Through various conversation with co-workers on the subject I have come to the conclusion that the best thing to do is to try to remove the gun and the holster together if possible and then either hand it to an officer on scene or call for an officer if they can get there before we end up transporting.
I feel comfortable enough with most handguns and have enough hands on with various models and brands that I'm confident that I can safely clear the weapon if we end up having to transport it with the pt to the hospital before a cop can get there to take it off our hands.
We don't have these on our rigs but we do have a small cabinet that can be secured by lock and key.Dragonfighter wrote:In Dallas, the MICU's have a hard side gun case on board.
We use it to secure our narcotics but its plenty big enough for any full size pistol and a a few extra mags if need be.
I think it all comes down to the individual.
If you get a medic that is familiar and comfortable with guns it won't be a big deal but if you get someone who is ignorant about or has no experience/knowledge of firearms then I can see how that might cause more problems...not for the pt. Just that the medic might overreact and make it a bigger deal than it has to be and what happens next could be anybody's guess.