Bonita Springs not arming fire trucks

BONITA SPRINGS, Fla.– It’s a local debate getting national attention–should firefighters be armed with guns?
Tonight fire department leaders in Bonita Springs discussed the controversial idea and shut it down.

“We are not police officers. I just can’t see us taking the chance,” said Bonita Springs fire commissioner Lawrence Kosilla.

Last week WINK News spoke to Commissioner Fred Forbes who planned to present the idea of researching what it would take to add military style weapons to fire trucks.

“It would be a terrible thing if we had incidences pop up and and we haven’t even looked at what would be involved to do it,” he said.

Tonight at the meeting, Forbes didn’t even want to bring up the idea to the rest of the commissioners and wanted to talk about ambulances instead.

“Ever since I have been on fire commission I have been engaged in getting our fire district ambulance service as well as trying to get more ambulances,” said Forbes.

Chairman Steve Lohan insisted a discussion at the meeting and says he is strongly against arming fire fighters.

“You get deadly force involved an firefighters, that is a whole ‘nother level of training,” said Lohan.

Commissioner Kosilla tells WINK News a hand full of fire departments across the country are exploring arming firefighters.
But Kosilla says right now on a scene, they just have too many other things to worry about.

“Who is going to be responsible for the firearm, who is going to decide when it is time to use the firearm and how can we secure it to be safe,” said Kosilla.