One things that pops into my mind, regarding this subject, is that so very much of LE training, at the cadet level, and in-service training of sworn officers, involves things that have zero application in an emergency/disaster situation. An ARTFM would not need this LE- and investigation-oriented training, and would need considerably less legal training, because their mission would not include investigation, interrogation, search-and-seizure, obtaining warrants, detention, running persons and property through local, state and NCIC databases, entering official original police reports, etc.
Its seems quite logical that a significant number of emergency medics be trained, and legally allowed to be armed, in order to, at the very least, protect themselves and their patients.
With the terr’s playbook having long recommended the targeting of first responders, and because fire/EMS personnel, in my region, generally arrive well before police, it seems logical to train and equip them to deal with this probability with more than just their scissors. Explosions have been followed by gun-totin’ terrs OCONUS, so it follows that we will see it happen locally, sooner or later.
I will leave the debate overwhether EMS personnel should be entering “hot” scenes/zones, to others, smarter than I am.
I did notice that the Texas Penal Code was recently changed to increase the number of places that EMS personnel, with handgun carry licenses, can be armed with handguns. I had figured this was mostly to allow volunteer EMS personnel to respond to an emergency, and handle the transport of patients, without having to disarm themselves, or leave weapons inside unattended vehicles, but now wonder if this legislative change may have been at least partially prompted by a move toward armed on-duty EMS personnel.