5-7 BROWN COUNTY EMS GUIDELINE-WEAPONS

The purpose of this guideline is to outline common procedures for handling patients and/or family who under law may be carrying a concealed weapon.  The intent is to reduce potential risk of injury to emergency responders, healthcare workers, and the public while respecting the rights of the individual and preserving the property of the individual during patient care.

Definition:

Under the concealed carry law a weapon is described as a knife, firearm, or electronic control device (ECD).

General Guidelines for EMS:

EMS and healthcare workers should anticipate that any patient may have a concealed weapon.  The safety of emergency responders and healthcare personnel is paramount.  Emergency responders and healthcare personnel should never approach a patient who appears threatening with a weapon, no matter how ill the person seems.  Law Enforcement should be called to secure the scene prior to EMS involvement.

EMS services and healthcare workers should make determining if a patient is carrying a concealed weapon a priority in patient assessment.  Ideally patients will self-disclose that they have a weapon, however, at times a weapon will be discovered through a patient assessment.

The following concepts pertain to discovery of a weapon:

• EMS and healthcare personnel should always assume that all firearms are loaded.
• Optimally weapons should be allowed to be safely secured by the patient at their residence and not transported in an emergency response vehicle or to a healthcare facility.
• Patients should be allowed to release or secure their weapon with another individual (if legally able) or designate a secure location for the weapon to be left.  If there is any question about security, EMS or healthcare workers should turn over the weapon to Law Enforcement or transport with the patient according to the following guideline.
• Patients with an altered level of consciousness, severe pain, or with difficulties in motor control should not be encouraged to disarm themselves.  An EMS or healthcare worker may need to obtain control of the weapon for the safety of responding personnel, the public and the patient.  EMS and healthcare should take advantage of Law Enforcement in these cases to secure the weapon.  EMS and healthcare workers should not attempt to unload the firearm, regardless of the person’s familiarity with firearms as there is no way to know the firearm is working properly.

Brown County EMS Guideline-Weapons

• Law Enforcement, if available and willing, shall be used to secure the weapon and take custody of the weapon for safe keeping.

Prehospital Actions of Emergency Medical Services

Prehospital EMS workers may discover a weapon on a patient at the scene, or in some instances during a secondary survey while en route to the hospital.  Based on the scenario, an EMS worker shall adhere to the following steps when a weapon is discovered.

1. Patients who are alert and oriented should be asked to leave their weapons in a secure location prior to transport.  Patients can be told that EMS vehicles are no carry zones per their Agency policy.
2. Patients who are unable to secure the weapon may relinquish their weapon to law enforcement on scene if law enforcement is able and willing to take possession of the weapon.
3. Patients who are unable to secure the weapon and law enforcement is not available or willing to secure the weapon should do the following:
   1. Place or have the patient place the weapon into a safe compartment or “lock box”.  (It is suggested the lock box show the direction of the barrel on the outside of the lock box for safe handling.)
   2. Secure the lock box in a safe compartment during transport.
   3. Notify the receiving facility of the weapon being transported with the patient so the receiving facility can activate their protocol for receiving patients with weapons.
   4. Turn over the lock box with the patient as part of their belongings.
   5. Note the weapon was turned over to facility in patient care report.
4. For patients who are unconscious when a weapon is discovered, EMS is encouraged to ask law enforcement for assistance in securing the weapon.
5. If law enforcement is unavailable upon discovery and the weapon needs to be removed for patient care, the EMS worker will carefully remove the weapon and place it in the lock box and follow steps 1-5 above.  (Note: In most incidences it is safest to remove the weapon while it remains in its holster.  If able, remove the holster from the patient and secure in a lock box or safe location for transport.)
6. If the weapon does not need to be removed for patient care, the weapon may remain on the patient with notification and status of the weapon made to the receiving facility so the facility can activate their protocol for receiving patient’s with weapons.

Upon release of the patient from the receiving facility, the “lock box’ should be returned to the equipment locker of the transport agency so it can be placed back in service.

Special Consideration

Electronic Control Devices (ECD’s) are available to the public and require special care.  ECD’s are susceptible to discharge through electrical means, and therefore shall always be removed prior to treatment using electrical means.  ECD’s may also malfunction or become damaged if introduced to water or other elements, the EMS or healthcare worker should make it a priority to locate and secure ECD’s using the above procedure(s).  Treat ECD’s as a firearm as accidental discharges could cause damage to sensitive areas upon discharge.