Gun Toting EMTs and Paramedics

I just have a single question for you. How many of you out there carry a gun when you go to work?

It’s certainly unusual here where I live. I don’t know of any EMS providers around my area that carry a firearm at work, although maybe they are and I just don’t know.

Firearms and EMS

But in Cape Town, South Africa, they’re looking at their emergency medical services in the Western Cape region and many of them carry guns, firearms to work. The leaders are saying there is not a good reason to be armed on the job as an EMT. Even though their job is a dangerous one, EMT’s who carry firearms at work, according to this article, are asking for more trouble from the gun itself being present than as a deterrent or protection from any trouble.

I have to be really calm and collected even during high risk moments and I’m afraid my training doesn’t leave me in a position to easily carry a fire arm. In most of aggressive situations I would not be able to get that shot off in such a way as to ensure that I wasn’t shooting too near another unintended target. What if you strike your partner or a patient family member? If you have somebody attack your unit, how will you make sure you don’t shoot any bystanders?

Contact MedicCast with Your Opinion

I’m interested to hear back from you, not just that the people were crazy and gun toting. Are you the guy who carries seven guns when you go to work? Does anybody out there carry a firearm to work with them? I’d love to hear back from you. Email me at podmedic@mac.com and tell me what you think of this or any of the news items from this week’s MedicCast Episode.

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Catch this news item and more in this week’s episode of the MedicCast – Atrial Fibrillation Revisited and Episode 295.

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