How Much Is Your Life Worth?

Everyday employers across all industries and workplaces are looking for ways to save money and increase profit. One corner that should never be cut, is procuring or maintaining life saving equipment. Whether it’s firearms, medical gear, or safety equipment employers have a responsibility to ensure their people have quality equipment to work with.

This is my story of an incident where my employer failed to exercise and understand this concept and thus left me with shrapnel in my face for the rest of my life.

I was lucky, the piece fused into my skin and my body didn’t reject the object or cause it to become infected. Many other workers are not so lucky. Check out the video!

Hiring a Security Firm or Seeking Employment: Things to Keep in Mind

One of the biggest questions I am asked is “Who should I work for? What are some of the good companies out there? Who should I hire?” I usually find myself in a diplomatic catch 22. On one hand if I recommend a provider I am bias to my other clients, on the other hand if I recommend a company and they do no foot the bill my credibility is affected negatively... and I display bias towards my other clients

Here are somethings you should look for when you are either out on the job market or looking to hire a security company to protect your assets.

1.   Learn about the market

You want to look at how many companies are in your area and what their specialty is. Generally private guard companies specialize in retail security while others lean more towards the corporate office market. There are other firms which specialize in various forms of investigation and some who’s primary focus is overseas security, either close protection, or Private Military Contracting (PMCs). Others are often seen at large events and venues and some cater to a specific niche such as government buildings, hospitals, residential or industrial areas.

2      2. Meet the people

I’m not referring to simply the management. A company owner or business development manager will always feed you the goodies and why they are the best or why you should select them. Speak to the people who work there, strike up a conversation, ask them about their company and their job. Do they like it or not? Why they like it or don’t like it? Do they receive training? What type of training and how frequently? How often do they work?  Get a feel for their personality and observe their work. Are they personable, approachable, do they project professionalism?  Is this someone you would want protecting your assets? Or is this someone you could work with? Most important, is this person trustworthy? Your best market research into an organization will always come from those who are doing the job.

3.      3. Pick Three

It’s great to have options however having too many can be bad. The Marine Corps Officer Candidate School teaches it’s officer candidates to come up with three options to a problem, too many and the candidate can become confused or disoriented too little could lead to indecision. Pick three companies in your area that you think that could foot the bill and judge them based on the information you received in your research.

4.      4. You Get What You Pay/Settle For.

Good service is not cheap and cheap service is never good. In the Halifax area, the average security worker makes between minimum wage (10.65/hr) and $12.50/hr with a select few companies here and there who offer more. The wage of the security worker is often determined by the billable hourly rate set by the company for the service. This can be anywhere from $13.00 to $18.00/hr depending on the contract and the level of service required, not including holidays. Some company’s pay their employees a salary wage where they are guaranteed a certain level of income and are required to perform work up to a predetermined number, usually 40 hours per week.  Some companies pay bottom dollar, overwork their employees, pay no overtime through legal loopholes and tax their employees for things like uniforms, training, or “miscellaneous” deductions.

One company here in the Halifax area withholds more than $33,000 per year from their employees for training many of whom never receive it, and those that do? Are paid for their training using the same funds to which they were deducted for.

5     5. Do Not Hire a Security Company in Place of a Temp Agency/ Know What the Job Entails

For the most part many security workers possess a variety of skills, some may be high school educated or have no high school education at all. Some have university or policing experience while others are using the work to supplement their income from another job unrelated to the security field. Hire a security company for one purpose, securing your assets or property. Security workers are not temporary labourers and in fact, a security worker will most likely do the absolute minimum they are required to do because “this isn’t what I signed up for” and could adversely affect your productivity. Many in the security field take on that role with a sense of pride and commitment, often times with a goal of advancing into another related field such as the military, law enforcement, corrections, or other form of civil service. If they are not doing security related work or feel their abilities and potential are being wasted, they will most likely quit. It costs more money and productivity to train 10 people for one job were 8 or 9 will quit in the first year, than to train one or two for the same job who will stay on for 2-3 years and up.

6.     

