Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
3
TRAINED TO RUSH TO THE SCENE
OF AN EMERGENCY AND SAVE
LIVES.. BUT WHAT IF THEY
FIND THEMSELVES THE TARGET OF
A PATIENT? IT'S HAPPENING
MORE AND MORE OFTEN, A TREND
THAT PROMPTED A CLARK COUNTY
E-M-T TO SPEAK UP. MEGAN
BELIEVES IT'S TIME TO FIGHT
BACK... WHEN HE'S UNDER THE
GUN.
PARAMEDICS AT THE MERCY OF
THEIR
GUN.
PATIENTS. IT'S A DRAMATIC
SCENARIO FROM "CHICAGO FIRE"
...THAT MAKES FOR GREAT T-V.
BUT REALITY IS, IT'S HAPPENING
EVERYDAY...ON EMERGENCY CALLS
ACROSS THE COUNTRY...AND RIGHT
HERE IN OUR COMMUNITY.1:33:10
"IT'S OUT THERE, IT'S NOT AS
UNUSUAL AS WHAT PEOPLE THINK"
14 GERMAN TOWNSHIP FIRE
CHIEF TIM HOLMAN...IS A 37
YEAR VETERAN. LIKE MOST
FIRST RESPONDERS, HE'S HAD HIS
CLOSE CALLS. TWICE, HE'S HAD
NO INDICATION THAT THOSE TYPE
OF RUNS WOULD HAVE SPARKED ANY
PROBLEM, I THINK THAT'S WHERE
WE ARE VULNERABLE."00 HOLMAN
RECENTLY HOSTED A SEMINAR AT
THE E-M-S WORLD EXPO IN LAS
VEGAS CALLED, "IS IT TIME TO
ARM OUR E-M-T'S?" HE SAYS
THE ANSWER IS SIMPLE...YES.
1:27:40"WHEN WE GO INTO A
FIRE, WE'RE FAIRLY WELL
PROTECTED. WE HAVE EQUIPMENT
ON THAT'S GOING TO PROTECT OUR
BREATHING, WE HAVE TURNOUT
GEAR THAT'S GOING TO PROTECT
US TO A CERTAIN TEMPERATURE,
SO WE DO HAVE PROTECTION
THEY ARE SAFE WHEN THEY GO TO
A FIRE, BUT I CAN'T GUARENTEE
THAT SAFETY WHEN THEY GO TO AN
EMS R-U-N" 32 AND THAT'S A
BIG PROBLEM. THE DEPARTMENT
OF LABOR SAYS THE NUMBER ONE
INJURY TO E-M-T'S IS
ASSAULT...NOT BACK
PROBLEMS...OR ANYTHING ELSE.
AND 52% OF ALL E-M-T'S IN THE
FIELD TODAY, HAVE BEEN
ASSAULTED ON THE JOB AT SOME
POINT IN TIME. HOLMAN, A
CARRY CONCEALED OWNER, THINKS
ARMING HIS PARAMEDICS, COULD
PREVENT A LOT OF ATTACKS IN
THE FUTURE.1:30:48"WE KNOW
THAT GUNS DO STOP A LOT OF
THREATS. EVERY STATE THAT HAS
CONCEALED CARRY HAS SEEN A
DECREASE IN CRIME RATES" 58
FORMER POLICE OFFICER AND
E-M-T KIP TEITSORT DOESN'T
SEES THIS ISSUE DIFFERENTLY.
HE QUIT HIS JOB AS A FIRST
RESPONDER SO HE COULD TRAVEL
THE COUNTRY AND TEACH
DEFENSIVE TACTICS....THAT
áDON'Tá INVOLVE WEAPONS. I
CAUGHT UP WITH HIM ON SKYPE,
AT HIS HOMEBASE IN
SPRINGFIELD, MISSOURI.12:20
"LET THE GUYS WITH THE
HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF HOURS
OF TRAINING, AND THE TOOLS,
THE PEPPER SPRAY, THE TASERS
THE BLAH BLAH BLAH...HANDLE
THAT GUY, THEN MEDICAL CARE
CAN BE APPLIED" 28 TEITSORT
SAYS THERE'S NO WAY FIRE
DEPARTMENTS CAN GIVE E-M-T'S
THE EXTENSIVE TRAINING THEY
NEED TO SAFELY CARRY WEAPONS...
