The Firearms Instructor Issue 50 27 no. Live fire adds an element of seriousness that cannot be duplicated. Does it also add an increased element of danger? Definitely! This must be accounted for and considered when deciding whether to conduct this type of training. It is an absolute mistake if you don’t. However, if it’s done safely and in a controlled environment, there is no reason why it shouldn’t be done. Are we not obli- gated as instructors to provide our officers with the most relevant and realistic training if it can be done safely? Absolutely! Whichever way you decide to package your training; contact/cover, building search, etc… is fine. The goal is to expose them to a 360 degree live fire environment like they will be faced with during a real encounter on the street. The more training exposures we can provide officers with, the better. If they have some small point of reference in their mind to draw upon during a real situation, the better off they will be and not be caught like a deer in headlights. I realize that this is “out of the box” thinking, but so were turning targets, reactive steel, and moving and shoot- ing when they were introduced! Stay safe, but be creative! TFI About the Author I am currently the Range Supervisor for the Virginia Beach Police Department. A role I have had for the past 4 years. I have been with the VBPD for 21 years with 14 as a Sergeant. My assignments have included patrol, vice/narcotics, internal affairs, com- munity policing, and currently training. We have recently undertaken the task of train- ing our entire department in a live shoot house evolution and after going through this process I thought it might be helpful to share our experience with other law enforce- ment firearms instructors. While this article was developed and written by myself, staff members of my unit played a key role in the content and tactics developed for the specific training evolution that we utilized and that is referenced in this article. IALEFI BOARD OF DIRECTOR NOMINATIONS Entries will not be edited, and will be posted as received. Resumes can be submitted by any current active member and should be directed to: The Chairman of the Election Committee c/o IALEFI 25 Country Club Road Suite 707 Gilford, NH 03249 fax: 603.524.8856 e-mail: info@ialefi.com ® The IALEFI Election Committee will be accepting Board of Director nomination letters from September 1, through December 1, 2011. The term is for 3 years.