What is the Police Commission's protocol for submitting your annual firearms program?

On March 19, 1998 the Rhode Island Police Officer's Standards and Training Commission adopted our associations recommended protocol.

The program you are submitting should have 3 parts, each part on its own page.

Part 1....Qualification Course
Your course format must meet certain requirements.

It must be realistic in content. Times and distances should reflect what is happening in actual law enforcement shootings. The R.I.L.E.F.I.A., Advisory Committee recommends the following:

• Approximately 80% of the courses rounds should be fired at and/or within 21 feet.
• Approximately 20 % of the courses rounds should be fired beyond 21 feet.
• Times should cause officers to react quickly in order to shoot within the time limit
• Oversize targets should not be used. Plain targets are preferred.
• Passing score shall not be less that 66% of the rounds fired for qualification.
• The Advisory Committee would like to see courses that have a solid emphasis on the use of cover when shooting.

Second Part ....Training
This segment should cover any of the remaining 8 mandated areas(see next FAQ).

Whatever has not be covered in the qualification course must be covered in the training section.

You must explain what the officer is required to do during training. For example it is not enough to simply say "the officer will fire at a moving target". Explain that, "the officer will fire 2 shots at a moving pendulum target from a distance of 7 yards".

Part 3�. Requirements

Use the same evaluation form that the committee uses when it examines a course.
(The form is in Microsoft Word 97. If you do not have that program go to the Courses page to get a viewer only program for Microsoft Word.)

You are asked to have the qualification course on its own page(s), training on its own page(s) and finally the requirement on its own page(s).
On the requirements page you will simply point out where in the qualification course or training certain criteria of the law can be found.

For example, state law mandates a malfunction component and you have designed your qualification course with a malfunction element. In the requirements section under Malfunction you would point out that the malfunction requirement is met at stage XX of the qualification course.

The Requirements sheet is designed for the Police Commission and the Advisory Committee to quickly confirm that the requirements of the law are met.

Other points

• Ammunition distribution, the law requires a minimum of 100 rounds annually. Please tell us how many rounds will be used for qualification and how many for training.

• The Requirements sheet should also point out how training or qualification is done with shoulder weapons. If your officers have shoulder weapons available to them when working you must address that in your program.

• Do not forget to inform us what targets are being used in your program

• Please inform us how you are going to time your program. Stopwatch or Pro-Timer are preferred.

• A contact person to call incase something needs clarification.

(1) decision shooting EXAMPLE-THREAT VS NON-THREAT TARGETS

(2) reduced light shooting EXAMPLE - ACTUAL NIGHT FIRING OR REDUCED LIGHT GARGOLES

(3) moving targets EXAMPLE - AS SIMPLE AS ROLLING AN OLD TIRE ACROSS THE RANGE HAVING AND OFFICER SHOT AT A TARGET THAT HAD BEEN PLACE IN THE MIDDLE OF IT. PENDULEM STYLE TARGETS, CABLE/ROPE MOUNTED MOVING TARGETS, RUNNING MAN SYSTEMS, CAN ALSO BE USED.

(4) use of cover EXAMPLE-SHOOTING IN A PROPER MANNER FROM A BARRICADE, AUTOMOBLE, MAILBOX, ETC.

(5) nondominate hand shooting SELF EXPLANITORY

(6) alternate position shooting EXAMPLE - KNEELING, SITTING, PRONE, MOVING TO POSITION OF FIRE

(7) reloading drills EXAMPLE - RELOADING PISTOL OR REVOLVER WHERE SMOOTH MOVEMENT AND SPEED ARE EMPHISISED

(8) malfunction drills EXAMPLE - CREATE A MALFUNCTION WITH DUMMY ROUNDS, OFFICRES CLEAR THE WEAPON AND RELOAD, SMOOTH MOVEMENT AND SPEED ARE EMPHISISED

Send it to:

Can I change my course annually ?

Yes, as long as you have prior approval.

Can I use some other approved course ?

Yes, as long as you have prior approval and the course addresses those areas that might be missed in the training segment of your "annual firearms training program".

What is the deadline for submitting a department qualification course and training program?

There is no deadline. It would be wise to submit your program well in advance of your scheduled training.

The route your submission will take is as follows

• Your program is sent to the police commission

• The commission will forward the program to the RIIEFIA advisory committee.

• The committee will review the program and recommend approval or disapproval. We forward our recommendation to the Director of the Municipal Police Academy. Presently Director Steve Weaver is the designated representative of the police commission for the administration of this law.

• The commission through the Director of the Municipal Police Academy will notify you of your program's tentative approval or needed corrections. All you need is tentative approval to start your annual firearms program.

• The commission meets on an as needed basis. When the commission does meet they will give final approval to the program you submitted.

• If the individual members of the commission raise no objections then the programs will be approved.

| Board | Courses | FAQ | Index | Law | Meeting | Membership |
| Miscellaneous | Assoc/Purpose | Thanks |

---

This page hosted by Get your own Free Home Page