VA-ALERT: VCDL Update 12/7/09 - Part 2 of 2

[OakRidgeStars]

Part 2 of 2

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26. Pistol-Packin' Patients
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Good stuff - pass this on to your EMS friends and family members: EMS
advice for dealing with patients carrying handguns

http://tinyurl.com/ybcpcdo

www.emsresponder.com

Pistol-Packin' Patients
What to know about legally armed patients and handling handguns safely

By Alan W. Rose

You are dispatched to a person "not awake but breathing" at the local
park. Upon arrival your crew, including an EMT student, finds an adult
female
unresponsive, with classic signs of anaphylaxis. After initiating
treatment,
you decide to conduct the rest of your physical assessment en route. As
transport begins, your student starts an exam, and the patient begins to
respond. Suddenly the student exclaims, "Hey, she's got a gun!"

EMS providers may encounter patients who are armed. Awareness of a
patient's handgun may come through the patient's admission or by
discovery
during the physical exam. This article deals primarily with patients
who are
armed legally and not behaving aggressively toward EMS.

Absent other factors, the mere presence of a legally carried handgun
should not indicate a threat to provider safety. Concealed-carry permit
holders have a criminal conviction rate much lower than that of the
general
population.1-3 Illegally carried handguns obviously present a
different set of
concerns. As a rule of thumb, the vast majority of off-duty law
enforcement
officers (LEOs) and legally armed citizens use holsters, while illegally
carried handguns are usually found tucked in the waistband or pocketed
without
a holster. Many LEOs are required to wear badges next to their
weapons. Only
government-issued badges and documents are official.

Citizens in 48 states can carry concealed weapons with a permit (the
exceptions being Illinois and Wisconsin, plus Washington, DC). Permit
holders
account for more than 1.3% of the population.4 This means more than
one in
every 100 patients can be assumed to have a permit, although not all
permit
holders will be in possession of a firearm when seen by EMS. Usually
citizens
are required to attend firearms training and pass a background check
before
they're issued a permit to carry a concealed weapon. The prerequisites
vary by
state. Vermont and Alaska allow concealed weapons without permits, and
unconcealed carry of handguns without a permit is legal in many states.5
Nebraska recently enacted legislation requiring permit holders to
disclose and
surrender their handguns to EMS personnel.6 However, most states have
no such
legislation, and patients with altered levels of consciousness may be
unable
to comply with such a law.

EMS agencies should have protocols in place for dealing with legally
carried firearms. Providers have a duty to themselves and their
coworkers to
make handguns safe until they can be secured or turned over to law
enforcement. It is dangerous to leave firearms with ill or injured
patients
such as the one in our opening scenario-she may require immediate
treatment,
have an altered level of consciousness or be physically impaired by
injury.
The handgun may impede application of a backboard. Narcotic treatment
may be
indicated, such as for pain management.

There is no cause for alarm when taking custody of a firearm.
Handguns do
not "go off" by themselves. A handgun will only discharge if the
trigger is
depressed or if there is a mechanical malfunction. Such malfunctions are
extremely rare. There have been isolated cases of discharge when a
firearm is
dropped, usually involving old guns. Fortunately, there is an
established set
of rules to govern the safe handling of firearms (see Table 1).

To maximize safety, EMS providers are encouraged to seek professional
instruction prior to attempting to manipulate any handgun. Gun shops and
trainers in your area may be willing to offer brief tutorials.

The information in this article is meant only as a general
reference to
augment, not replace, hands-on instruction. The variety of handguns,
especially pistols, available on the market and the steps required to
unload
and/or make them safe cannot be adequately addressed without hands-on
instruction.

HOLSTERS
Virtually all holsters are designed to prevent inadvertent trigger
presses by covering the trigger. Most have retention features that
prevent the
handgun from being easily dislodged or removed. These features include
buttons, straps and tight "friction" fit. Some holsters are secured to
the
body by solid belt loops, while others slip over the belt. Usually,
holsters
can be removed with the firearm safely inside. Lacking a holster, some
knowledge of handgun mechanisms is necessary to maintain safety.

You may find a holstered handgun at any point along the belt, in an
elastic band or pouch inside clothing, under the armpit, on the ankle or
thigh, hanging from a necklace, or in a pocket. Handguns are usually
carried
loaded and with extra ammunition. You may find other weapons as well,
including additional handguns. Several manufacturers offer specialty
concealment apparel with hidden pockets. Off-body carry options include
purses, fanny packs, day planners and backpacks.

What kinds of handguns may be found on patients?

