Roswell lets firefighters bring their guns indoors

The Roswell City Council has voted to let firefighters bring their guns into firehouses, to be stored in secure lock boxes. Previously, city employees were not allowed to bring guns into city buildings unless they were required to carry firearms in their official duties. AJC FILE

The Roswell City Council has voted to let firefighters bring their guns into firehouses, to be stored in secure lock boxes. Previously, city employees were not allowed to bring guns into city buildings unless they were required to carry firearms in their official duties. AJC FILE

The Roswell City Council has approved a change in employee policy to let on-duty fire personnel store their firearms in secure lock boxes in the firehouse, rather than outside in their personal vehicles.

The city will provide the lock boxes to each fire station at an estimate cost of $2,500, according to a staff report to the council.

Prior policy did not allow city employees to bring personal firearms into city buildings, but they were allowed to keep them, hidden and out of sight, in a “privately owned and locked vehicle.” The policy did not apply to employees required to carry firearms as part of their specific duties, such as police officers.

The council’s action follows reports of break-ins around metro Atlanta where guns were stolen from firefighters’ vehicles outside fire stations while their owners were out on fire calls.