NC Medics Could Carry Concealed Guns in Tactical Situations

RALEIGH, NC—Paramedics in North Carolina could be permitted to carry concealed weapons when assisting in tactical law enforcement emergencies if House Bill 48 garners enough support from lawmakers.

The bill is scheduled to be heard in a Judiciary Committee meeting Wednesday afternoon. Rep. Jason Saine, a Lincolnton Republican, said he believes it will have some bipartisan support.

Saine co-sponsored the bill and told The News & Observer Tuesday that it has his support based on his experiences as a volunteer firefighter in Lincoln County. He said some of the calls he has been on have been "scary."

"You get miscommunications or mentally disabled folks, and I could see why that would work or why folks in those situations would feel safer," Saine said of the bill.

Saine said he learned Tuesday afternoon that a paramedic who is a constituent of one of the bill's main sponsors asked that lawmaker to consider filing the bill.

Saine said that while he served as a firefighter he has watched paramedics hold back because of safety concerns. The quicker emergency medical technicians can get in to help someone, he said, the better the outcome for everyone.

North Carolinians Against Gun Violence spoke out against the bill Monday night in an email calling it "unbelievable."

The group said paramedics' only focus should be on providing medical care, and knowing that a paramedic could be armed may cause further distrust in patients who need care.

Saine said the only downside he can find in having paramedics carrying concealed weapons is that the weapon could be turned on them. He said that's why training is important.

"I think the real stress point is to make sure those folks are very well-trained before they're allowed to (conceal carry in tactical emergencies) because of the intensity of those situations," Saine said.

The bill requires paramedics who conceal carry to complete approved tactical medical assistance courses.

Those courses must be taught by instructors from the NC Criminal Justice Education and Training Standards Commission or the National Rifle Association, according to the bill.

The bill also mandates that the courses must be sponsored by one of those two organizations or a law enforcement agency, a college or a firearms training school.

"That's real that emotions run high in these situations, so having that will be necessary to say, OK, you can carry but let's make sure folks have some training and background in the law," Saine said.

Saine said the bill does not allow firefighters to conceal carry, though many are also trained paramedics. He said that the bill may need clarification to define exactly which responders are allowed to conceal carry in these types of emergencies.

Senators filed Senate Bill 134 Tuesday afternoon, which mirrors the language from the House bill.

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