One question I have is people always use the argument that there's not enough training. If the state says I'm trained enough to carry a gun when I'm off duty, why does that change as soon as I put on a uniform?
I'm still waiting for a response to when I asked that same question
I also carry a firearm because it's my job. I stand a much better chance on using it in parole/LE then I ever will in EMS.
Do you carry when you are off duty, or only when you are at your job? If you carry when you are off duty, why?
Assuming you do carry off duty (and many LEOs that I know do), I am assuming it's more for personal protection, so if Joe Badguy sees you when you are out with your family and decides to take action against you because you sent him back to jail for a petty parole violation, not because you want to go stop an armed robbery on your day off, right?
So what would happen when Joe Badguy decides to do the same when they see you on a 911 call, when you are on the ambulance? And decides to attack you with a 2x4 for sending him back to jail 8 months ago? Do you really think he is going to not do that because it's your day off, and you aren't working the parole job?
My biggest things are: security of the firearm, your hands are often outside of your frame when caring for a patient which is no Bueno for firearm.
You know, your right, I didn't think of that. Our cops are all first responders, so when the ambulance arrives, they are often treating the patient. I'll be sure to tell him they need to leave their sidearms in their car, and make sure they are secured, because "your hands are often outside of your frame when caring for a patient which is no Bueno for firearm."
A call shouldn't get to the point where you have to brandish a firearm. Where did things like scene safety, common sense, and situational awareness go?
Apparently you have never worked in a city that has gang members who are looking to take shots at anyone in uniform. Situations can escalate, often unexpectedly, due to no fault of the EMS provider. Please go work in one of the 20 most dangerous cities in the US, where you don't get cops on every call, and then say "well, I said scene safety, so the scene must now be safe." Oh, and many of those cities don't get a 4 person engine company on every cal to help you out.
There are some LEO's that have guns but never use them.
we only go with lowest common denominator, so we must assume that the average LEO never shoots except when they need to qualify. So if you are ok with them having gun on duty, why are you not ok with and EMT doing the same?
I shoot recreationally and have needed to draw at work, never had to shoot. However there are also anti terrorism folks who train at least once a week, Federal Reserve LEO's same thing, and yada yada yada.
So you admit there is no real standard (other than basic qualifications every 6 months) for how often a LEO NEEDS to practice his or her shooting.... while some people exceed the bare minimum, not everyone does, yet you are still ok with LEOs who fire a weapon every 6 months keeping their guns, and an EMT who goes to the range once a week to maintain proficiency is a danger to all involved, because he's carrying on the ambulance
Not to mention the inherent danger of having firearms in enclosed spaces, and all that stuff. If EMT's and Medics would like to learn how to handle them in enclosed spaces to lets say the Federal Air Marshal standards, I'd be more open to consider it. .
So do regular LEOs train to handle their weapons to say "the Federal Air Marshal standards?" I am not familiar with it, but I know that any time a LEO transports in the back of an ambulance, with their firearm, they are entering a "enclosed space," and if they have their weapon, and they aren't trained to "Federal Air Marshal standards" than they are as much of a danger as the armed EMT correct? I am not saying they don't have ANY weapons retention training, or enclosed space training, but I doubt its on par with the federal air marshals.
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