How many of you work in a gun-free zone?

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I retired 2 years ago but worked at a private university that didn't permit firearms on campus. I never had one on campus.
 
IIRC, our handbook says firearms are prohibited regardless of state law, but FL law says employers cannot prohibit firearms in cars. So I'm not sure this is a "gun free" workplace.

In any case, I'm sure if the wrong person found out an employee was armed, or had a firearm in a vehicle, he'd be fired.
 
The FL law that employers cannot prohibit guns in cars applies when the parking area is a public place. Even if the employer owns it, if it is open to the public, they cannot prohibit otherwise legally possessed guns there. I believe that if the parking area is a private place (only accessible by employees) that the employer's no gun rule would apply there, under the law.

The law was written to protect people from being fired for having a gun in their car, where they left it so they could follow the "no gun at work" rule.

The actual workplace, even if open to the public is treated differently. In the actual workplace, the employer has the authority to prohibit firearms, if they choose to do so.

Not a lawyer, not even an FL resident, so my advice is worth what you just paid for it....
;)
 
I'm in the same boat as the OP, I am a civilian working on a military base, Aberdeen Proving Ground. The problem is compounded by the fact that I don't even reside in the same state that surrounds the military base -- I live in Delaware, and the base is surrounded by gun-unfriendly Maryland.

So, even if I got a permit to carry in Delaware (I can, but have not yet), I don't think I could even bring my gun through Maryland, even if the Feds changed the laws to something sensible so we could either carry on base or store our guns on base.

That's why I haven't yet gotten a permit to carry....I spend so much time in 3 other states (Maryland, NJ and PA), most of the time I couldn't carry anyway.
 
Our Department a couple months ago made it ok to bring your gun on grounds as long as you have a valid CPL and the wardens approval. It must be locked in a safe in your vehicle. When I am inside I always carry a Taser X2. We were all glad the department changed the rules, especially after one of our Officers from another facility got killed on his way home from work about 2 years ago.
 
Andy, I may be wrong but I thought you could only have a firearm in your vehicle in a school parking lot if you have a current CCL.

Have a great day!
James
 
I'm in the college system in IL so I'm in the GFZ also....with a twist or two that make it even sillier.

We have a Gunsmith program, so there are certainly guns on campus. That building houses Gunsmithing and the manual machine shop.

We also teach the 16 hour required course for a concealed carry license. That takes place in my building that is off of the main campus and is where our CNC and robotic stuff is housed.

Colleges in IL currently can allow carry with express permission but our board of directors won't do it. The new CCW law states that parking lots are safe storage zones, but colleges can designate a particular lot. Our board made the parking area at the Gunsmith building that designated lot.

Our college regs say that guns can only be on campus as part of an educational activity (but still no actual carry) so that's how we can teach each of those programs.

I teach the CCW class and am on the FFL for the Gunsmith program as well and help out from time to time. I'm trusted with those things but (even during a CCW class) I can't carry a loaded firearm since no live ammo should be in the classroom.

I told the boss that the designated parking lot thing was just asking for trouble with break ins. His reply was that the law said a parking lot had to be designated and that particular one made sense....but he is aware that no one would want to leave their gun in a designated gun storage lot.
 
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"Andy, I may be wrong but I thought you could only have a firearm in your vehicle in a school parking lot if you have a current CCL."

Nope. You do not need a CCL in Texas to keep a concealed firearm in your car. I believe the law changed to this in 2007. As long as you can legally own a pistol, in Texas, anyone can keep a firearm in their car. It must be concealed. I believe it was last year (could have been the year before) , parking lots were specifically listed as being a place that no one could ban you from keeping said vehicle concealed firearm. I believe the law change even specifically mentioned schools. So, yes..you can keep a concealed firearm in your car in a school parking lot. Take it out of the car at a school and now you are in trouble.
Apparently military bases are federal and an exception to this.
 
I worked for Minnesota prisons for 21 years. there is no guns aloud in parkinglots and I can understand why.there are trustees that keep up the grounds.So I left my gun at home. I was shot at on the way to work, they mist me by 1 1/2" ,it hit the senter post. The state patrole said it must of been a randum shooting.:eek::mad:It was hard to not take my gun to work after that but if I was going to keep working there that was the way it had to be.
 
When I was stationed in Tx (in the 80's) anyone living on base and owned guns, had to check them in at the cop shop and keep them "stored" there until the person left the base.

Check with your cop shop and see if that will work in your situation. Maybe you could arrange it to sign it in/out and store it at the gate?

On a side note, are they hiring any more civilians?
 
