EMS Crash with Gun

[Nathan Hale]

I need some one to tell me if this is right or wrong.

My cousin got a job with the luzerne county EMS, i think thats what they call it, anyways, i was having a talk with him about his job etc etc.

i asked him wondering what is the general procedure that ems personnel follow when they find a gun concealed with a guy who is badly injured in a car wreck. he tells me the ems personnel do nothing and wait till the cops get there to take the gun. i told him that it is ridiculous to wait for a cop to come take the gun while the guy is lying in his crashed vehicle. my cousin says " well if we take the guy to the hospital the hospital will get us into trouble for not processing him and checking him completely ( i forget the exact word he used, i substituted processed ) " is this true? are u made to suffer till a cop comes to take your gun and only then will the ambulance leave the scene of the crash??

[NuclearSociety]

I need some one to tell me if this is right or wrong.

My cousin got a job with the luzerne county EMS, i think thats what they call it, anyways, i was having a talk with him about his job etc etc.

i asked him wondering what is the general procedure that ems personnel follow when they find a gun concealed with a guy who is badly injured in a car wreck. he tells me the ems personnel do nothing and wait till the cops get there to take the gun. i told him that it is ridiculous to wait for a cop to come take the gun while the guy is lying in his crashed vehicle. my cousin says " well if we take the guy to the hospital the hospital will get us into trouble for not processing him and checking him completely ( i forget the exact word he used, i substituted processed ) " is this true? are u made to suffer till a cop comes to take your gun and only then will the ambulance leave the scene of the crash??

What I have the problem with is why the hell are they coming to take my gun anyway?

[Nathan Hale]

cause you are knocked out of your senses in the crash. that was my question to him.

[Chazman321]

Section 102 of the PA DOH BLS Protocol, Section E:
E. Lethal weapons:
1. Do not move firearms (loaded or unloaded) unless it poses a potential immediate threat.
2. Secure any weapon that can be used against you or the crew out of the reach of the patient and bystanders
a. Guns should be handed over to a law enforcement officer if possible or placed in a locked space, when available.
1) If necessary for scene security, safely move firearm keeping finger off of the trigger and hammer and keeping barrel pointed in a safe direction away from self and others.
2) Do not unload a gun.
b. Knives should be placed in a locked place, when available.


Now, what his service says and what the DOH says can be two different things. The service won't pull his card for doing something wrong, but DOH will... However, as above, it is LEGAL and in his protocols to secure the weapon. Rarely is an ambulance there before an officer in the first place in a car crash, but there have been instances where and ambulance happens to be closer.

I have encountered 1 firearm in 10 years. I cleared it and locked it in the drug locker as per regulations. The police showed up and I turned it over to them. The officer tried to clear it, couldn't lock the slide back. It was a Glock, which he was issued. I got away from him as quickly as possible! lol


-Chaz

[normanvin]

What exactly does your cousin do? There are many volunteer ambulance organizations in Luzrne county. There are also many paid organizations. As far as I know they each have some desertion when dealing with the public.

[Grizz2720]

Over 27 yrs of service I came across a couple of guns. The procedure was to remove the gun and give it to law enforcement when they got there. In all instances the guns were returned to the owner without any problem. This is rural Wisconsin, not sure how it would work else where.

[ViperGTS19801]

The police showed up and I turned it over to them. The officer tried to clear it, couldn't lock the slide back. It was a Glock, which he was issued. I got away from him as quickly as possible! lol


-Chaz

And then they wonder why we don't want them taking out firearms during encounters.

[abner13]

Had it happen 23yrs ago. Was in a serious motorcycle vs automoble altercation , and I lost. My pistol was in the pocket of my leather jacket , which EMS cut off in pieces. I was airlifted to Hahnaman , and the local PD on scene took posession of the pistol , till I got out of the hospital. Showed up at the station on crutches , and didn't have to show anything as they knew who I was and knew I had a valid LTCF.

[LilEMT]

What I have the problem with is why the hell are they coming to take my gun anyway?

I know for my corps, we cant have the weapon on the rig unless in a locked narc cabinet. Even the officers when they ride along either need to surrender their weapon or have two officers present. We were told that's the law by our EMS officers but I never actaully checked them...

[normanvin]

It is illegal to have a gun on an ambulance. Even for officers, in order for them to carry on the rig there needs to be two officers present.

Can you show citation of that? I ran with an ambulance for a few years and never heard that.