AND HE FEARS, WITHOUT THAT
EDUCATION, GUNS WOULD DO MORE
HARM THAN GOOD.15:54"I THINK
IF WE ARM THEM, WHAT ARE GOING
TO FIND IS THEY ARE EITHER
GOING TO ENTER INTO A SCENE
THEY EITHER SHOULDN'T BE ON,
OR STAY TOO LONG" INSTEAD,
TEITSORT SAYS HE THINKS THE
FOCUS SHOULD BE ON TEACHING
FIRST RESPONDERS HOW TO
IDENTIFY DANGEROUS
SITUATIONS...AND PEOPLE.11:54
"BECAUSE THEY WERE CALLED TO
CARE FOR SOMEBODY THEY THINK
IS A PATIENT AND THEY ARE
BEING ATTACKED BY THE PERSON
THEY ARE TRYING TO RETRAIN
THAT THEY SHOULDN'T BE
RESTRAINING" 04 AND TEITSORT
SAYS IN THAT CASE, THERE ARE
TWO SOLUTIONS...7:34:"YOU WANT
TO MAKE IT EVEN CHEAPER AND
LESS LIABILITY, HIRE AN OFF
DUTY COP TO RIDE SHOTGUN. SO
HE RIDES ON ALL THE CALLS. OR
HIRE ONE PERSON TO BE NOTHING
BUT THE SAFETY AND SECURITY
GUY...THAT'S IT," 44 IT'S A
COSTLY OPTION...ONE THAT NOT
EVERY ONE AGREES WITH,
INCLUDING, PHILIP MULIVOR, THE
SPOKESMAN FOR OHIOANS FOR
CONCEALED CARRY. BY SKYPE
FROM CLEVELAND, HE TOLD ME
THERE ARE LOTS OF RESPONSIBLE
GUN OWNERS WHO SHOULDN'T HAVE
TO RELY ON ANYONE ELSE FOR
HOW WE CAN DEPRIVE A FIRST
RESPONDER OF THE SAME RIGHT TO
PROTECT THEMSELVES,THAT ANY
LAW ABIDING CITIZEN IN OHIO
HAS."0411:04:00 "LOOK, THE
SAFER, IT'S A SAD AND
DIFFICULT FACT TO FACE, BUT
IT'S TRUE" 10 THAT'S WHY
FOLKS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE
ISSUE, AGREE CHANGES NEED TO
BE MADE...BEFORE MORE LIVES
ARE LOST. AND WHILE HAVING
THE CONVERSATION IS A GOOD
START, A PERMANENT SOLUTION
CAN'T COME SOON ENOUGH...
PREPARED. I DON'T WANT TO BE
IN A SITUATION WHERE WE SAY
"GEE WE SHOULD HAVE TAKEN THAT
MORE SERIOUSLY" AND DONE
SOMETHING ABOUT THAT A LONG
TIME AGO AND MAYBE WE COULD
SAVE SOME EMTS. I DON'T WANT
THAT" 52
CHANGING THE LAW WON'T BE
EASY OR FAST. IN GERMAN
TOWNSHIP, THE TRUSTEES WOULD
HAVE TO ALTER THE CURRENT
POLICY THAT FORBIDS PUBLIC
EMPLOYEES FROM CARRYING GUNS
ON THE JOB. SO, IT'S UP TO
LOCAL GOVERNMENT TO PERMIT
EMT'S TO HAVE A WEAPON. I'M
CURIOUS... CAN EMT'S ASK
PATIENTS IF THEY HAVE A
CONCEALED WEAPON? THEY
CAN... BUT WE PRESUME PATIENTS
WILL TELL THE TRUTH... WE'VE
HEARD PLENTY OF STORIES OF
E-M-T'S TAKING PATIENTS IN AN
AMBULANCE, ONLY TO FIND OUT
DURING THE RIDE TO THE
HIDING A WEAPON.
THAT BRINGS US TO
HOSPITAL, THAT THE PATIENT WAS
TODAY'S EXCLUSIVE ONLINE
POLL... HOW COMFORTABLE
WOULD YOU BE IF YOU KNEW AN
E-M-T RESPONDING TO YOUR
EMERGENCY WAS ARMED? YOUR
OPTIONS -- YOU'D FEEL MORE
SAFE.... NOT FEEL COMFORTABLE
AT ALL... OR YOU'D BE
INDIFFERENT. CAST YOUR VOTE
AT WDTN DOT COM RIGHT NOW.
WE'LL HAVE RESULTS AT SIX AND
ELEVEN.