FL fire commissioner wants to arm firefighters with military style weapons
(Thanks to reader Scott Riker for sending this to STATter911.)
In Bonita Springs, Florida, Fire Commissioner Fred Forbes wants his firefighters to be armed. Forbes, the fire district’s treasurer and secretary, proposes outfitting the department with body armor and weapons.
Patrick Riley, Naples Daily News:
“I think it’s something we need to evaluate,” Forbes told the Daily News. “Anything to minimize the risk.”
Forbes said his idea is in response to recent shootings that have claimed the lives of first responders across the country, though he couldn’t cite a specific case of a firefighter being shot and killed in the line of duty.
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“I am thinking primarily of military-style weapons that could be carried in the fire trucks,” said Forbes.
The idea is to have a weapon inside the fire truck and Forbes also wants body armor for dangerous scenes.
“The idea is astronomical, you are talking about firefighters carrying firearms,” said Bonita Springs Fire Chief Joseph Daigle.
Daigle says right now he doesn’t have a firm opinion either way.
