Accident planning? -- What if Rendered unconscious while carrying?

MikeGoob · January 1, 2017, 05:47 PM

Just started carrying intermittently since last year, and almost always it is when my wife and kids are not with me. Mostly because my toddlers climb on me, pull at my pockets etc. -It just isn't practical.

Anyway, I'm generally alone while carrying. If I was in a car accident, knocked out by something falling off a roof etc. Whatever---Anything you need to anticipate? Has anyone gone through this?

I'd hate to think about getting shot in the appendix by a butterfingers EMT... Do emergency responders generally have this down?
How about in states with new Carry laws--Illinois, Wisconsin etc..

Thanks!

Targa · January 1, 2017, 05:54 PM

1st responders are going to secure the firearm and once cleared, most likely turn it over to a family member. If that is not possible, law enforcement will secure it as personal property until you are able to retrieve it.
No need to worry yourself about being shot, 1st responders aren't as inapt as internet forums and the media would have you believe.

FireForged · January 1, 2017, 06:34 PM

I don't consider this something to worry about... if I am unconscious, I have more pressing issues at hand. Generally speaking, guns do not just go off and being shot with my own gun by a LEO, EMS or FF, is really a fringe consideration. That said, most first responders have a firearms protocol and consider most people armed until they are sure that they arnt.

Mike38 · January 2, 2017, 10:36 PM

I'm an EMT. A couple years or so ago, we had training on this subject being CCL was fairly new to Illinois. This days training mostly revolved around Officer Involved Trauma, but did touch on civilian. The First Responder, usually a Law Enforcement Officer, will take control of the injured persons firearm, that is if it is found. If the firearms makes it into an ambulance, it will then for sure be found (because we will remove / cut away your clothing). The EMTs then are required to take control of the firearm, it becomes the responsibility of the ambulance crew. The firearm gets locked in a box in the ambulance, and can only be turned over to a uniformed Law Enforcement Officer. Emphasis on the word uniformed. The firearm can not be turned over to a plain cloths Officer / or Detective, only a uniformed Officer. The ambulance crew will make notes in their report who, when and were the gun was given to. Firearm will be tagged with all necessary information, the injured persons name etc., and be taken to the Officer's headquarters. You will be able to retrieve the gun once you are able. There is a long and traceable paper trail, so chances are you will receive it, but nothing is absolute.

shootniron · January 2, 2017, 10:53 PM

I think that the handgun would be the LEAST of your worries, in this situation.

There are more important things to be concerned with...like why do you carry the gun to protect yourself and not your family.

**OldMarksman** · January 3, 2017, 12:20 AM

Quote:

Just started carrying intermittently since last year, and almost always it is when my wife and kids are not with me. Mostly because my toddlers climb on me, pull at my pockets etc. -It just isn't practical.

I'd fix that first. Being able to protect your self only part of the time is bad enough, but not being able to defend your family is worse.

Quote:

If I was in a car accident, knocked out by something falling off a roof etc. Whatever---Anything you need to anticipate? Has anyone gone through this?

I would not worry about it.

zxcvbob · January 3, 2017, 12:33 AM

Worst case, the cops steal your gun. (no opinion on how likely that is) That's really not that bad a case, is it? What's the gun worth? You just worry about getting well.

The EMT's are going to handle the gun as little as possible, and guns don't go off by themselves.

jbarbourtrim · January 3, 2017, 07:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OldMarksman

I'd fix that first. Being able to protect your self only part of the time is bad enough, but not being able to defend your family is worse.

I would not worry about it.

This ^^^ If you have a proper holster for your gun, there should never be any worry a ND while your kids are crawling over you. I have a 4 yr old boy and we wrestle around and play pretty rough. I have absolutely no worries about my gun because it is properly secure in its holster. I would in fact carry more around your wife and kids just to insure their safety if a situation were to arise. Situational awareness is everything.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Tapatalk

m&p45acp10+1 · January 3, 2017, 07:28 AM

As an EMT if a CCW permit holder was transported while unconscious the weapon would be secured and given to hospital security. They would store it in a safe until the patient or thier next or kin would pick it up.

MikeGoob · January 3, 2017, 08:30 PM

Excellent, thanks guys. This place is a treasure trove of life experiences and different backgrounds.