6. Be Wary of Dubious Claims and Potential False Marketing.

The biggest thing I see when it comes to the marketing done by some private security firms is either inaccurate information, omission, or flat out lying. During your market research you will often see that large security firms do not gloat or boast. They may highlight where their experience is drawn from, in either case, question it. Military experience and police experience are often showcased by many security providers. Question it. Many former military or police members usually have no issue speaking to their experiences face to face. An honest man usually tells a short simple story, a salesman can never shut up. Experiences can also vary. A person who spends 30 years in law enforcement working within a variety of areas such patrol, K9, general investigation, emergency response team, forensics, narcotics, etc. will have a variety of experience in a wide range of areas. You wouldn’t hire a 20 year SWAT veteran to forensically audit your books (unless S/he has higher education to perform that task, obviously). Military experience is the same way, a person who spends 30 years in the regular force infantry is far more credible and experienced than a 30 year infantry reservist who has never left the continent or fought in a theatre of war. (not to say that reservists cannot attain a high level of proficiency or experience. However, part-time soldiers, generally, do not experience the same operational tempo as their regular force or active service counter-parts). The same standard and scrutiny should also be applied when the terms “military or police trained”, “State/Provincially certified”, “highest quality training” are used. Find out what the province or state mandates. Is there standardized training? If not, what training does this company offer? Who provides the training? Do they have the education or background to be teaching the subject matter? Can they provide documentation showing their expertise? If you’re looking at potential employers, ask to see their instructor(s) teach. Sit in on a class if you can. The unfortunate reality is that the private security market is overloaded with "self-proclaimed" experts who do not pack the gear to be teaching the material they are passing on, or profit from old, outdated, and irrelevant material no longer being taught to the professional community but is being sold the unaware, and uninformed civilian market. 

7     7. Vet ALL of the Information.

I recently held meetings with a new potential client, I had met one of the individuals many years prior, it was simple chance that we happened to run into one another at a local store. Information I had been lead to believe many years earlier did not paint a very good picture for this person so I kept my interactions with them to a minimum. It was only after running into this person and later sitting down to dinner with a group of friends that I realized I had made a huge mistake many years earlier. It turns out the information was so far from the truth it was offensive to call it a lie. I was ashamed of myself for following the herd like so many others whom I had worked with.

It taught me a valuable lesson. Believe nothing you see and only half of what you hear.

Even after you have had your meetings with potential security providers or employers. Take the time to fact check.

8      8. READ THE FINE PRINT, use a lawyer.

One of the biggest mistakes I made when I was first hired by a private security firm was to sign an “Employment Agreement” without taking the time to fully read and comprehend what was actually in the agreement and what it meant. A mistake made by a much younger and eager Cameron. (18 years old) Not only was I in a rush and too preoccupied with all the wonderful things this company claimed to be able to give me. I signed a document that was not only illegal, but borderline criminal on a moral scale. No Overtime pay or any compensation for it. Illegal. I had to pay for my own uniforms and equipment, even cold weather gear, I was deducted $10 per pay check to cover training which I could never participate in for many months because I was always scheduled to work the evenings when training was conducted. I was paying for a service and was not receiving it, illegal. I was often scheduled to work with little to no time for rest, Occupation Health and Safety, Transportation Safety, and Commercial Trucking Regulation violations. On one occasion, I was injured on the job during a range shoot, after a firearm owned by the company exploded in my hand leaving a permanent shard of shrapnel lodged in my upper left lip. No OH&S report, No Workers Compensation, No Investigation by any regulatory body that I was made aware of or asked to speak to.

If you are asked to sign a document, ask for time to read the document in full 24 hours is perfectly acceptable. Longer, if you are signed a contract for a security service. If you have a lawyer use them or ask a lawyer to review the documentation. If you are told “These documents cannot leave our office” There is a reason, walk away.

What Makes a Competent Instructor?

A while ago a friend of mine, we’ll call him Jim, came to me with an issue that was raised with his gun club. Over a weekend he and some friends got together for some fundamental pistol training; together going through various drills. Everyone was an experienced shooter, Jim being the only military shooter. Naturally civilians want to know how we in the military handle firearms and the techniques we use to employ them. Jim is a solid shooter, with a vast array of knowledge in tactical firearms training. His background includes various combat deployments around the world, training military and police officers in a variety of topics, including tactical employment of firearms. Video was taken for social media (as everyone does) and posted. About a week later he receives this email (a bulk email was sent) from the leadership of his Gun Club essentially demonizing what it was they were doing as "unsafe". In my experience, and I’m sure a lot of professionals will agree, there are three different types of shooters in this world.

photo by look-see-eat.blogspot.ca

Paper Punchers

These are your maybe not so accurate, not so quick hobby shooters, folks who simply enjoy shooting targets, be it paper cardboard or clays, your first timer rent-a-gun-for-fun types and hunters. Now I include hunters because their focus is getting that one good shot. They’re not worried about scoring points or dying.

