Side Arms for Responders?

If some Texas lawmakers have their way, EMS providers soon will have the option of adding firearms to their on-duty gear.

Four bills in the state legislature—HB 56, HB 435, HB 2735 and SB 1408—call for arming EMS personnel and other first responders. If even one of those bills becomes law, Texas would join Kansas and Bethel Township, OH, as places permitting prehospital caregivers to carry guns while on duty.

HB 2735 and SB 1408 address privileges for first responders in general, while HB 435 applies only to EMS volunteers. HB 56 allows first responders to carry weapons where others may not, such as bars and polling places.

“HB 2735 is the one I find easiest to support,” says Wes Ogilvie, a Texas attorney and paramedic. “That bill includes more mandatory training than the others—at least 40 hours of field instruction in the use of handguns and de-escalation techniques. It also has a provision for weapons storage if the responder has to enter an area where firearms are forbidden, like a post office.”

Enforcement and Judgment

Matt Zavadsky, chief strategic integration officer at MedStar Mobile Healthcare, a Fort Worth employer of 280 EMTs and paramedics, says his agency currently prohibits employees from carrying guns while on duty.

“We’ve never officially surveyed our people about firearms” says Zavadsky, an EMT and concealed-weapons permit holder, “but this being Texas, I can tell you that about a third to a half are licensed to carry. We’re not sure how many of them would want to do that on duty, though.

“It’s similar to the body-armor debate we had here about a year ago. Half of our workers thought it was a great idea; the other half not so much. (MedStar) has a policy that allows employees to wear vests if they want to, but we do not provide them nor require they be worn. Very few of our people actually have them.”

According to Zavadsky, the proposed handgun legislation may not mix well with his agency’s patient-first philosophy.

“EMS providers aren’t always focused on potential dangers on scene or in the back of an ambulance; they’re thinking, ‘Can I get this IV, do I need to do a 12-lead, how’s the patient responding to treatment?’ They’re not necessarily going to know if there’s an angry patient or family member who’s going to try to grab their gun.

“Then you have the hospital issue,” Zavadsky says. “By Texas law, you can’t carry a firearm into a hospital unless you’re a law enforcement officer. Would EMS workers be exempt from that statute? If not, they’d have to remove their side arms before going into the hospital. How are they going to secure them in the ambulance while they’re trying to get the patient into the ER?”

Two of the bills—HB 2735 and SB 1408—say “governmental entities” like MedStar wouldn’t be able to keep employees from carrying firearms while on duty, which raises a concern about individuals who might lack the maturity and discipline to safely manage their weapons.

“How do we go through a vetting process if we have no choice about who is armed?” asks Zavadsky. “Do we assume it doesn’t matter what an employee’s demeanor is because they’ve been background-checked, fingerprinted and trained by the state?”

Getting Defensive

Larry Zacarese, a New York attorney, paramedic and police chief, says that even with good intent, there’s much more to carrying a side arm than knowing how to shoot it.

“It’s a matter of being vigilant; of knowing what a threat is and is not. You can get involved in a situation that quickly escalates beyond your capacity to handle it.”

Zacarese accentuates the importance of defensive training, including some skills that may not even occur to first responders.

“Weapon retention, for example, is practiced for weeks at law-enforcement academies. When you’re in close quarters—like the back of an ambulance—with someone who’s trying to grab your gun, you better know what you’re doing. Every cop knows that when they get into a fight, it’s life and death.”

EMS providers who are armed on duty should conceal their weapons in a way that’s not going to interfere with patient access, says Zacarese, who suggests an ankle holster.

“I carry my Glock 26 that way when I’m working as a medic. It’s harder for me to reach down there, but at least the gun won’t get caught on something if I’m trying to squeeze into a tight area.”

Worth the Risks?

Even if Texas passes an EMS carry bill, Ogilvie, who has years of experience with firearms, isn’t sure he’d bring a handgun on an EMS call. “Yes, it would be easier for me to respond as a volunteer from, say, a grocery store without having to worry about securing my weapon, but I’d still be concerned about what might happen when I’m in close contact with patients in the back of an ambulance.

“In my opinion, we need more training in retention, unarmed fighting and conflict de-escalation.”

Zavadsky shares Ogilvie’s concerns. “With proper training, there may be times when it would be beneficial for our employees to defend themselves with handguns, but I shudder to think what would happen if we ever had to shoot someone. There’s huge emotional trauma that goes along with that.

“One thing EMS workers don’t need is more emotional trauma.”

Mike Rubin is a paramedic in Nashville, Tennessee and a member of EMS World’s editorial advisory board. Contact him at mgr22@prodigy.net.