I work in a Corrections Facility, some of you may disagree but that being a gun free zone for officers as well as inmates makes sense to me. The inmate to officer ratio is not on our side and the chances of being disarmed are high. Plus there aren't many scenarios where a firearm would be preferable to LTL options such as OC spray and tasers.
 
Small Western University

We've had 'Code Red' active shooter training. We are told to 'Run, Hide, Fight'. In that order. Approved weapons are anything improvised(I mentioned actual weapons and the course instructor was horrified)such as throwing your cell phone at the shooter and then bum rushing him.
 
I feel the pain of you folks who work on a military installation but remember, the military gives out "morality" waivers in a sense overlooking some felony convictions and gang memberships. this is not the case when getting a ccw permit from the state.
 
The FL law that employers cannot prohibit guns in cars applies when the parking area is a public place. Even if the employer owns it, if it is open to the public, they cannot prohibit otherwise legally possessed guns there. I believe that if the parking area is a private place (only accessible by employees) that the employer's no gun rule would apply there, under the law.
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Actually it doesn't distinguish between parking lots being open or closed to the public.

FS 790.251 (2) (a) “Parking lot” means any property that is used for parking motor vehicles and is available to customers, employees, or invitees for temporary or long-term parking or storage of motor vehicles.
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I'll be darned... I hadn't looked at the policy since I contacted HR last year. Our management has recently changed the policy, emphasis mine:

Firearms and other weapons in the workplace are strictly prohibited. Employees must never carry firearms or other weapons while involved in any ABC Company activity or in ABC Company vehicles. Loaded or unloaded firearms are prohibited on any ABC Company property, including parking lots and garages. State or local laws will prevail in those locations where it differs from Company policy. Managers who receive reports should immediately notify Human Resources.
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So it looks like they've had a change of heart. Excellent.
 
Texas also has an exemption to it's concealed carry laws where an employee may not carry or have a weapon in a vehicle in a petro-chemical facility. As the law is written, if you are a contractor at such a facility, you are not allowed to have a weapon in your vehicle.

PC 30.05, which covers Criminal Treaspass, reads in part:

7) "Critical infrastructure facility” means one of the following, if
completely enclosed by a fence or other physical barrier that is
obviously designed to exclude intruders:
(A) a chemical manufacturing facility;
(B) a refinery;
(C) an electrical power generating facility, substation, switching
station, electrical control center, or electrical transmission or distribu
tion facility;
(D) a water intake structure, water treatment facility, waste-water
treatment plant, or pump station;
(E) a natural gas transmission compressor station;
(F) a liquid natural gas terminal or storage facility;
(G) a telecommunications central switching office;
(H) a port, railroad switching yard, trucking terminal, or other
freight transportation facility;
(I) a gas processing plant, including a plant used in the
processing, treatment, or fractionation of natural gas; or
(J) a transmission facility used by a federally licensed radio or
television station
 
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True story.....

In the late 1990s, I worked as a NTE(temporary employment) federal 085 security guard for the US Dept of Veterans Affairs. While employed there, the VA police & security service(which is now called something different) had a VA employee get off from formal charges for having firearms in his personal vehicle.
The federal judge said the VA/medical center did not post enough signs or had them clearly marked with the US laws in the lots at the time.
The 083 officer(who was pro-2A & owned guns too :rolleyes: ) was upset over not having a conviction. I found it odd that the 083 police officer had such a double standard but we didn't really get along that well. :D
We did enforce a SOP while I worked there that veterans or visitors with valid CCWs could store their firearms in the police office in a locked safe. Other LEOs were required to secure their sidearms too but few ever did.
:rolleyes:
At the time, the VA police & security officers were unarmed too. A co-worker, a Sgt who served in the USMC told me of a event in a VA medical center psych ward a few years earlier where a unstable veteran took him hostage :eek:.
The veteran had a firearm & got into a protracted stand-off.
He turned himself in and let the Sgt go unharmed but it really shook the 083 Sgt up.

Since 9/11/2001, the VA has made many changes. The sworn federal officers now carry sidearms & they have new security SOPs.
 
Check with your cop shop and see if that will work in your situation. Maybe you could arrange it to sign it in/out and store it at the gate?

On a side note, are they hiring any more civilians?
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I checked. There's nowhere to check in a firearm. It would have to be located outside the perimeter of the base gates, and no such building exists. I wish they had a suggestion box.

Concerning your side note, no. I was in the last group of new hires, and that was 3 years ago. Unless a war breaks out, they're still trying to reduce the workforce.
 
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Sounds like you need to make a decision between work for an organization that disarms you, or working somewhere that does not.

I made my choice, and left. Good luck!
 
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