Grand Master and Taurus Team Captain Jessie Harrison-Duff

Competition

These are the folks whose focus is accuracy, marksmanship and speed to score the highest amount of points. They’re looking for tactics that will allow them to hit the A zone accurately, as fast as possible, moving down and around the range as safely as possible, utilizing safety devices such as barrels and tables as they move through each weapon system; normally rifle, shotgun and pistol. They’re not often worried about the idea of cover though they may need to shoot from adverse positions depending on the course of fire. If there’s a safety issue the course of fire is stopped, the issue fixed and the reset button pressed. Competition style shooting gets you killed in the real world.




Gunfighters

Now for the purpose of this post I use this term very broadly. When we talk about gunfighting the first thing you think of is JTF2, SEAL Team types or even John Wayne and the wild west. In some Canadian ranges, it’s a term very frowned upon.  What is and isn't safe operation or use of a firearm is often determined by those with little or no qualification to say so. Its like saying gun in a room full of liberals, it makes people irrationally uncomfortable. Gunfighters include military personnel, police, armed guards or specialized security, and prepared citizens or those who wish to have the tactical ability to potentially protect their home. I say gunfighter because the term gunfight means a fight using guns between two or more people (Cambridge English Dictionary). These individuals are not looking to score points. They too need to be fast and accurate however the tactics and methods used are extremely different. They are training for the moment when they will need the firearm to protect their life or the life of their battle buddy, partner, or family. These individuals are training for the target that moves and shoots back.

Types of Instructors

Instructors can be found from all walks of life, in various topics. The majority of which have had many years experience in their respective fields. They bring a level of real world experience applying the skills in a non-training environment.  Two common types of instructors that can be found are:

Self Taught

These instructors are individuals who have taken a particular interest in a subject and expanded upon their knowledge base through individual training, reading, practical training applications and skill development. This is the most common type of instructor you will find today. They dedicate themselves to not only perfecting their knowledge base but take a genuine interest in passing on the knowledge to others. They have taken an interest in a particular subject and have been mentored to an extent by trained professionals.

Experienced Based

These are the instructors who have spent many years working in a particular field, teaching based on their experience and skill sets. They have undergone a careers worth of training and working experience to support the training programs they deliver.

Clark Impastato is a retired Navy SEAL with a wealth of knowledge combing from years of experience and training with Special Operations and as an Arizona law enforcement officer, applying that training throughout the world and at home. I spoke with him about this topic and he explains “Any instructor I’ve ever had, I look at where they got their information from and if they applied their knowledge in the real world or just a classroom environment."
Clark emphasises “ There is a difference between an Online Degree and a Degree from Harvard. On top of that, have they worked in the profession they are teaching? I want to learn from someone who has actual experience in the topics they are covering”.




A common trait you will find among good quality instructors is the desire to improve. Any instructor  worth their salt, whom I’ve had, has at one point or time, made a statement to the effect of “I am here to learn as much as you”. In every training session I conduct I often have individuals from various walks of life, including military and law enforcement even my own peers. Knowing these different backgrounds and skills sets are present, I always throw out to them “I am here to provide you with tools to place into your tool box, it is up to you to decide which tools go into the top rack” an concept I took from a previous mentor. This sets the mood and the tempo very quickly and creates a comfortable training environment. Second I tell the students “I’m here to learn as much from you as you are from me”. Your best critics are and will always be your students. Senior or more experienced instructors can provide you with tweaks and points to work on but ultimately your best critics are the people you are training. They are the ones learning the material, they are the ones following your example, they are the ones whom you have to convince that the material you are teaching, not only works, but can be learned and perfected.

Using a Variety of Professional Development and Coaching Styles

A satisfactory instructor will use one or two methods of teaching, a good instructor will use a variety of methods to teach. In Training at the Speed of Life by Kenneth R. Murray, he covers a variety of teaching styles which can be found today in many military and law enforcement instructors.

