Quote:
|
This is from the handbook and doesn't cover any specifics. Do you think the state should be more specific in what is required? I can't imagine talking to students for three days and spending a minimum of four hours on the range and not covering what you're saying they should cover, but maybe they're not. Maybe it needs to be spelled out?
|
LOL, You can't imagine it not being covered, but in the security officer handbook there is absolutely no mention of safety training anywhere. The word 'safety' and in its root form, "safe," only appears once in the book in the cover letter from the commissioner. So there is apparently no state requirement for gun safety/weapons handling stipulated by the state for security officer training and licensing.
More specific? Given that the topic isn't covered by the handbook and isn't a stipulated requirement, then sure, I would think gun safety training requirement should be stipulated. I stil don't see anything to suggest that gun safety isn't really covered beyond going over the four rules briefly and then making sure folks don't screw up at the range.
But Wayne, you are in Florida, right? You have a carry permit? How extensive was your gun safety training in your concealed carry course. What did you cover beyond the four safety rules? Were you made aware of the additional and often extensive damage that is produced by expanding gasses in contact shots? Did you cover ballistic dangers relative to distance, trajectory, and environmental conditions? Did you cover the dangers associated with the moving parts on a firearm during its operation? Did you come away with a clear understanding of what does and does not constitute a safe backstop? How much time did you spend on assessing the risks of over penetration of common materials such as vehicles, drywall, and windows? How much time did you spend on overpenetration of people risks? Did you go over misfires and hangfires and what you should do should a misfire occur and how to remain safe in case it turns out to be a hangfire? How much time did you spend on auditory damage?
There are lots of ways in which firearms can be involved in the harming of people, but you probably didn't get any of that in what little gun safety instruction you received. You likely received nothing more than what was necessary to get you through the class and some cursory warnings about keeping guns locked properly at home. If somebody asked about auditory damage, the instructor probably told that person that the report of the firearm would be very loud, possibly damaging.
Saying that folks who have being through a CCW course or FL security guard licensing are trained in gun safety is about like saying my daughters are trained in fire safety because they learned in first grade to stay below the smoke in a burning building, to touch closed doors before opening them to se if they are hot or not, and to stop, drop, and roll should they happen to catch fire. They were even taking outside to practice stop, drop, and roll. What we are talking about isn't training, but minimalist exposure to limited safety guidelines.
Zambrana probably received about as much gun safety instruction as most people. Depending on how recently he received it, he might have been able to cite the 4 safety rules from memory. Where there are proficiency tests in many states for marksmanship, but are there any for gun safety beyond a multiple choice quiz?