New Florida Law Allows Paramedics to Carry Pistols

A new law in Florida will allow paramedics to carry firearms when responding to shootings, drug raids and other high-risk situations.

Florida House Bill 487, which was signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis on June 7, allows all “tactical medical professionals” to carry firearms when accompanying police SWAT or special-response units, the Palm Beach Post reported. The law defines a tactical medical professional as a paramedic, physician or osteopathic physician who has been appointed to provide support to a tactical law-enforcement unit.

Those professionals must have concealed-weapons licenses and complete firearms safety and tactical training with a law-enforcement agency.

The law allows trained medics to carry a gun to active shooter situations, hostage incidents, narcotics raids, hazardous surveillance, sniper incidents, armed suicidal persons, high risk felony warrants and barricaded subjects and well as other high-risk operations, said CBS Local.

States including Kansas and Ohio already have emergency responder-firearm laws in place. Similar bills have been proposed in Tennessee, Mississippi and Virginia.

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