These classes happened back in summer 2018, but with another session of the Active Shooter course scheduled for January 26-27, now is a good time to remind everyone of this course and what it covers.
Those wanting the full state certification can attend the full 2 day course. Limited on time, funds or interest in the material? You can attend 1/2 or 1 day of the 2 day course at a reduced cost.
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Back in 2013, the Texas House of Representatives passed a bill that would authorize teachers at K-12 schools to carry on campuses, if they passed a special training course and met higher standards for proficiency. Under the Act, teachers would receive training on best practices for the protection of students, how to interact with first responders, tactics to deny an intruder entry into a classroom, and accuracy with a handgun under duress. This enhanced training is voluntary and only available to teachers who already have a license to carry.
In 2017, the Texas Department of Public Safety began offering a 2 day course to certify License to Carry instructors in the new course. Three KR Training instructors attended sessions of the certification class, and we held our first session of the new course on Dec 27-28, 2017. The course was developed by the Texas Department of Public Safety with input from the ALERRT program, to align it with material being taught to law enforcement officers nationwide. Both of the DPS trainers that taught the instructor course I attended were also ALERRT instructors.
This course content is general enough that it has value to anyone interested in active shooter response, and as a state-certified, state-developed course, the training it provides will be more legally defensible in court than other un-certified courses offered by private sector schools.
DPS guidelines require the course to be 15-20 hours long. It includes classroom lecture, video from actual incidents, roleplaying scenarios and range work. In order to pass the course, students in it must pass the Texas License To Carry shooting test with score of 90% (225 points) or higher, the morning of the first day class.
We were told at the instructor course that we could add material to the course, as long as we did not extend the total class hours beyond the 20 hour maximum. Prior to delivering the first KR Training version of this class, Paul, Tina and I prepared some supplemental material, to be used if time was available. Some of that additional content included discussion of medical preparedness, hands-on training in tourniquet use, and audio from actual 911 calls.
Paul Martin, Tina Maldonado and I taught a session of this course back in Dec 2017. The AAR from that course is here.
I added two additional live fire qualification courses: the shooting test from the NRA Defensive Pistol class, and the annual qualification course of fire used by a major Texas city’s police department. My decision to add these optional qualifications was to provide graduates of the course additional documentation that they meet a national standard higher than the Texas License to Carry class (the NRA test), and a standard equivalent to what a typical responding police officer in our state has met.
Starting in 2019, I’ll be using the FBI’s qualification course of fire in place the NRA Defensive Pistol Test.
June 2018
The June course was taught at the A-Zone, with Paul Martin and Tina Maldonado assisting. We began (as the state curriculum requires), with everyone shooting the Texas LTC qualification course of fire. Students must shoot 90% on this drill to pass the course.
Students also shot the “Shooting Under Duress” live fire block that’s part of the official curriculum. It’s shot at 3, 7 and 15 yards using photographic school shooter scenario targets.
Part of the state’s live fire drills include a few rounds fired at 50 yards. In the instructor course we were advised simply to let people attempt the shots so they could assess their current skill level. We chose to modify that curriculum to spend time teaching people how to actually get hits at those distances, from standing and prone positions.
We also included a “walkback” drill using an 18×24″ steel rectangle. The drill puts all the students in a line. The student at the front of the line engages the target, holsters and moves to the back of the line. Next student then draws and engages the target, holsters, and moves to the back. This causes the firing line to move back about 1 yard per student attempt. With 10 students in the relay, each cycle moves the firing line back 10 yards. We started at 15 yards and worked our way back to 85 yards on this drill, with many students still hitting the steel at that distance, including several using subcompact guns like the M&P Shield.
We also shot the NRA’s Defensive Pistol test, using the NRA D-1 target.
The course also included 10 hours of lectures and ‘red gun’ training teaching armed movement in structures. We added some additional red gun drills specifically addressing armed movement and decision making in a 3D environment with multiple people in motion around you. One student would be the armed defender, one was the active shooter. All students in the group would move within the training zone. When the whistle was blown, the armed defender would have to assess the situation in that instant. Could I shoot? Are there others at risk of being hit if my bullet goes through? If it misses? Where’s my nearest cover?
September 2018
The September course was taught at the Orange Gun Club, co-taught with Richard Worthey of RW Training.
Pictures of the class shooting the “Shooting Under Duress” module (above) and the metro PD qualification course of fire (below). Bottom picture shows part of the lecture portion of that course.
January 2018
The next session of the course will be held at the A-Zone January 26-27, 2018. I don’t plan to offer it again until June or July 2018, so anyone interested should consider attending this winter session.
To register, visit the KR Training webpage.
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