Packing Heat on the Ambulance

[Jon]

What does "mostly in uniform" mean?

I took off the duty belt and unform shirt.... I still had my navy trousers with light blue stripe... and a white undershirt. I still looked "mostly uniformed" - espicially since I was fingerprinted by a plainclothes trooper...

 

[gradygirl]

I'm curious - is that a company policy, local EMS office rule, or state rule?

Apparently, this is more West Hartford PD's rule. They work with AMR mostly, and I don't believe that is a company policy. To answer you question, I would have to ask a friend of mine what the policies of a few companies around the state are and what the OEMS and State say, though I'm pretty sure it isn't a state policy.

 

[disassociative]

...

We have Tactical Medics for when things get heated. To be honest; a Paramedic with a gun scares the sh*t out of me.

 

[gradygirl]

We have Tactical Medics for when things get heated. To be honest; a Paramedic with a gun scares the sh*t out of me.

Has anyone seen the newly proposed E.R. protocol? I think many of you will find it exactly what EMS needs.

http://www.thelunatick.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=22

 

[Luno]

disassociative

We have Tactical Medics for when things get heated. To be honest; a Paramedic with a gun scares the sh*t out of me.

I won't hold it against you.... at least not barrel first

 

[Stevo]

how convienient it must be to shoot pysch patients in the back of an ambulance, with the ekg, pul-ox & o2 already on the perp....

~S~

 

[rescuecpt]

Hey Luno and Stevo

Welcome Back!

I haven't seen you guys in a while, hope all is well - thanks for posting!!!

 

[Luno]

Maybe your psyches are a little different

I'll give you the benefit of the doubt though, except in a couple of examples where we're turning over patients to standard EMS, I haven't seen the inside of a rig in nearly two years. Well, there was that time, with that female medic, but hey, it had nothing to do with psyche patients. And I could be wrong, but why would you put O2, pulse oximeter, and EKG leads on a psyche? I'm just busting your b@lls. And thanks erica, I try to drop in every now and then...
-luke

 

[Stevo]

And I could be wrong, but why would you put O2, pulse oximeter, and EKG leads on a psyche?

point taken Luno

why do i have to take them at all? i mean those violent ones spittin' & sh**in' , flapping like a flounder the whole ride...

let the cops have their way with 'em i say ( i won't say a thing)

~S~

ps~ Hi rescuecpt, yeah we're like a reoccuring rash, aren't we? maybe they make some sort of cybercream?

 

[davis513]

North Carolina specifically prohibits weapons and/or explosives on EMS vehicles, concealed or visible, except for law enforcement officers:

10A NCAC 13P .0216 WEAPONS AND EXPLOSIVES FORBIDDEN
(a) Weapons, as defined by the local county district attorney's office, and explosives shall not be worn or carried aboard
an ambulance or EMS nontransporting vehicle within the State of North Carolina when the vehicle is operating in any
patient treatment or transport capacity or is available for such function.
(b) This Rule shall apply whether or not such weapons and explosives are concealed or visible.
(c) This Rule shall not apply to duly appointed law enforcement officers.
(d) Safety flares are authorized for use on an ambulance with the following restrictions:
(1) These devices are not stored inside the patient compartment of the ambulance; and
(2) These devices shall be packaged and stored so as to prevent accidental discharge or ignition.
History Note: Authority G.S. 131E-157(a); 143-508(d)(8);
Temporary Adoption Eff. January 1, 2002;
Eff. April 1, 2003.

davis513

 

[ffemt8978]

The part that concerns me is the "as defined by the local county district attorney's office". So in essence, each individual county district attorney gets to decide what is a weapon and what is not, and there's no consistency within the state. What's legal in one county may not be legal in the next.

Does each county attorney post a list of what the consider to be a weapon, or do you have to wait until your court date after you're charged? I know ignorance of the law is not supposed to be an excuse, but how can you know what is illegal if it isn't written down in the law?

 

[Jon]

The part that concerns me is the "as defined by the local county district attorney's office". So in essence, each individual county district attorney gets to decide what is a weapon and what is not, and there's no consistency within the state. What's legal in one county may not be legal in the next.

Does each county attorney post a list of what the consider to be a weapon, or do you have to wait until your court date after you're charged? I know ignorance of the law is not supposed to be an excuse, but how can you know what is illegal if it isn't written down in the law?

I had the same thought - A firearm is a "weapon." Is a baton? OC Spray? Taser? Large flashlight? Oxygen bottle?

As for the "Law enforcement" line - if I read it correctly - there is nothing to stop a sworn LEO, who is also an EMT from carring a firearm on their person while running as an EMT? PA has a "Except for sworn LEO's in preformance of their duties as a LEO" line.