REVOLVERS
A revolver is designed to place a cartridge (cased bullet and powder)
under the hammer for firing by using a rotating cylinder that may hold
5-7
cartridges. Cocking the hammer rotates the cylinder. Pressing the
trigger
causes the cartridge to fire. Most modern revolvers will cock
automatically
when the trigger is pressed, eliminating the need for two separate
actions.
Some revolvers do not have external (visible) hammers. The revolver is
rarely
seen with a manual safety device, as safety is assumed due to its heavy
trigger pull weight. While some may be modified for a light (hair-
trigger)
pull weight, this only applies if the revolver is cocked. If a
revolver is
found cocked, be extremely careful. Only touch a cocked revolver if
you must
immediately remove it from a dangerous situation. A cocked revolver
cannot be
unloaded until it is uncocked. There is danger in uncocking a revolver
even
for experienced gun users. To uncock a revolver, it must be put
through a
firing sequence. For right-handed operation:
Place the left thumb blocking the hammer. This is your safety.
Hold the right thumb on the hammer.
Press the trigger with the right index finger.
Slowly lower the hammer completely, gradually withdrawing the left
thumb.

To unload an uncocked revolver:
Press the cylinder latch, located behind the cylinder on the left side,
forward, back or in, depending on the design.
Push the cylinder open from the right, tip the barrel up, and allow the
cartridges to drop free.

Occasionally the ejector rod, located at the front center of the
cylinder,
must be depressed to facilitate unloading.

SEMI-AUTOMATICS
Fully automatic pistols, which fire multiple times with one press
of the
trigger, are rare, but may be encountered with some specialized
protective or
law enforcement agencies. Most of these look like small submachine guns.
Semi-automatic pistols are loaded by inserting a loaded magazine, then
manually cycling (pulling back) the slide. Pressing the trigger and
firing the
pistol causes the slide to cycle and places another cartridge in the
chamber,
making it ready to fire again by another pull of the trigger.

There is no industry standard for the operational controls on
pistols. A
pistol may or may not have a manual safety. If available, this is
usually
located on the upper left side at the rear (near the thumb). On many
pistols,
up means safe, and down means fire. Some have the opposite function.
Most have
an indicator such as a red dot or other icon visible to indicate
readiness to
fire. Some safeties have an uncocking feature, which requires a downward
press. Many semi-auto pistols have no external hammer. Some are
designed to be
carried "cocked and locked"-that is, cocked with the safety engaged. The
uncocking procedure for these carries the same danger as revolvers.
Having the
pistol owner's instructions or a working knowledge of the pistol is
mandatory
prior to unloading. The magazine release is usually located at the
rear of the
trigger guard on the left side, but may be on the right or at the
bottom of
the grip. The magazine may drop rapidly or may have to be pulled free.
Removing the magazine does not remove the cartridge already loaded
into the
chamber. The slide must be cycled to remove this cartridge. The safety
may
have to be disengaged to cycle the slide. Failure to remove the
magazine prior
to cycling the slide will only cycle another round into the chamber,
so be
sure to remove the magazine first.

DISCOVERED GUNS
What do you do with a discovered handgun? If it's holstered, leave it
there. This is the safest way to remove and handle a handgun. It is not
necessary to unload a holstered handgun; unnecessary manipulation
increases
the risk of discharge. Cut the belt or holster away if necessary. Be
aware
that a growing number of handguns can be key-locked with a key
supplied by the
manufacturer. These keys are universal by manufacturer-i.e., all
Taurus keys
will actuate all Taurus locks.

Absent a holster, a case designed for handgun storage is mandatory to
prevent inadvertent manipulation of the trigger. This can be kept in
your drug
locker or another lockable compartment. Store the handgun in a
lockable pistol
case; these can be found at many sporting goods stores. Lock the case
with its
integral lock or a padlock, with the key kept on the ignition ring.
This is
also a recommended safety measure for holstered handguns.7 If
possible, secure
the cased handgun in a locking cabinet, such as the one used for your
medications.

After turning your patient over at the emergency department, have
security take possession of the handgun, and get a receipt. Coordinate
the
hospital's firearm policy with your own, and make sure the patient is
made
aware of the disposition of their property.

Some patients may be reluctant to surrender their handguns. They
may not
want an untrained person touching their gun, or to risk its
misplacement. EMS
providers may also, for a variety of reasons, be barred from possessing
handguns. In such cases, give custody of the gun to a relative who may
legally
possess it, leave it in the home or locked in the trunk of a car, or
unload it
prior to transport. If none of these solutions are acceptable to the
patient,
EMS may have to request an LEO.

EMS safety is paramount. If at any time a crew is not comfortable
with an
armed patient or a scene seems unsafe, withdraw and wait for an LEO.
For more
on handling armed patients who are violent toward EMS, see the sidebar
Bad
Intentions.

CONCLUSION
While armed patients may not be encountered frequently, their
handguns
require knowledge and training to be properly handled. Your first
priority is
to end your shift safely. No EMS agency wants its personnel to become
victims
of assault, or to be responsible for mishandling a weapon that hurts
someone.
Be aware of your surroundings, and know how to handle firearms safely.
Table 1: Handling Firearms Safely

Col. Jeff Cooper, one of the 20th century's foremost experts on small
arms, developed four basic rules for the safe handling of guns:
Always consider all guns to be loaded.

