12 The Firearms Instructor Issue 50 into the scenario (real life or simulated) and now training takes effect. This automated response helps to remove some initial shock from an incident potentially keeps the officer in a defensive and proactive automated mode until backup or supervisors arrive. Why do we drill repetitiously in the Academy and in Boot Camp/Basic Training? To develop an automated response to a situation and allow the training to take over. Shooting skills, as Firearms Instructors know, are a perishable skill. Many simula- tors offer a variety of shooting skill drills and qualification courses. The key is getting trigger time for the officer. While serving in Federal Law Enforcement, ammunition was plentiful. Many agencies struggle to have a couple of hundred rounds of ammunition for their officers to fire and practice or qualify with. Trigger time is critical. Repetition is a must; have your officers shooting every month on the simulator. Develop that muscle memory, practice that draw and flash front sight picture. Create a competitive environ- ment between the officers in shooting and skills competition. Some of the simulators do have a gaming side to them; don’t be afraid of the gaming side i.e. hunting type game, or a gaming type Hogan’s Alley, or similar set up. If it will put the officer in a trigger pull situation, he is practicing and developing muscle memory while enjoying training. As a Firearms instructor, be there to mentor and train. Watch the hand grips, watch the sight alignment, practice by the numbers, “Smooth is fast and fast is smooth.” Your simulator is for critical decision mak- ing in use of force situations and getting the trigger time. What you pay and the added bells and whistles for the system you choose is the decision for the Chief’s and Firearms instructors. Many cities, towns, and counties are cutting back. What goes first? Typically the training funds and ammunition fund- ing is cut to minimum requirement. If your agency is not training in the Use of Force scenarios or having the trigger time needed for the officer, you are creating a liability for your agency. The simulator provides a cost effective means to reduce liability and con- tinue training despite ammunition cut backs while still and maintaining the standards required of the officer. In some instances, the simulator has reduced an agency cost with less ammunition fired and purchased. Work outside the normal and be creative. Some of the scenarios portrayed in the Use of Force simulators can be used to recre- ate a mock crime scene so the Investigators and Crime Scene Units can now be put into play to reinforce crime scene skills. Schools having both a Law Enforcement/Criminal Justice and Legal training program can also use the scenarios to create mock trials; mock Grand Jury and have the Law Enforcement/ CJ student based upon a training scenario go through a simulated court situation. Additional consideration in utilizing the simulator is reviewing range expenses and costs. To operate the range you need a Range Master, Range Safety Officer, targets, ammu- nition, and possibly the travel time and fuel to get to your range. All of this costs money. Evaluate these costs of operating a range. Most of the time with a simulator purchase, the return on investment in range usage is reduced and the simulator is utilized instead, it will typically pay for itself within a year. Simulators will allow you to practice qualifica- tions prior to ensure the live fire qualification to ensure the officer is ready to qualify before wasting precious ammunition resources on marginal shooters. This eliminates wasting ammunition on a non-qualifying officer and additional time spent on the range to qualify that officer. Research studies are starting to show that the marksmanship skills devel- oped with simulators are directly reflective to live fire shooting skills. Take advantage of this. Simulation saves time and manpower. What would take three to four hours on the range now can be accomplished as short as a 15-30 minute training session with the officer, achieving quality results. Train to standard, not to time. TFI About the Author Mr. Shannon W. Lightsey experience includes 20 years with the US Army Military Police and US Army Criminal Investigation Command in both Active and Reserve sta- tus and retired in 2005 after serving as a Patrolman, Patrol Supervisor, Criminal Investigator, Physical Security Manager, and Mission Special Agent in Charge for the US Army Protective Services Unit, protecting a variety of dignitaries such as Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Secretary of the Army and Chief of Staff, US Army. Mr. Lightsey additionally served as a Federal Air Marshal, HoustonFieldOffice,Houston,Texasbetween 2002 – 2007, and also served as a Department of Defense Detective at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland. Mr. Lightsey has been a Training Non-Commissioned Officer with- in the military, a Primary and Assistant Firearms Instructor along with general law enforcement training instructor. Mr. Lightsey is presently a Firearms Training Consultant with Laser Shot, Inc. in Stafford, Texas. • Roster information • Weapons Inventory (Dynamic & Static) • Equipment Inventory (Dynamic & Static) • Multiple Stocking Locations (User Defined) • Transfer History by Serial No. • Maintenance History & Detail • Inspection History & Detail • Qualifications History (User Defined Courses of Fire) • Training History (User Defined Training Courses) • Ammo Receipt/Distribution (Down to Lot Number) • Integrated Scheduling Tool • Detailed Audit Trail • Password Protected • Network Version Available www.hytekltd.com Designed and developed for professional weapons management programs. Manages the largest organizations but is priced for the smallest departments. Handles all organizations including federal, state, local, military or industrial security. 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