Budgeting for training patrol rifle instructors

[deputyG23]

There is a chance that a patrol rifle program will be authorized at my work for the 17-18FY. I am now doing the budget for the two sections that would be the users of the rifles, if approved. Rifles, optics, slings, ammo, and armorer schools have been budgeted for. We have no certified rifle users or instructors. I need to come up with a figure to train three instructors from non-user status to patrol rifle instructor. These deputies would be already certified handgun/shotgun instructors. Any ideas or suggestions are welcome. Budget is due 9.30.16.
You guys gave lots of great ideas on my shotgun training question last week. I have added some of the recommended items to the budget.
Again, thanks in advance and feel free to PM if desired.

[voodoo_man]

There is a chance that a patrol rifle program will be authorized at my work for the 17-18FY. I am now doing the budget for the two sections that would be the users of the rifles, if approved. Rifles, optics, slings, ammo, and armorer schools have been budgeted for. We have no certified rifle users or instructors. I need to come up with a figure to train three instructors from non-user status to patrol rifle instructor. These deputies would be already certified handgun/shotgun instructors. Any ideas or suggestions are welcome. Budget is due 9.30.16.
You guys gave lots of great ideas on my shotgun training question last week. I have added some of the recommended items to the budget.
Again, thanks in advance and feel free to PM if desired.

I'd suggest contacting guys like Bill Rapier and Kyle Defoor, they have these types of things already pre-formatted and can give you a cost for certification type / level class.

[Erick Gelhaus]

Because we had instructors with a solid background, we wer able to develope a state POST certified patrol rifle instructor class. We've trained up our instructors who hadn't been to a patrol rifle inst course yet and have taken it to two other agencies to train up their staff. Its a teach the rifle class, not an end user class. Cal POST wants to see instructors who have been through an end user course on the material as well as the instructor course.

Budgeting wise, I imagine it would be like any other school ... OT from base salary or backfill, travel (car/plane), lodging, food plus equipment (should have), pistol/rifle ammunition, magazines, dummy rounds. For instructors I would absolutely add quality eye protection and, not for for debate, electronic hearing protection.

End user classes can be anywhere from 2 to 5 days depending on the state or provider. We teach an in-house two day user class but two of our guys just finished a 5 day carbine user class taught by a large full-time Special Weapons Team in southern California. Most of those will be 1000-1500 rounds, hopefully they will include some handgun work.

Instructor classes can be 3, 4, or 5 days in length. Since its about teaching not using, I'd expect a more realistic round to be below 1000. As an example one experiential learning block we do takes an hour but the student only fires twenty-five rounds. They should be teaching, coaching about half the time the instructors are not running things.

I imagine your state's POST or whatever body blesses police officers will have a list of "approved" end user and instructor courses. That'd be my starting point and then I'd encourage them to attend outside training taught by those with an undestanding of police concerns and issues.

[txdpd]

With 11 days to get something together, it'll be easiest to copy a nearby agency's program, preferable one that is held in high regard by the budget people.

That'll give you an established program to get your numbers from and get something pushed through on short notice. Once you get that done, there's always next year to improve things.

[HCM]

What are your state requirements for Instructor certification ?

[K.O.A.M.]

The NRA Law Enforcement Activities Division has a patrol rifle instructor school. It's nowhere near the caliber of instruction offered by folks like Kyle DeFoor, but it's a recognized standard in law enforcement.

[Lon]

What are your state requirements for Instructor certification ?

This. Couldn't find anything about VA police rifle/carbine instructor requirements. I'd just send them to whatever VA has as the minimum requirement to start. Then send them off later for a good carbine class later.

[deputyG23]

Nothing specific that I can find for patrol rifle. Firearms instructor certification requires a 40 hour FA instructor school with 90% minimum score on written and skills tests.
A DCJS general instructor certification is required as well which is a 40 hour school, plus completion of apprenticeship.

[deputyG23]

This. Couldn't find anything about VA police rifle/carbine instructor requirements. I'd just send them to whatever VA has as the minimum requirement to start. Then send them off later for a good carbine class later.

The regional academies occaisionally offer three day patrol rifle schools. If any of this happens to get approved, I can hopefully get slots for three or four users/instructor candidates to get their user creds, then maybe an NRA carbine instructor school to begin their instructor certification.

[Lon]

Nothing specific that I can find for patrol rifle. Firearms instructor certification requires a 40 hour FA instructor school with 90% minimum score on written and skills tests.
A DCJS general instructor certification is required as well which is a 40 hour school, plus completion of apprenticeship.

That seems to be the question you need to answer. What DO they have to have? If your state run academy has a good program then great, just send them to that. If it's like my states academy, I wouldn't (and didn't) go there for instructor classes unless I had to. I went to other courses approved by the state but were taught by private companies.

A lot of it also depends on the soon to be instructors. Are they already squared away and know the AR already? If they do then you can get by with the bare minimum necessary to get the credentials. If they don't, then you may want to send them to a user level carbine class from a good school before sending them to a .gov instructor course.