RICHMOND, Va. — Firefighters, EMS personnel, or any member of the Virginia National Guard Armed Forces Reserves may soon be able to carry a concealed weapon without a permit thanks to legislation passed by Virginia’s Senate Tuesday.

SB 1012, introduced by Sen. Amanda Chase (R – Amelia County, Colonial Heights), would allow specific firefighters and EMS providers to carry concealed weapons without a permit “provided that such firefighter or person employed as emergency medical services personnel has been approved to carry a concealed handgun by his fire chief or emergency medical services chief.”

The Senate voted 21-19 across party lines on Tuesday, advancing the bill out of the Senate.

Lt. Jason Elmore with Chesterfield Fire and EMS provided the following statement:

“Chesterfield Fire and EMS is paying attention to several bills that are making their way through the General Assembly to determine the impact they will have on the fire service, specifically our department. If the bills are passed, we will evaluate each of them individually. As always, our priority is providing the best fire and emergency medical services to the residents and visitors of Chesterfield County.””