ERGC PRIVATE INSTRUCTORS

In addition to club-sanctioned educational training on the range, ERGC allows club members to teach or sponsor a special/or paid instruction class on the ERGC range.  There is a approval process that outlines the rules for running such an event.

If you have any questions regarding this process, please contact the ERGC Safety Committee Chair, Luis Jiminez, via email at ermlsafetychair@gmail.com. This process applies to any member that wants to teach or sponsor a special/or paid instruction class on ERGC range. The request should be submitted the ERGC Safety Committee Chair as indicated below.

 

APPROVAL PROCESS FOR INSTRUCTORS CONDUCTING PAID INSTRUCTION AT ERGC

Last updated: August 2020

The Escambia River Gun Club (ERGC) and the Escambia River Muzzle Loaders (ERML) foundation are private organizations. Both are interested in the development of safe firearm skills by our members and surrounding community. To this end, the teaching of these skills by commercial instructors (individuals or organizations that charge for instruction) is conditionally permitted at our range. The process is the same for a member instructor and for a sponsored instructor. There are two ways to participate:

Member Instructor – A member that is a certified instructor and wants to teach their own course.

Sponsored Instructor – A member can sponsor an outside non-member instructor class on at the ERGC range. The instructor must apply to the Safety Committee (SC) for approval and oversight.

The instructor must apply to and be approved by the ERGC/ERML Safety Committee. The application can be submitted by either:

• email at –  ermlsafetychair@gmail.com

• hard copy – Drop off at range RSO Office with attention Chair safety Committee

• mail – ERGC, ATTN : Chair safety Committee, 4020 Rocky Branch Road, Cantonment, Fl 32533 to the Chair of the Safety Committee.

How long it may take

The committee members are volunteers hence the request should be submitted no later than two weeks prior to the date of need. The request must include:

• a. The instructor(s) name, ERGC member number and credentials for the type of class.

Instructor credentials may be from a recognized instructor certification organization such as but not limited to the National Rifle Association (NRA), a Law Enforcement Organization (LEO) or the Military. Contact information for the certifying organization must be provided.

• b. Insurance

Individual Instructor(s) – $1 million coverage required for each instructor and each instructor’s name must be on the policy.

Corporate Policy – A Corporate Policy of $1 million coverage. Contact information for the insuring organization must be provided. The corporation or entity must provide a list of instructors that are covered by the policy

• c. A lesson or training plan- What skills are practiced and mastered and what knowledge is gained by the student before handling a loaded gun at the range. The SC may require modifications to this plan to ensure basic safety skills are included.

• d. A Course of Fire (COF) – A description of the planned shooting activities at the range i.e. type of target, distance, number of shots, from what position such as low ready, etc. What shooting activities will take place at our range. The events and description of same is what the instructor will be limited to teach. Variations from the approved COF must be approved before use.

What is the Safety Committee looking for

Our purpose is to enable learning opportunities for our members and community while maintaining a safe environment. Our members and their significant others may be standing next to you and your students while you are teaching. Be as descriptive as you can since the lesson plan will tell us what skills your student has been taught and is proficient at before they handle a loaded firearm at the range.

No go examples

What the Safety Committee looking for is not a secret. Subject areas would take many pages to describe so here are some large scope examples of what we are looking for: Shooting from a prone position such that rounds may miss the rear berm, lateral shooting such that rounds may impact the side berms, rounds that impact short of the berm and leave the range, and gun handling that sweeps others present. The SC will recommend changes in order to make the training acceptable.

Advanced Training

Moving while shooting is considered advanced training will normally only be approved for advanced classes and for experienced instructors as determined by the SC.

Currency

The individual instructors are responsible to keep credentials and insurance up to date. No training will be allowed with outdated or incomplete documents.

Oversight

The ERGC is a private club. Instructors that are allowed by the ERGC club and authorization to teach may be removed at any time. Instructors will be monitored to ensure compliance with ERGC range SOP and safety protocols and compliance with the submitted COF. Violations of safety and unauthorized COF changes may result in removal of instruction privileges.

All instructors will undergo monitoring during initial application and then randomly throughout the year.

Oversight will normally be performed by Safety Committee members or the duty Range Safety Officer (RSO).

No instruction will be allowed until ALL required documents are obtained and the instructor receives his/her authorization letter.

The request may be submitted:

• Hard copy in person at the range.

• Mailed to the ERGC address attention Safety Committee Chair.