Never point the muzzle at anything you aren't willing to destroy.
Keep your finger and other objects off the trigger and out of the
trigger
guard at all times.
Always be sure of your target.

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27. Cops and 2nd Amendment
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An armed citizenry helps police

http://tinyurl.com/ygm9as6

Raphael Pabon emailed me this:

--

http://fmgpublications.ipaperus.com/


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28. OSU's Second Amendment Center runs out of ammo
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Group backed by anti-gun Joyce Center closes. Gee, what a shame this
is.

http://tinyurl.com/yawu4ql

http://phibetacons.nationalreview.com/

Ohio State University's Second Amendment Center, funded largely by the
anti-gun Joyce Foundation, has called it quits. Randy Barnett has
details over
at the Volokh Conspiracy.

Barnett argues that the Center closed because its purpose - to argue
against
an individual-right interpretation of the Second Amendment - was
rendered moot
by Heller. In NR last year, I detailed how the Joyce Foundation funded
law-review symposia on the Second Amendment (subscribers can read my
piece
here).

Whatever the Foundation and Center's problems, I found the Center's
head,
Prof. Saul Cornell, very sincere in his Second Amendment beliefs and
very
willing to speak about the controversial law reviews. Even if Barnett is
correct in his reasoning of why the center closed, I'm not sure it's
all that
sinister - my piece was before Heller, and I remember Cornell telling me
something to the effect that he'd just as soon the Supreme Court
resolve the
issue so he could move on to other things.

After Heller, there isn't a whole lot to be accomplished, practically
speaking, from studying the history of the Second Amendment (unless
you think
you can prevent the Amendment's incorporation or dramatically impact its
scope). I don't think an academic institution should try to push the
debate in
a specific direction, but I do think such institutions should focus on
topics
on which the debate has somewhere to go.

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29. Dirty tricks at Richmond city council (more info)
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Some of you have asked for email contact information for Kathy
Graziano, President of the Richmond City Council, and Ellen Robertson,
Vice-President of Richmond City Council, so they could be contacted in
reference to the way City Council treated member Joe Lignon and me at
the last City Council meeting. Joe was denied the right to speak
because they said they had all 8 slots booked, but there were only 7
speakers including me. They "lost" my registration and almost
succeeded in keeping me from speaking.

Kathy.Graziano@Richmondgov.com

Ellen.Robertson@Richmondgov.com


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30. New Kopel legal brief declares: Guns Save Lives
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http://tinyurl.com/yfgh4hs

http://papers.ssrn.com/

[SNIP]

Amicus Brief in Mcdonald V. Chicago: On Behalf of the International
Law Enforcement Educators and Trainers Association, Et Al

David B. Kopel
Independence Institute; Denver University, Sturm College of Law

U Denver Legal Studies Research Paper No. 09-32
The Supreme Court of the United States, No. 08-1521

Abstract:
Guns save lives. Criminological data, studies of criminals, and
natural experiments show that American citizens frequently use
firearms, especially handguns, for lawful self-defense. Because
defensive arms are common in American homes, occupied homes in the
U.S. are burglarized at a much lower rate than in other nations.

Ending handgun prohibition does not lead to disaster. This is shown in
the District of Columbia post-Heller, and in South Carolina in 1965
after the 1902 ban on handgun sales was lifted.

Chicago's 1982 handgun ban was immediately followed by a very sharp
increase in crime relative to other large American cities. In Chicago,
as in many other cities, 911 response is often too slow to save crime
victims.

Police officers in Chicago are murdered at a rate 79% above the
national average, and at a higher rate than in most other large
cities. Chicago's handgun prohibition is so ineffective that it has
not even reduced the percentage of murders perpetrated with handguns-a
percentage that has risen notably since the ban was imposed.

Judicial protection of the right to keep and bear arms would not
interfere with police anti-crime tactics such as New York City's
aggressive frisks of suspected illegal gun carriers.

In eleven cases, the Supreme Court has overturned convictions because
they violated the defendant's right of armed self-defense. The cases
provide further evidence that the right is deeply rooted in our
history and traditions, and is fundamental to our scheme of justice.

Handguns are often the superior choice for home defense, and the
liberty to choose the right arm for defending the family belongs to
every individual family.

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31. Vintage Mattel toys
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Toys banned by Ralph Nader

Michael Chen emailed me this:

--

http://tinyurl.com/czgeea
www.youtube.com

Whatever happend to toys like this? Answer: Ralph Nader and the
Consumer Product Safety Commission keeping us safe from each other.


Mattel Tommy Burst TV commercial 1960s!
(See link above)

Shootin' Shell 45 cap gun commercial ( Mattel )
http://tinyurl.com/d4hlw8


***************************************************************************
VA-ALERT is a project of the Virginia Citizens Defense League, Inc.
(VCDL). VCDL is an all-volunteer, non-partisan grassroots organization
dedicated to defending the human rights of all Virginians. The Right to
Keep and Bear Arms is a fundamental human right.

VCDL web page: http://www.vcdl.org [http://www.vcdl.org/]