Safety & Health

NM Firefighter Recovering After Accidentally Shooting Self at Station

Feb. 2, 2018

The Albuquerque firefighter accidentally shot himself in January and was hospitalized for a week.

Source Albuquerque Journal, N.M.

If you’re going to accidentally shoot yourself, a fire station isn’t a bad place to do it.

An Albuquerque firefighter was hospitalized for almost a week after accidentally shooting himself at a fire station in northeast Albuquerque last month.

Melissa Romero, a spokeswoman for the fire department, said there is an ongoing investigation into the issue and the man wasn’t identified. The city didn’t immediately produce investigative documents about the incident.

City rules prohibit all non-law enforcement employees from carrying firearms on city property, said Alicia Manzano, a spokeswoman for the mayor’s office. She said employees can be disciplined for violating the policy.

The shooting happened on Jan. 24 when the man was on duty at a fire station. He spent five days in the hospital with a “traumatic injury,” Romero said in an email.

He remains on sick leave.

There have been pushes in some states around the country to allow firefighters or paramedic first responders to carry concealed weapons in case they respond to a deadly situation.