none (except when doing an arson investigation as a small town Fire Marshall) as a firefighter, but several making med calls. One in a honkey tonk where we were summoned for a "man down" call... yep he was DRT, his wife in one corner shocked into labor, his father at a table having a heart attack, his mother screaming bloody murder (a real family that plays together - stays together type, you know), and the "shooter" sitting at the bar with a beer... his revolver in front of him... saying "I shot him fer dead". And, like always, we were 5 minutes ahead of leo. We reluctantly went on and did our job, figuring the shooter had already done his for the day. Very uncomfortable situation to be in. And, back in that time, it wasn't uncommon to pick up more than one "patient" at a time..particularly our newly arrived immigrants from the "south". You get a couple (or 5) non-englich speaking "gentlemen" with various knife wounds received from "visiting the wrong establishment" as your guests in the mobile box, and you will start looking around for a defensive weapon. More than once I hugged a CO2 fire extinguisher as we were acting as a bloody taxi service.

I sympathize with all you guys still active on the fire line, or the trauma trucks. I do serve as a commissioner on our county emergency services district, so I am still somewhat close to what goes on. In rural (mostly) NE Texas we don't have quite the problem you guys in the city have to deal with. Ours trouble makers are generally just drunks, "immigrants", or beligerant teen types... not invaded by gang bangers, yet. I don't have an answer, but figure "can o' pepper" would be best...in most cases. Tough call.



surv