Self Education

This usually takes the form of reading books or material, listening to audio books or watching videos.  Validity of the information provided is purely subjective

Self Training

Someone who has mastered a skill understands and appreciates the time and practice required to attain such mastery. Self training on the part of the student is paramount if they are to master the skills they are taught. In the Use of Force world particularly for private security workers they are usually only given a few hours per year with an instructor. They must be able to self train the techniques taught and therefore it is on the instructor to provide training which can be easily learned to permit that self training.

Coaching

The interaction of two or more people where one imparts information to the others, or during a practical component, observes and guides the other to assist in developing proper form and function of the skill being practiced.

Theoretical Coaching
The transfer of information through the use of someone knowledgeable about a subject. Classroom lectures, and audio visual media can fall into this category and the only possible dangers are an incompetent coach, incorrect or irrelevant information, or a boring coach. Sitting in a classroom environt can be a challenge for students especially when the instructor cannot hold their attention and maintain interest.               

Practical Coaching
The application of information through the use of someone knowledgeable about a particular skill, or set of skills. These are often broken down into  two categories, static and dynamic. Static coaching is the slow progression to understanding the fundamentals of a particular skill. Usually this is the beginning stage where a skill is broken down in to it's individual components and focus is placed on technique, accuracy, and repetition. Dynamic is very similar  to static, but with an added stimulus to influence a cognitive or emotional response necessitating the need for the skill.

Testing
Finally we come into the realm of testing which includes theoretical through written examination to test the retention of academic knowledge as well as static, dynamic and reality based training scenarios where the physical skills are tested in an “as real as possible” environment. The true test is whether or not a skill can be applied under stress and without the need for cues or prompts.


Experience Can Be Subjective - Your Mileage May Vary

A piece of paper doesn’t make an instructor, anymore than working a job for many years makes you an expert or proficient enough to teach it. In many organizations you will find "instructors" who rely entirely on regurgitating what is on a slide presentation, and do not quite explain the material effectively. If you don't understand human behaviour, how adults learn and how to adapt your teaching methods on the fly. You will loose your audience and your "buy in". Now some will say otherwise and dispute that statement, however the Gracie Family are a perfect example of this.

Gracie Academy out of Torrance, California has been providing defensive tactics training to military and law enforcement professionals for over 25 years. Their program, Gracie Survival Tactics, has been adopted by agencies around the world. Rener Gracie travels far and wide delivering this program. He has never spent a day in uniform as a law enforcement officer or member of the military, but, what he and his family have done, is taken what they know, consulted the law enforcement community and adapted Brazilian Jiu Jitsu for their environment which is far different than that of traditional Jiu jistu that we often see in IBJJF or MMA. GST is unique with three focal principles.

Never go to the ground

Retain your weapons and tools

Achieve the position of advantage

Based on testimony from thousands of GST students there is no defensive tactics program out there that is able to achieve the results that the GST program has been able to achieve. In an online video up loaded to YouTube UFC Fighter Brain "T-City" Ortega goes up against two GST Students. Brian a BJJ Black Belt, and many years experience as a trained fighter was subdued and handcuffed by these two officers. To be able to take two officers, with limited knowledge in the area of ground fighting, through a five day program and then have them take on a trained and experienced ground fighter was something that blew me away. Personally I was more interested in how their style of teaching was able to achieve these results verses the techniques used to teach the students.

Conclusion

It is important we provide a training area where all types of shooters can come and train for whatever their reasons are. Judge a person's ability to teach not by the pieces of paper on their wall, but by their experience as well. Ask questions about their material and ask for references. Learning is not just obtaining knowledge but also questioning what is being taught. Creating an environment of open discussion shouldn’t be feared neither should the idea of "something new". Sharing knowledge is the only way we have ever advanced as a society.

Just because you haven't seen it or done it, does not make it wrong, incorrect, or unsafe.

References

Training at the Speed of Life Vol 1 –Kenneth R. Murray

Clark Impastato – Black Tree Ranch LLC Instagram: @frogman2155

Gracie Survival Tactics –Gracieacademy.com

The Five Fingers of Tactical Proficiency

The following is an article written by Whiskey Delta Gulf which I believe is very relevant to shooters at all levels. At the range I have been asked "How can I become a better shooter? What are some things I should focus on? It really comes down to the basics; learning to crawl before you walk, before you run.