• Emailed to: ermlsafetychair@gmail.com.

The Safety Committee will review the documents and then vote for approval/disapproval or modification. Modification of the COF or lesson plan may be required and will be included as a condition for approval. Once the decision has been made, the instructor or sponsor will be notified of the decision using the contact information provided in the application.

Scheduling a class

Instructors are reminded that matches are scheduled for the weekends and ranges 6-10 may not be available during these times.

Notification of requested class event to ERGC

Once the instructor has been approved, the instructor/sponsor must notify the ERML Safety Chair (SCr) no later than one week in advance of the planned class. This allows the SCr to determine currency of the instructor credentials and schedule an oversight visit by a member of the Safety Committee. Once currency has been determined and oversight scheduled, the SCr will schedule the class with the RSO. Advance notice will also allow the ERGC webmaster to post the event on the ERGC range calendar and website calendar. The SCr may allow notices of less than a week but this may result in non-availability of the desired venue for the instructor.

The RM has the final decision determining if the range can be reserved on the requested day.

Waiver

Before training starts, the instructor is responsible for having the students complete an ERGC liability waiver (for non- ERGC members) at the RSO station the day of the event and paying the fee per student. The primary method of doing this is on the computer at the RSO station. If this is not available, a written form may be used.

Range fees will be paid to the RSO on day of course at the beginning of the day prior to the start of any training.

Range 6-10 rental fee schedule – Call the RSO or Range Master for current prices

Hours of operation

October 1 through 31 March (coordinate with the Range Manager for specific times)

1 April – 29 September (coordinate with the Range Manager for specific times)

Or as posted on the web site.

Range Usage

Ranges 1-5

These ranges are not available for rental except for special activities approved by the Board of Governors (BOD) such as match events. Dynamic firing (see notes below for definition) is allowed but must be terminated if any non-participating member requests it. Only one member at a time may perform dynamic firing unless the other person is performing Instructor duties and then the ratio is limited to 1:1.

Instructors using these ranges must blend in with other members using the range. Instructors must follow the range SOP same as other members. Coordination for hot and cold range status is a request, not a command between instructors and members.

Table Instruction

For instruction that is using shooting positions on any range, the instructor(s) will be limited to one shooting table for each instructor. A ratio of 1 to 1 while active firing. For more than 4 students for a single instructor ranges 6-10 must be used.

Live Fire Instructor Student Ratio

Each Instructor must maintain a one-to-one instructor/student ratio during live fire. Exception to the one-to-one requirement may be allowed but must be included in the COF an approved by the safety committee for teaching an ADVANCED class.

Ranges 6-10

When one instructor has more than 4 students, he will be required to rent one of the rear ranges numbered 6-10. These ranges are available for rental at current rates by Approved Instructors (AI). For current rates contact the RM or Duty RSO.

A static firing line1 or a dynamic firing2 line are permitted in these ranges. A visual line connecting the of each range side barrier is the rearmost firing point regardless of which type of firing line used.

Range Clean up

The member/sponsor/instructor is responsible for range clean-up to include brass pick-up and returning any items borrowed from the range. The RSO will inspect the range after class completion to ensure the range has been cleaned.

Notes

1. Static Firing line – An imaginary line along the forward edge of the overhead supporting poles. Benches should be placed such that their forward end aligns with the supporting poles. This imaginary line designates the static firing line. The muzzle of the firearm should be over this line during firing.

2. Dynamic Firing Line –This is where a flexible firing line is established in front of the tables. The shooter may shoot from varying distances and may move closer or further from a target(s). This is a shoot and move not a shoot while moving. The COF will be the determining factor as approved in writing by the Safety Committee.

Use the checklist below to make sure you include all required documents.

For any questions of this document contact the Safety Committee Chair Luis Jimenez 910-494-5696 or ermlsafetychair@gmail.com.

Application & Checklist

Fill out the form below and text or call Lu Jimenez (910-494-5696 or ermlsafetychair@gmail.com) to alert him an application has been sent.

OR

Send the application to: Safety Committee Chair (ermlsafetychair@gmail.com)

RE: Application to Teach Commercially at the ERML/ERGC Range

I request approval to instruct at the ERGC range while receiving payment for my services. Documents are attached.

Important: It is the instructor’s responsibility to keep your documents updated. We will use this contact information to send changes to the ERGC SOP, Instructor notices, range closures, etc.