Brit · January 21, 2017, 04:55 AM

Grand kids visiting, 4 and 6? Round comes out of chamber, gun still stays in holster. Bad car accident a year ago, I had 5 Glock's in Jeep, one in a holster, Deputy unloaded the one on me, saved them all for when my Buddy turned up, a Cop.
Security marked vehicle.
No problems.

ShootistPRS · January 21, 2017, 01:56 PM

I was in an accident that rendered me semi-conscious and at one point on the way to the hospital I was aware enough to tell the ambulance crew that I had a gun. As I recall, for what that's worth, the gun was removed from the holster and cleared. I was told it would be locked in a safe at the hospital. When I left the hospital it was returned to me will my other belongings.

locnload · January 28, 2017, 12:55 AM

As a long time fire fighter/EMT I have had to secure firearms from victims a number of times. Often they are handed to me by other first responders, last year an off duty ER Nurse working on a downed MC rider handed me a cocked and locked 1911 like it was a spider on the end of a short web. Before I got ahold of it she had swept the victim, two arriving medics and another bystander with the muzzle. She could have easily unsnapped the IWB holster and safely removed the works but she had no idea that was an easy option. The truth is that some responders understand how to safely handle a gun but many do not, it has never in my nearly 30 years in the fire/EMS service, been a subject of any training, aside from the "scene safety" aspect.
I'm glad this came up, because we should make the safe handling and securing of firearms a part of first responder training.
I am also an NRA instructor and have training aids like blue guns, training barrels for my Glocks, and dummy rounds that would be helpful in setting up a class for my department. Maybe we can get the idea to spread as conceal carry becomes more popular before we end up with an AD with a muzzle pointed in the wrong direction.

Lohman446 · January 28, 2017, 11:07 AM

It is also about where you live. Around here many of the EMTs have concealed carry licenses as it is just as likely they arrive on an emergency response scene before the closest officer. Many of them are officers and much of the time the first response on the scene will be an EMT that is part of the volunteer fire department.

January 1, 2017, 05:47 PM	#1
MikeGoob Senior Member Join Date: January 31, 2006 Posts: 876	Accident planning? -- What if Rendered unconscious while carrying? Just started carrying intermittently since last year, and almost always it is when my wife and kids are not with me. Mostly because my toddlers climb on me, pull at my pockets etc. -It just isn't practical. Anyway, I'm generally alone while carrying. If I was in a car accident, knocked out by something falling off a roof etc. Whatever---Anything you need to anticipate? Has anyone gone through this? I'd hate to think about getting shot in the appendix by a butterfingers EMT... Do emergency responders generally have this down? How about in states with new Carry laws--Illinois, Wisconsin etc.. Thanks!

January 1, 2017, 05:54 PM	#2
Targa Senior Member Join Date: March 20, 2014 Posts: 2,084	1st responders are going to secure the firearm and once cleared, most likely turn it over to a family member. If that is not possible, law enforcement will secure it as personal property until you are able to retrieve it. No need to worry yourself about being shot, 1st responders aren't as inapt as internet forums and the media would have you believe. Last edited by Targa; January 1, 2017 at 06:00 PM.

January 1, 2017, 06:34 PM	#3
FireForged Senior Member Join Date: November 4, 1999 Location: Rebel South USA Posts: 2,074	I don't consider this something to worry about... if I am unconscious, I have more pressing issues at hand. Generally speaking, guns do not just go off and being shot with my own gun by a LEO, EMS or FF, is really a fringe consideration. That said, most first responders have a firearms protocol and consider most people armed until they are sure that they arnt. __________________ Life is a web woven by necessity and chance...

January 3, 2017, 12:33 AM	#7
zxcvbob Senior Member Join Date: December 20, 2007 Location: S.E. Minnesota Posts: 4,720	Worst case, the cops steal your gun. (no opinion on how likely that is) That's really not that bad a case, is it? What's the gun worth? You just worry about getting well. The EMT's are going to handle the gun as little as possible, and guns don't go off by themselves. __________________ "Everything they do is so dramatic and flamboyant. It just makes me want to set myself on fire!" —Lucille Bluth

January 3, 2017, 07:28 AM	#9
m&p45acp10+1 Senior Member Join Date: May 3, 2009 Location: Central Texas Posts: 3,930	As an EMT if a CCW permit holder was transported while unconscious the weapon would be secured and given to hospital security. They would store it in a safe until the patient or thier next or kin would pick it up. __________________ No matter how many times you do it and nothing happens it only takes something going wrong one time to kill you.

