[rcc413]

I am a sixty-one year old man confined to a wheelchair due to multiple sclerosis. I know that someone in my situation is a easy target to those of evil intentions. This is one reason that I decided to carry…the other reason is that this is one way that I could protect my family… the only way.
My worry is that one day that I might need an ambulance when I have no time to safely store my gun in the safe…especially if I blacked-out. I have blacked-out a few times before I carried!
Have any of you been in this situation? Did the ambulance and/or the hospital staff cause you a problem due to disclosure of your firearm? Did they call the police? How did you handle this situation?
I would greatly appreciate your advice!
Thank you!
rcc413

 

[ToddG]

If you're carrying legally and suffer a medical emergency while doing so, you've done nothing wrong. If emergency personnel do call the police, it's still better than (1) not carrying or (2) not getting medical attention. About the only thing I can think of is to make sure you keep it somewhere secure (no one will touch off a round accidentally digging through a bag, etc.) and if you bring yourself to a hospital you might not be legal carrying it inside the hospital depending on your state laws.

Personally, I commend you for taking the responsible step to protect yourself and your family, and I think most LEOs would understand that deeply.

 

[HowardCohodas]

I volunteer at a hospital in nuclear medicine, so I'm a bit removed from the ER. However, it seems to me that many hospital personnel are afraid of guns. One story circulating around was ER personnel were reluctant to administer to the patient until a policeman disarmed the patient. No one in the ER new anything about guns. Luckily, the patient was not in a life threatening situation. I cannot verify the validity of the story but it seems reasonable.

On the plus side, more people than ever are at becoming familiar with the idea of people carrying concealed, especially in Ohio where the legislative issues have been in the news for the last several years.

Like Todd, I honor your decision to take the safety of you and your family in your own hands. Yes, there are risks for carrying a gun into the hospital purposely or accidentally, but were I in a similar situation, I would do the same.

 

[AZ Outlaws]

If I was prone to blackouts, I would not carry....

 

[Mud Pie]

When you say "blackout" do you mean you lose consciousness or do you mean you don't remember doing something until someone tells you ?

If it's the latter, then yeah, I think you should think twice about carrying. If it's losing consciousness, go ahead and carry. I don't think any hospital or law enforcement personnel would react poorly in their response.

In fact, when I've been pulled over and I advised the officer I was carrying, all the officer said was, "Don't draw it or I'll have to shoot you.", then he smiled. He never took it away from me, he never even asked where it was. An experienced LEO can tell a turd from a citizen.

 

[jocko]

If you're carrying legally and suffer a medical emergency while doing so, you've done nothing wrong. If emergency personnel do call the police, it's still better than (1) not carrying or (2) not getting medical attention. About the only thing I can think of is to make sure you keep it somewhere secure (no one will touch off a round accidentally digging through a bag, etc.) and if you bring yourself to a hospital you might not be legal carrying it inside the hospital depending on your state laws.

Personally, I commend you for taking the responsible step to protect yourself and your family, and I think most LEOs would understand that deeply.

Todd is right. I was about 9 years ago hit by a truck while riding my harley. I was unconsious and taken to the hosptial. I was carrying (legally). When I was awake later on a police offer came in and said he had my handgun and ask ed if I had a carry permit, which my wife then there also showed him and he viewed it and then handed the handgun over to her (unloaded). No sermons, no speeches. I though handled very well..

 

[jocko]

When you say "blackout" do you mean you lose consciousness or do you mean you don't remember doing something until someone tells you ?

If it's the latter, then yeah, I think you should think twice about carrying. If it's losing consciousness, go ahead and carry. I don't think any hospital or law enforcement personnel would react poorly in their response.

In fact, when I've been pulled over and I advised the officer I was carrying, all the officer said was, "Don't draw it or I'll have to shoot you.", then he smiled. He never took it away from me, he never even asked where it was. An experienced LEO can tell a turd from a citizen.

BUT Why even tell the officer anything???To me your just inviting a longer stay there. Not all LEO's are nice people. I have been stopped numerous times on my motorcycle for speeding and never once has an officer did anything more than write me a ticket, not did I volunteer anything more than what he asked of me.

 

[mike6ds]

BUT Why even tell the officer anything???To me your just inviting a longer stay there. Not all LEO's are nice people. I have been stopped numerous times on my motorcycle for speeding and never once has an officer did anything more than write me a ticket, not did I volunteer anything more than what he asked of me.

I'd say it's more of a courtesy than anything. If I were pulled over I wouldn't say anything unless I was asked to get out of the vehicle and there was intent to seach/frisk me. I would rather have the LEO know beforehand than find it.

 

[Wildcat]

That's some good information on ER personnel that I had never thought about. Ariz is a firearm friendly State and it just never occurred to me. The fact my own physician carries concealed mught have something to do with that. ;D

 

[Burley]

An armed wacko in our ER is a nightmare to me. An armed, responsible citizen is ok. Police are a comfort. BIG comfort. I wish we had a 24/7 policeman in the er. We see gsws on a daily basis. I'm suprised we don't see armed pts. EMS would have to call the police to take charge of the weapon if you came on that way. No big deal, don't be a victem and don't threaten us with a firearm and we'll all be ok. Maybe you should get one of those alert bracelets so we'll know you're prone to blackout if you come in.

 

[devonjevon]

OK you have to tell the officer cause you are illegally caring a firearm in a hospital.
I work in a hospital and this happens in the ER more than you think.
You would be surprised how many grannies and Little old ladies carry in Tennessee.
2 things will happen in my state.
1)If you wake up and you are in the hospital then you need to tell the armed security officer you have one.
when you go into the ER they ask you if you have any property or valuables when you register that needs to be held in a safe buy security. TELL THEM don't be a smart ass. Trust me it can go down way different if you are caught with one.
Don't let them fine the gun when they are shooting an xray on you. Then you will have metro police on you and you will probably have your gun taken. you will be fined and or/prosecuted. they don't play in Nashville
2)if your unconscious and have a gun. security will take it and hopefully they will be honest and give it back to you.
they will not call the cops unless you knowingly have it on property and don't reveal

 

[HowardCohodas]

Don't let them fine the gun when they are shooting an xray on you. Then you will have metro police on you and you will probably have your gun taken. you will be fined and or/prosecuted. they don't play in Nashville

Wow! Being X-Ray'd in street clothes is a new one on me.

 

[nafdrynyks]

Don't let them fine the gun when they are shooting an xray on you. Then you will have metro police on you and you will probably have your gun taken. you will be fined and or/prosecuted. they don't play in Nashville

Wow! Being X-Ray'd in street clothes is a new one on me.

Agreed.

Let me make a couple assumptions, you said "protect my family" and "store my gun in the safe", these lead me to believe you're primarily asking about what will happen if you become unconscious at home. I'll also assume that your FF/EMS service is mostly "gun-friendly" or pro-gun as my department is.

If we (my fire department) come to your house and we find your pistol during our primary exam, or your family member remembers it is concealed upon you before we head out the door, we would secure it and leave it at your house without police notification. If you were out of the house when we found it on you we would likely stash it in the ambulance while we wheeled you into the ER, notify our local police and transfer the weapon to them for safe keeping until you were out of the hospital/family was able to receive, etc.

My local ER? I really can't speak for them but I like to think they have a logical procedure in place/at least one firearm knowledgeable person on duty to handle the situation smoothly until security or PD arrives to help out. In 18 years on the job I've yet to witness any of the RN's freak out over finding a pistol, not sure how often it happens for them.

In your situation, I would carry if by "blacked-out" you meant lose consciousness instead of loss of memory while conscious.