Firehouse visit question...

[RonStoppable]

I suspect that it would fall under preemption and the inability for a municipality or township to regulate carry of a firearm, but clarification in preparation would be great.

Can anyone shed some light on whether or not it would be lawful for me to visit a fire station while OCing?

Just up the road from us in york twp they have firetruck rides today; and like pants, I try never to leave the house without my weapon.

I just want to be prepared in the event it gets brought up.

Thanks,

RS.

Edit: I have a toddler, it's not me who will be riding the fire truck (but that doesn't detract from the fact that a toddler is an awesome excuse to be near firetrucks)

[Im not Batman]

I suspect that it would fall under preemption and the inability for a municipality or township to regulate carry of a firearm, but clarification in preparation would be great.

Can anyone shed some light on whether or not it would be lawful for me to visit a fire station while OCing?

Just up the road from us in york twp they have firetruck rides today; and like pants, I try never to leave the house without my weapon.

I just want to be prepared in the event it gets brought up.

Thanks,

RS.

Edit: I have a toddler, it's not me who will be riding the fire truck (but that doesn't detract from the fact that a toddler is an awesome excuse to be near firetrucks)

What if you went into CC mode and rode the hell out of that firetruck?

I am just pondering....not saying to do it.

I'd call the station... Can't hurt.

[RonStoppable]

What if you went into CC mode and rode the hell out of that firetruck?

I am just pondering....not saying to do it.

I'd call the station... Can't hurt.

I think that's a fair enough point. It may be worth tossing on a hoodie over my typical long sleeve button down and slacks and going CC. Or at least covering a majority of it.

That being said, I don't know that I'd call the station this close to 'showtime' and find out a contrary opinion.

But I just may ride the hell out of a firetruck. Toddlers are a great excuse to do fun things as an adult. I was OC in my neighborhood not long ago and a York City cop was seated working on a report, saw him, and let him run the siren. I of course found it necessary to help the mini person.

[Statkowski]

I think that something like 85% of all fire "departments" in the Commonwealth are private, non-profit entities. That being said, they could, or could not, request non-carry while on their premises. In an incorporated city, however, they are usual municipal entities, and preemption thus applies.

Of course, if you're carrying concealed, is this really an issue?

I've OCed at my fire company's gun bashes, and nobody said nuttin'.

[RonStoppable]

I think that something like 85% of all fire "departments" in the Commonwealth are private, non-profit entities. That being said, they could, or could not, request non-carry while on their premises. In an incorporated city, however, they are usual municipal entities, and preemption thus applies.

Of course, if you're carrying concealed, is this really an issue?

I've OCed at my fire company's gun bashes, and nobody said nuttin'.

That was what I was thinking, that it's possible that this particular VFD was in fact private in regards to the law.

I'll drape my sweatshirt over my Sig and call it good and as I'm departing, inquire for future visits.

[mosseater]

It's one of the reasons I don't OC. I simply don't wish to be carrying the torch on a regular basis. It appears by many accounts OCers don't get called out on the carpet as much as I think they do, and that's a good thing. I commend you guys for your efforts. Maybe one day I'll "ball-up" and OC, but for now, I keep it to myself. I suppose if there is no posted preference to the contrary, you would be fine legally. If asked to leave it behind you probably should out of simple courtesy. Personally, if you're willing to adopt that level of committment as your daily lifestyle, you should be willing and ready to politely deal with anything that comes your way. In the end, it's always up to you. What others think don't amount to a hill of beans.

[RonStoppable]

It's one of the reasons I don't OC. I simply don't wish to be carrying the torch on a regular basis. It appears by many accounts OCers don't get called out on the carpet as much as I think they do, and that's a good thing. I commend you guys for your efforts. Maybe one day I'll "ball-up" and OC, but for now, I keep it to myself. I suppose if there is no posted preference to the contrary, you would be fine legally. If asked to leave it behind you probably should out of simple courtesy. Personally, if you're willing to adopt that level of committment as your daily lifestyle, you should be willing and ready to politely deal with anything that comes your way. In the end, it's always up to you. What others think don't amount to a hill of beans.

Completely agree. If I were going for myself or for an older child I would 100% OC and be prepared to be told to leave and follow up with a letter as necessary.

But with a toddler, I couldn't bear to break his heart by leaving before he rode the truck. That being said, I'm not going to work particularly hard to conceal it since ease of access is my number one reason for OC.

[ViperGTS19801]

I am a volunteer firefighter in Delaware County. Until I got there, the department I now run with didn't have a rule regarding firearms or the carrying thereof in the Bylaws. Because I open carry, it brought the matter to the board of director's attention, however, it didn't end the way you might think.

A rule was added to the bylaws dictating that members participating in any training or firehouse activity were not to carry firearms while performing their duties. No one has a problem with the fact that some members carry firearms - several members other than myself, in fact - but during training or a fire event/emergency, where there's a very strong likelihood of someone being injured, the additional liability of having a firearm on the premises is, to say the least, undesirable.

That having been said, if I just happen to be at the firehouse for something - using a tool, cleaning a truck, fixing a computer, or just shooting pool in the back room, no one has a problem with the fact that I have at least one weapon on me. Your mileage may vary however, since I'm lucky in the respect that the majority of the BoD at my house is -extremely- gun friendly. The chief is a cop, and both the assistant chief and the president are competition shooters who build their own rifles.

Other houses may be less friendly. Each house can dictate their own rules for members - whether or not preemption applies to non-members is something I would need to research.

For the record, it would be wise to carry concealed on your first few visits to the firehouse, similar to why it's equally wise to do so on a job interview - unless you simply don't care or only would apply for membership if they are accepting of the OC practice. That, my friend, is entirely up to you and what you think is best. If it's just for the firetruck rides, the decision is entirely up to you.

Good luck and stay safe.

[RonStoppable]

Great visit at the York Twp Fire station. The little one had a great ride and it wasn't long before I became 'exposed' many conversations about weapons were had. A+ experience

[RonStoppable]

I am a volunteer firefighter in Delaware County. Until I got there, the department I now run with didn't have a rule regarding firearms or the carrying thereof in the Bylaws. Because I open carry, it brought the matter to the board of director's attention, however, it didn't end the way you might think.

A rule was added to the bylaws dictating that members participating in any training or firehouse activity were not to carry firearms while performing their duties. No one has a problem with the fact that some members carry firearms - several members other than myself, in fact - but during training or a fire event/emergency, where there's a very strong likelihood of someone being injured, the additional liability of having a firearm on the premises is, to say the least, undesirable.

That having been said, if I just happen to be at the firehouse for something - using a tool, cleaning a truck, fixing a computer, or just shooting pool in the back room, no one has a problem with the fact that I have at least one weapon on me. Your mileage may vary however, since I'm lucky in the respect that the majority of the BoD at my house is -extremely- gun friendly. The chief is a cop, and both the assistant chief and the president are competition shooters who build their own rifles.

Other houses may be less friendly. Each house can dictate their own rules for members - whether or not preemption applies to non-members is something I would need to research.

For the record, it would be wise to carry concealed on your first few visits to the firehouse, similar to why it's equally wise to do so on a job interview - unless you simply don't care or only would apply for membership if they are accepting of the OC practice. That, my friend, is entirely up to you and what you think is best. If it's just for the firetruck rides, the decision is entirely up to you.

Good luck and stay safe.

Fantastic advice. Thanks for all your hard work on many fronts