CCW in Hospitals?

[Guest Smitty]

From what I remembering reading in the Tn Code unless I misread it, is there a law in Tn that bans ccw in hopsitals? I know most hopsitals I have been in are properly posted, but I just wanted to make sure that they have to be posted otherwise it's legal. Someone told me they just passed a law banning ccw in hospitals which does not sound correct to me. I just wanted to make sure. I would look it up myself, but college is keeping me really busy right now in civil engineering lol. I'd appreciate a reply. Thanks guys and gals.

[Fallguy]

There is no law that bans carry in hospitals. They have to post a sign under T.C.A. 39-17-1359 like most other places.

Speaking of the someone...I always love when someone says "they just passed a law" when the legislature is not even in session....

[towerclimber37]

on that note, every hospital in the tri cities area has properly posted signs and are off limits to hand gun carry.

they're all owned by Wellmont.

[SkWaShDeM]

Check the ambulance bay and loading dock entrances next time you have some time to waste at a hospital. Those two entrances are almost never posted, even though visitors often use both of them to enter the building.

And as said above, the hospital has the post just like any other business, and the signs must be correct. Ghostbusters signs don't count.

Wellmont has signs posted on some of their facilities, but not all of them. Takoma in Greeneville was not posted yesterday when I was taking my mother some lunch. I was at JCMC last week and did not see any no-carry signs on the main entrance or the ER entrance.

Edited September 24, 2008 by skwashdem

[Guest sling]

HCA has a habit of posting their hospitals however they are post improperly at most.

I know Summit Medical Center has the phrase "No unauthorized weapons permited."

[Guest EasilyObsessed]

Carry is prohibited at Vanderbilt because it is considered part of the university.

[Guest canynracer]

pack'em if you got 'em

(if its not posted)

[Guest 270win]

St Francis in Memphis tries to place the proper signs, but does not have every entrance posted (they tried the parking lot but not every entrance was posted). St Francis in Bartlett is not properly posted, thank goodness. I had heard Baptist Memorial in east Memphis is properly posted, but have walked through doors with no legal signs, so who knows. I am not running back to my car to put a gun in it when it is just fine concealed on my person. I've never been to a hospital with metal detectors.

[Fallguy]

Just to clarify the law doesn't say that "every" entrance has to be posted, just the ones that are "primarily used".

If their intention is to only ban carry within a certain building then it must be posted at "including all entrances primarily used by persons entering the building, portion of the building or buildings"

If they intend to ban carry anywhere on their property (pakring lots as well as buildings) it must be posted at "the notice shall be posted at all entrances to the premises that are primarily used by persons entering the property."

[Guest Smitty]

Thanks Fallguy for clarifying that for me. Now I know the correct law. I will keep that in mind next time if I ever have to visit someone in a hospital. The reason I asked is because I overheard a relative that has his handgun permit, and he said that he overheard someone say they passed a law a while back that banned ccw in hospitals because people would get mad at the doctors if they couldn't save their loved one or misdiagnosed their loved one; Then they would to procede to shoot the doctor. It sounded like bs to me so that's why I asked. Truthful knowledge is power!

[Guest canynracer]

Thanks Fallguy for clarifying that for me. Now I know the correct law. I will keep that in mind next time if I ever have to visit someone in a hospital. The reason I asked is because I overheard a relative that has his handgun permit, and he said that he overheard someone say they passed a law a while back that banned ccw in hospitals because people would get mad at the doctors if they couldn't save their loved one or misdiagnosed their loved one; Then they would to procede to shoot the doctor. It sounded like bs to me so that's why I asked. Truthful knowledge is power!

WOW....blood will run the streets

[Smith]

I know when I had my motorcycle wreck the Baptist security guard offered to let me keep my gun with me or he said he could take it to the office. I don't know about signage, but I though it was pretty decent of them.

BTW - I notified them (the police officer didn't say anything about it) it was in my bag and none of the nurses or doctors acted weird in anyway. In fact it was almost like ok, so what?

[Guest HexHead]

St Thomas in Nashville is properly posted on the roadway as soon as you enter the complex.

[tnroadrunner]

The Dickson Hospital is posted but wing has nothing but doctors called (Jackson Pavilion) there is an entrance on the side which is used often and has no sign. So according to the law you could carry in this area. This wing you can use to get into the hospital and not see the sign which is on the outside for the entrance to the hospital portion. Any comments? Tried to explain this as clear as possible. How about the folks in the Dickson area that use this facility.

[Guest db99wj]

Baptist East in Memphis is properly posted, I think all entrances. When my son broke his arm (gooseneck break of the the radius and ulna bones of the forearm), I drove up to the entrance, picked him up and carried him into the ER. I didn't notice any signs, but I wasn't looking and didn't care at that point, and no metal detectors. I was there most of the day at my son's side.

