Safety Brief – Colorado Firearms Training, Book Now!

General Safety Brief

  • General Safety Rules: Of the general rules you hear from organizations like the NRA and USCCA, the two most important are keep your finger off the trigger until ready to shoot and keep your firearm pointed in a safe direction. If these two rules are broken at the same time, the risk of injury or death is greatly enhanced.
  • Keep your finger out of the trigger well until ready to shoot: We must define what until ready to shoot means. On the range that means until your firearm is pointed at the target. Off the range in a defensive setting, it means until you have identified and assessed a threat as immediate.
  • Keep your firearm pointed in a safe direction: If by any chance you accidentally have your finger on the trigger and pull the trigger with such force it causes a discharge, keeping your firearm pointed in a safe direction is your fail safe to reduce the risk of injury. However, it is almost impossible to “always” keep your firearm pointed in a safe direction. The best example for this claim is when you holster the firearm.
  • Know the status of your firearm: We always treat a firearm as if it were loaded, even if we “know” the firearm is unloaded. However, knowing the status of your firearm is important to understand for a multitude of reasons. For example, when the command is given “if clear, hammer down and holster” when you “hammer down” the firearm should not fire in this case, but if it does you did not clear the firearm correctly showing that you did not know the status of your firearm.
  • Firing line/Procedures: There are procedures that we must follow with groups of various skill sets and for the overall order of the range to reduce risk. These procedures will help to maintain a shared understanding of what is required and prohibited.
  • Firing Line: The firing line for today’s lesson is at 4 yards. Which is shown by the orange cones on the left, right and center of the range. All instruction will be given at the center cone unless otherwise instructed. The left side of the range will be managed by ________________ and the right side of the range will be managed by ______________. All commands will come from the center of the range. All loading and unloading will be conducted on the firing line without exception!
  • Safe Area: The safe area is a designated area off to the side and in this area there is zero ammunition allowed. The safe area is for firearms maintenance. If there is a problem with a firearm and it must be taken apart, the safe area is where that is conducted. You may also conduct dry practice in the safe area pointing into the berm. Again, at no point is ammunition allowed in the safe area – to include full magazines.
  • Cold Range: A cold range is defined by having your firearm in your holster (or slung) with nothing in the magazine well and nothing in the chamber. We will run a cold range until an assessment can be made to run a hot range.
  • Hot Range: A hot range is when the pistol is loaded and holstered. Once the firearm is holstered, individuals can move freely up range, but will ONLY unholster/draw on the firing line. Therefore if we are running a hot range and there is a problem with your firearm, you must return to the firing line to clear the firearm before going to the safe area to fix the issue. The firearm must be cleared and checked by one of the instructors if this is the case.
  • Brass Dance: While on the range shooting in close proximity with others, you may encounter hot brass in your shirt. If this occurs and you have a firearm in your hand, DO NOT dance around and lose your wits. You must deal with the burn while keeping your firearm pointed in a safe direction and your finger off the trigger. You may holster the firearm to dig out the hot brass, but by the time you do the brass would have cooled down anyway.
  • Down Range/Up Range: Down range is defined as the part of the range we aim to shoot targets. Up range is defined as the area where we can jam magazines, drink water, take a break, etc. When up range your firearm will always stay in your holster. The only place your firearm can come out of your holster is on the firing line or in the safe area.
  • Malfunctions: If you are unfamiliar with a malfunction that you encounter, raise your hand while on the line to get the attention of an instructor. An instructor will come by and assist you with the malfunction. If you know how to fix the malfunction, please do so in a safe manner by keeping your firearm pointed down range (in a safe direction) and your finger off the trigger.
  • Commands: These commands are the commands you may hear and some of the commands are for general knowledge on the range. Direct commands are those with an action required and indirect commands are those that need to be yelled and repeated by everyone.
  • Load and Make Ready: A direct command that could be for an individual or for a group. It does not need to be repeated. The preparatory command “load” means to put your full magazine in your firearm. The command of execution “and make ready” is the command to chamber a round. (Demonstration Required)
  • Clear and Show Clear: A direct command that could be for an individual or group. It does not need repetition. The preparatory command “clear” means to drop your magazine and remove any cartridge from the chamber. The command of execution “and show clear” is the command to show an empty magazine well and empty chamber to someone. That someone could be a partner, an instructor, or a safety. (Demonstration Required)
  • If Clear, Hammer Down and Holster: A direct command that could be for an individual or group and is after the command of “Clear and Show Clear”. It does not need repetition. The preparatory command “If clear” is a question to the shooter to understand the status of their firearm. The command of execution “hammer down and holster” is the command to point the firearm down range and dry fire to ensure the clearing procedure is complete and holster/sling the firearm. (Demonstration Required)
