Posted: 2/8/2007 7:34:03 PM EDT
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I'm taking an EMT class to become certified again (first time was way back in the 70's, let it lapse a few years ago). I spoke with the two instructors last night about giving a lecture and hopefully range time to the class on safe firearm handling/unloading. I've had this idea for a few years of setting up a lesson plan for a class for people who might not be 'gun folks', but midht come in contact with a loaded firearm someday in the course of their work... teachers, medical professionals, etc. I explained that with the number of CCW's out there now, some of these future EMT's may come in contact with a patient who has a loaded handgun and the EMT would be the first person available to secure it. Knowing how many people have no idea how to handle a handgun safely (even some people who OWN handguns!), this course would introduce them to the handgun; both the semi-automatic and the revolver. Both instructors sounded interested. So, I need to talk with the folks at the police academy at the college where we have class, to see how I can get some range time. I know several officers who teach there, and I've taken a non-college firearms course there before. I figure it will come down to my having to work with one of the officers when giving the course. That's fine with me, though. If this goes well, I will take it to the county education system next. This could be sorta like the media and guns day they hold in places to educate the press PROPERLY about firearms. |
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Let the police secure it- especially if your pt is a LEO!!!! If your pt has a head injury, it is even more important to let the guy with the body armor on secure it- head injury victims can revert to an almost primal sense and will fight to protect their gun if they have had decent training. While it's not hard for folks who have any sort of training to do, as noted, most folks freak (including a lot of our poorly trained police officers who have no idea what they are doing with anything other than their issue gun). I've never worried much about it though, often there will be a friend or co-worker who they don't mind handing the gun off to. I have taken a lot of knives off folks though; depending on the situation, I either give them to the hospital staff to put with the pt's belongings, hand them over to the police, or toss them in the sharps container or trash (i.e. bums w/ shivs). The only gun I've taken off a pt in the back of the unit was a small junk revolver. I handed it through the window (type 1 ambulance) to my partner (also a shooter) just to make sure it was out of the pt compartment. He unloaded it and turned it over to hospital security (who of course had no real idea what to do with it, but we got a reciept from them for it to prove we had turned it in). Soooo, in answer to your question, if the weapon were found while on scene let the police handle it. If it is found while riding to the hospital I would instruct them to simply secure the weapon where the pt couldn't get to it. I would not want them trying to unload it in the back of a moving vehicle. If the pt pulls the weapon out while riding to the hospital then all bets are off. |