concealed carry for firefighters

[gunner2651]

after many hours of extensive research i have still yet to come to a complete yes or no answer on being able to carry on a call.

lets start off by saying that i am a volunteer firefighter and have been for the past 6 years. my question to everyone here is that is it illegal for me to concealed carry on a fire call if i have my ccwp and the bi-laws/sogs (standard operations guidelines) of my department have no "weapons policies "

any kind of information would be greatly appreciated, thank you.

[ray h]

It's not illegal (in that the commonwealth does give a shit if you carry or not)but your depart may have rules against it.

[gunner2651]

would you happen to have the information to this? thier are certain people at my firehall saying that it is illegal and i would like to information to prove them wrong

[ViperGTS19801]

I am also a volunteer firefighter in my local.

Unless everyone in your firehouse is either very much pro-gun or very much incompetent, you probably only lack SOGs/SOPs regarding the carrying of firearms because it hasn't come up or hasn't been a problem.

That having been said, what advantages would having a firearm while on a fire call give you? Where are you going to keep it in your 35 pounds of bunker gear where it will not only be safe from falling debris, a grab, or filling out, while still having it be easy to access and concealed? How will you protect it from the heat of a burning building while still keeping it in a place that's easy to draw? What if you get hurt at an accident scene and now they have to figure out what to do with your gun while transporting you to the hospital, and how does that stack up against the risk of being attacked while putting out a fire?

I carry TO my firehouse when we get calls, but it gets locked in a locker or lockbox either before or as soon as I get there. I believe that the benefit of having it is severely mitigated by the tasks of a fighter to begin with, and isn't worth having while on-scene.

would you happen to have the information to this? thier are certain people at my firehall saying that it is illegal and i would like to information to prove them wrong

It's legal because it isn't illegal. There are no laws prohibiting the carrying of firearms by firefighters. It is usually restricted by your department's SOPs.

Another thing to think about is whether or not you will be covered by insurance if something goes wrong, and you have a gun on you at the time. You might die on the firescene, and your family will lose every penny of the insurance coverage because of an obscure (possibly un-provable) stipulation from the carrier.

[gunner2651]

its not the fact of whether or not having it on my hip while geared up may or may not help me but their are the occasional times that i forget to take it off of my hip while in the heat of the moment on going to a structure fire. im just looking for the information on the legality of if still being allowed on my hip in those rare instances.

[jtwalker]

would you happen to have the information to this? thier are certain people at my firehall saying that it is illegal and i would like to information to prove them wrong

As I understand it ...

There is nothing to point you to, as there is no law saying that you can't. Your PA LTCF is your exemption for the law that deals with carrying a firearm concealed on one's person or in an automobile. Doesn't say anything about "unless you are a volunteer firefighter".

[ViperGTS19801]

its not the fact of whether or not having it on my hip while geared up may or may not help me but their are the occasional times that i forget to take it off of my hip while in the heat of the moment on going to a structure fire. im just looking for the information on the legality of if still being allowed on my hip in those rare instances.

I pocket carry a lot as well, so I understand this concern.

It is not illegal. It may cause a problem if something goes VERY sideways, but if you happen to have a pocketed or holstered firearm on a vehicle rescue or an automatic fire alarm, and no one notices it, you should be fine.

[gunner2651]

it was noticed whenever i took my gear off this morning. i carry a snub 357 with a in the pants holster and the butt of the gun was showing and we have many guys their that are very anti-gun and it has caused and issue. so i want to be well prepared for our board meeting on tuesday evening when i get called in about it because i know that it is going to happen.

[donm]

would you happen to have the information to this? thier are certain people at my firehall saying that it is illegal and i would like to information to prove them wrong

There IS a state regulation against EMTs carrying weapons on their person or in their vehicle.

[jtwalker]

My view on the situation ...

Not being illegal should keep you out of prison, but it won't keep you as a volunteer firefighter. So even if it's not in their rules today, they will amend them tomorrow and then it will be in their rules.