January 2, 2017, 10:36 PM	#4
Mike38 Senior Member Join Date: December 28, 2009 Location: North Central Illinois Posts: 2,710	I'm an EMT. A couple years or so ago, we had training on this subject being CCL was fairly new to Illinois. This days training mostly revolved around Officer Involved Trauma, but did touch on civilian. The First Responder, usually a Law Enforcement Officer, will take control of the injured persons firearm, that is if it is found. If the firearms makes it into an ambulance, it will then for sure be found (because we will remove / cut away your clothing). The EMTs then are required to take control of the firearm, it becomes the responsibility of the ambulance crew. The firearm gets locked in a box in the ambulance, and can only be turned over to a uniformed Law Enforcement Officer. Emphasis on the word uniformed. The firearm can not be turned over to a plain cloths Officer / or Detective, only a uniformed Officer. The ambulance crew will make notes in their report who, when and were the gun was given to. Firearm will be tagged with all necessary information, the injured persons name etc., and be taken to the Officer's headquarters. You will be able to retrieve the gun once you are able. There is a long and traceable paper trail, so chances are you will receive it, but nothing is absolute.

January 2, 2017, 10:53 PM	#5
shootniron Senior Member Join Date: April 16, 2011 Location: Georgia Posts: 1,599	I think that the handgun would be the LEAST of your worries, in this situation. There are more important things to be concerned with...like why do you carry the gun to protect yourself and not your family.

January 3, 2017, 08:30 PM	#10
MikeGoob Senior Member Join Date: January 31, 2006 Posts: 876	Excellent, thanks guys. This place is a treasure trove of life experiences and different backgrounds.

January 21, 2017, 04:55 AM	#11
Brit Senior Member Join Date: January 29, 2005 Location: Orlando FL Posts: 1,934	Grand kids visiting, 4 and 6? Round comes out of chamber, gun still stays in holster. Bad car accident a year ago, I had 5 Glock's in Jeep, one in a holster, Deputy unloaded the one on me, saved them all for when my Buddy turned up, a Cop. Security marked vehicle. No problems.

January 21, 2017, 01:56 PM	#12
ShootistPRS Senior Member Join Date: January 3, 2017 Posts: 1,583	I was in an accident that rendered me semi-conscious and at one point on the way to the hospital I was aware enough to tell the ambulance crew that I had a gun. As I recall, for what that's worth, the gun was removed from the holster and cleared. I was told it would be locked in a safe at the hospital. When I left the hospital it was returned to me will my other belongings.

January 28, 2017, 12:55 AM	#13
locnload Senior Member Join Date: February 20, 2010 Location: Northern Colorado Posts: 118	As a long time fire fighter/EMT I have had to secure firearms from victims a number of times. Often they are handed to me by other first responders, last year an off duty ER Nurse working on a downed MC rider handed me a cocked and locked 1911 like it was a spider on the end of a short web. Before I got ahold of it she had swept the victim, two arriving medics and another bystander with the muzzle. She could have easily unsnapped the IWB holster and safely removed the works but she had no idea that was an easy option. The truth is that some responders understand how to safely handle a gun but many do not, it has never in my nearly 30 years in the fire/EMS service, been a subject of any training, aside from the "scene safety" aspect. I'm glad this came up, because we should make the safe handling and securing of firearms a part of first responder training. I am also an NRA instructor and have training aids like blue guns, training barrels for my Glocks, and dummy rounds that would be helpful in setting up a class for my department. Maybe we can get the idea to spread as conceal carry becomes more popular before we end up with an AD with a muzzle pointed in the wrong direction.

January 28, 2017, 11:07 AM	#14
Lohman446 Senior Member Join Date: April 22, 2016 Posts: 2,192	It is also about where you live. Around here many of the EMTs have concealed carry licenses as it is just as likely they arrive on an emergency response scene before the closest officer. Many of them are officers and much of the time the first response on the scene will be an EMT that is part of the volunteer fire department.