  • Freeze: A direct command that could be for an individual or group. THIS COMMAND MUST BE REPEATED. If this command is used it is to stop someone from doing something that will potentially be hazardous to themselves or others. Everyone must stop what they are doing immediately and freeze in their position.
  • Cease Fire: A direct command for the entire group. THIS COMMAND MUST BE REPEATED. The command of cease fire is to get everyone to stop shooting immediately. The command may be used to stop potential injury or just so the instructor or safety can address the group as a whole.
  • Down Range: A direct command for the entire group. THIS COMMAND MUST BE REPEATED. The command of “down range” is for everyone’s understanding that someone is forward of the firing line and no firearms should be upholstered while someone is down range.
  • Fire/Begin/Beep: The command of fire or begin is for and individual or group and does not need repeating. Those commands may be substituted with a beep from the pro-timer. On these commands the shooter or shooters may commence firing.
  • Medic: The command of “Medic” means that someone is seriously injured and needs medical attention at that moment! THIS COMMAND MUST BE REPEATED!! Cease Fire may also accompany this command prior to the command of medic. The command of medic supersedes any other commands and at that time all firearms must be cleared and holstered, the primary and secondary medical personnel will attend to the injured and the notification official will start the notification process starting with 911.
  • Medical Procedures/Evacuation: In the event someone becomes injured, the priority shifts from training to ensuring the injured person is being taken care of in such a manner that he or she has a reduced risk of becoming worse than the initial injury. Once the injured is taken care of the priority will shift back to completing the course.
  • Most Likely/Probable/Dangerous Injuries: Risk reduction of an injury is to understand the likelihood and the seriousness of the most likey, probable, and dangerous injuries. As a reduction of risk to injury we have specific reactions to injuries that will reduce the risk of becoming worse.
  • Most Likely: On the range the most likely injury deals with nature as the mechanism of injury. Dust in the eye, a bee sting, sunburn, hot/cold weather, etc. Therefore we have first aid bandages, ointment, and sun black for your use if needed. If anyone has a severe allergic reaction to bee stings, please advise now.
  • Most Probable: Most probable injuries are in the form of man made items caused by an action from a person such as shrapnel from shooting steel, slide bite from a pistol, a staple puncturing skin while putting targets up, a stab wound from prying with a knife, etc. These injuries have a slight chance of being serious, especially the stab with a knife. We have enough first aid, gauze, and bandages to handle those types of injuries.
  • Most Dangerous: The most dangerous is someone shooting themselves or others and we have already hammered the general safety rules of keeping the firearm pointed in a safe direction and keeping your finger off the trigger until ready to shoot. However, in the event someone does shoot themselves we must stop the bleeding immediately! A tourniquet is the primary medical tool that is used to do that. How to use a tourniquet: (Demonstration)
  • Primary Provider: The primary provider will be the highest level medical professional on the range that agrees to the responsibility. 
  • Alternate Provider: The secondary provider will be the next highest level medical professional that agrees to the responsibility and will assist the primary. If the primary is injured the secondary becomes the primary.
  • Primary Driver / Alternate Notification Official: The primary driver should be someone familiar with the area, has a cell signal and may also have some medical knowledge in the event they have to assist the primary and secondary medical personnel. They are also alternatively responsible for calling 911 and the range.
  • Alternate Driver/ Primary Notification Official: The alternate driver should be someone familiar with the area, has a cell signal and may also have some medical knowledge in the event they have to assist the primary and secondary medical personnel, however their number one priority is to notify 911 and the range starting with 911. They must be in close proximity to the primary medical provider for specific medical language needed in the event dispatch request information.
  • Notification Procedure: Dispatch will require the following location of the injured and they will ask twice to confirm, a phone number to call in the event the call is disconnected, and a short simple statement of the incident. Here is an example of a short statement: “We are conducting some firearms training on the range and someone ACCIDENTALLY shot themselves in the leg.” Using the term “accidentally” will communicate there was no ill intent and no crime committed. The police will still come to the scene but they will come in a helping mindset versus a defensive mindset.
  • Location of the Range:  Pikes Peak Gun Club 450 South Franceville Coal Mine Rd Colorado Springs CO 719-683-4420
  • Location of the Medical Kit: The medial kit will be located behind the firing line near the center of the range. It will be identified by a bright colored label or bag.
  • Location and directions of the of the hospital: St Francis Hospital, 6001 East Woodman Rd, Colorado Springs CO 80923, 719-776-5000

If there is a need to transport the patient the medical vehicle is _____________ and the keys are in the ______________. Primary and Alternate drivers please put the address in your maps now for efficiency in the event we need to evacuate someone.