[Guest TheBulldog]

Well as I see it, this is another good reason to have lockbox or cable lock handy in my glovebox just incase I encounter one of these anti gun places.

Problem with the thinking on this No Guns On Property Sign Posting is that the nuts that will enter a facility and do harm will just give the dang sign the bird and a thank you for letting them know they are entering an unarmed facility.

Just defies common sense in my opinion.

[Guest 270win]

Conceal well and you won't have a problem. I am not leaving my gun in my car and walk across a large parking lot without one. Sign, what sign? How does someone find out you have a handgun, unless you have to use it? By then those signs won't matter.

[Guest db99wj]

Conceal well and you won't have a problem. I am not leaving my gun in my car and walk across a large parking lot without one. Sign, what sign? How does someone find out you have a handgun, unless you have to use it? By then those signs won't matter.

What signs? I don't typically read every sign that I come across, hell that is all I would do, so I don't read them. Look at Walmart, they got more signs and writing on the doors, fast food places are even worse.

[Fallguy]

What signs? I don't typically read every sign that I come across, hell that is all I would do, so I don't read them. Look at Walmart, they got more signs and writing on the doors, fast food places are even worse.

Just one reason I think if signs are going to carry the weight of law, they should be uniform per the law. They should have to be of a size and coloring scheme that is somewhat obnoxious...or at least very noticeable.

[Falcon1]

St Thomas in Nashville is properly posted on the roadway as soon as you enter the complex.

Middle Tennessee Medical Center in Murfreesboro (part of the St. Thomas network) is properly posted (at least the sign's language meets my interpretation of the "substantially similar" requirement: the TCA reference is cited "pursuant to...the owners of this property have chosen to ban firearms on these premises....").

[kckndrgn]

Baptist East in Memphis is properly posted, I think all entrances. When my son broke his arm (gooseneck break of the the radius and ulna bones of the forearm), I drove up to the entrance, picked him up and carried him into the ER. I didn't notice any signs, but I wasn't looking and didn't care at that point, and no metal detectors. I was there most of the day at my son's side.

Last time I went to Baptist ALL entrances were posted, even the doors where the ambulance arrives. I've been through there twice now:dropjaw: with the wife being the one in the back of the ambulance. Heck, she even had a fun ambulance ride from Baptist East to the women's hospital, just a couple hundred yards and about a million speed bumps. And yes the women's hospital was also properly posted.

[Guest db99wj]

Last time I went to Baptist ALL entrances were posted, even the doors where the ambulance arrives. I've been through there twice now:dropjaw: with the wife being the one in the back of the ambulance. Heck, she even had a fun ambulance ride from Baptist East to the women's hospital, just a couple hundred yards and about a million speed bumps. And yes the women's hospital was also properly posted.

Below is the sign that is on all the entrances at Baptist East, this pic was at the Women's Hospitial when my last kid was born. Very legal, very prominant. I just don't remember it on the ER door. What's that saying, it is better to ask for forgiveness than permission!

Oh, those speed bumps are huge!

[kckndrgn]

Below is the sign that is on all the entrances at Baptist East, this pic was at the Women's Hospitial when my last kid was born. Very legal, very prominant. I just don't remember it on the ER door. What's that saying, it is better to ask for forgiveness than permission!

Oh, those speed bumps are huge!

Yup, I saw them, it was on my mind to look as the wife called me at the range wanting to know when I would be home as she was in tremendous pain. When I got home, she promptly passed out due to the pain. Turns out she had an ectopic pregnancy that ruptured one of her tubes. So first ambulance ride was to Baptist East, then from there to the Womens hospital for the surgery. NOT a fun night.

While it may be easier to ask forgiveness than permission, I just don't want to be asking for forgiveness from 201 poplar while a loved one is in the hospital. Just my opinion.

[Guest db99wj]

Yup, I saw them, it was on my mind to look as the wife called me at the range wanting to know when I would be home as she was in tremendous pain. When I got home, she promptly passed out due to the pain. Turns out she had an ectopic pregnancy that ruptured one of her tubes. So first ambulance ride was to Baptist East, then from there to the Womens hospital for the surgery. NOT a fun night.

While it may be easier to ask forgiveness than permission, I just don't want to be asking for forgiveness from 201 poplar while a loved one is in the hospital. Just my opinion.

Good point.

How have ya'll been?

[Guest JCE]

I've carried into HCMC in Paris several times, they have a simple sign that says

"No Weapons" with a pic of a knife and gun, but without the TCA wording it's not a proper sign so I dutifuly ignore it