Should Firefighters Carry Guns?

Talk to any firefighter who has worked in an urban environment, and they can speak about the time they were assaulted by a patient. I am sure it happens in the suburban and rural areas as well, but statistically speaking, it is more likely to happen in a city.

Some firefighters may even tell you about having a gun pulled on them or getting shot at. Early in my career, while working in a rough neighborhood of St. Louis, we were shot at while parked at the curb to finish some paperwork after a call. We did not stick around long.

One of my more notable events was when the State of Missouri EMS director was riding with me, and we went to a shooting call in the days before staging areas. He and I were the first ones on scene. We found ourselves in the back of the house with the shooting victim who was in critical condition, and the assailant pulled a gun on us and ordered us to let him die. The patient was up against the back door, and the only way out was past the lady with the gun. After some smooth talking and a little cajoling, she handed the gun over to us.

Over the years, I’ve also seen patients hold firefighters at bay with knives or a large stick. Other times I saw fire personnel get injured trying to restrain a combative patient.

Fire personnel have been shot and, unfortunately, some have been killed when responding to shooting victims or other calls, such as welfare checks. Sometimes it is even a fire call, like when two Memphis firefighters were shot and killed in 2000, or when Maplewood, MO, Firefighter/Paramedic Ryan Hummert was shot and killed in 2008.

The big question

All of this begs the question: Should firefighters carry firearms to protect themselves? The State of Kansas earlier this year passed a bill allowing first responders to carry weapons. House Bill 2502 allows employees who work for a municipality or state to carry firearms on their person, except inside of school zones or private buildings that are specifically marked as “gun free.” Some fire chiefs and governments in Kansas have already expressed support for allowing firefighters to carry concealed weapons.

Some fire departments in Ohio, Tennessee and Florida also allow members of the department to carry concealed weapons to defend themselves.

I am not against the 2^nd Amendment, but personally, I do NOT think firefighters should carry weapons. If you are going to arm firefighters, who are traditionally seen as someone who comes to help, not harm, you better think it through completely.

First, if a firefighter shoots someone, they are using deadly force. Firefighters are not trained when to use deadly force as police officers are. Police officers are trained to use non-deadly force prior to firing their weapon. Police officers are trained to evaluate the situation around them, including bystanders and how significant the threat is, before discharging their weapon. Even still, police officers come under extreme scrutiny every time they fire their weapon, and some have been charged with murder as a result of shooting and killing someone. Considering that firefighters don’t have the same level of training that police officers receive on the use of deadly force and protecting their weapons, imagine the repercussions and scrutiny if and when a firefighter shoots and kills someone simply because they felt threatened.

As stated, firefighters are traditionally seen as people who come to help. Changing that role may put firefighters in a less favorable position when it is assumed that all firefighters are carrying weapons. This could work against firefighters who are unarmed when they respond to a scene involving someone who may be armed and sees the firefighters as a threat to them.

Lastly, every time a firefighter shoots someone while on duty, you can expect negative publicity toward the department, as some in the community will see the shooting as unjustified—no matter the circumstances. Further, the fire department can expect some type of civil legal action for a firefighter shooting someone.

In sum

As much as this topic can be controversial and there will those who come down on either side of the debate, I feel it is important to have training and procedures in place to protect firefighters before arming them to take the lives of those they are there to help.