Adam Painchaud, Vice President of the Sig Sauer Academy, during an interview, broke it down even further "When is comes to fundamentals really all there is is trigger control and muzzle management, getting your sights on target, keep the muzzle from doing a lot of movement and then squeezing the trigger without disturbing the muzzle." He goes on to demonstrate this concept firing a single round from his pistol into a 1" target, holding his pistol upside down, one handed, standing on one leg from 10 yards. "Now obviously this isn't an ideal shooting position but as you can see you can achieve accuracy focusing on those two things; trigger control and muzzle management.

For the tactical employment of firearms WDG breaks down the five things a shooter needs to focus on in order of precedence to properly and effectively employ firearms in an operational environment.


Five Fingers of Tactical Proficiency

I use the human hand as an aide-mémoire to remember the principles of tactical training to which I adhere. There are a few reasons I do this: you use your hands to manipulate weapons and other tactical equipment and you will always have your training mnemonic with you!

Thumb –Safety

Opposable digits and the ability to reason separate humans from animals. Both of those attributes play a huge part in training safety. Safety is designated by the thumb as it is impossible to operate a weapon without a thumb. You should not operate a weapon or participate in tactical training without safety being first and foremost in your mind.

Treat your weapon as if it were loaded. Don't treat it likes it’s radioactive. Treat it like it’s a firearm and you will be safe.

Do not intentionally or deliberately point your muzzle at anything you are not willing to destroy, without an adequate reason for doing so. This is a practical training class, in a training environment. For the square range make a conscious decision to NOT point your weapon at other people. In the real world, you do occasionally have to point your firearm at other people.

Know what is between you and your target, and to either side of your target. We’re not going to be operating on the square range in the real world. You will have good guys and innocents down-range of you in addition to the suspect. Pay attention to your surroundings. Consider the reality that you might miss. The reality that someone may step in the way of your shot, and the reality that your round may punch all the way through someone and keep going. Most of all, consider the reality that you might miss.

Keep your finger off the trigger until ready to shoot. If you fail in all three of the preceding rules, there is a fourth one for good measure. If you point your weapon at someone while it’s loaded, but don’t pull the trigger, the worst thing that will happen is you will get beat up. Unless you are actively engaging a target, with a solid sight picture, there is no reason, whatsoever, for your finger to be on the trigger.

Use your mechanical safety. Once you have successfully engaged a target, snap your firearm’s safety on if it has one. This is for the safety of everyone around you. It goes the same for the real world as well.

There is a zero tolerance policy for safety. If you violate safety rules, you are gone.

Weapon Manipulation-Trigger Finger

Building fluid and natural weapon manipulation skills is a cornerstone of tactical firearms proficiency. There are four levels of skill competency.

1.        Unconsciously Incompetent

2.        Consciously incompetent

3.        Consciously competent

4.        Unconsciously incompetent

These skills can only be developed to their full potential with regular dry training. The good thing about this training is that it is inexpensive. The only required investment is a handful of dummy rounds. You just need a place and to make the time. A few minutes a day can have long lasting effect on your learning potentiation.

The place and conduct warrants some discussion.  It must be a quiet place; free of distraction. You must decide on which skills you are going to practice before you start. All firearms must be cleared prior to starting any dry training. Absolutely no live ammunition should be in the vicinity of your dry training area ever! Practice perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect. Speed comes with familiarity and fluidity.

Practice admin loads, unloads, immediate actions and remedial actions. Practice presentations, dry firing, adopting different fire positions, and post engagement drills. Run these drills slick, with belt kit and with full order. Train the way you will fight.

Dry training needs to be constant. One spring a couple years ago, I was invited to audit Phase Line Green Tactical One Day Pistol Course as a participant. Not wanting to embarrass myself, I got into dry firing and weapon manipulations drills extra hard the week before the course. It really showed on the course who was familiar with their firearm. Part of it was experience but, part of it was the constant refresher. As an aside, the course, for me, was a rock solid review of fundamentals. Well worth the time.

Accuracy-Middle Finger

"Speed is fine but accuracy is final." Larry Vickers

The primary objective of tactical firearm training is to survive tactical encounters. Solid hits on your adversary or adversaries are the most effective way to survive. I am talking about combat effective accuracy. However, to achieve combat accurate hits under a body alarm response will require you to practice accurate shooting drills regularly. The effect of your natural physiological reaction to life threaten situations will deteriorate your skill. Additionally, these skills will fade without regular practice.

Start this by getting a solid zero for your chosen firearm at a realistic distance for your environment. Shoot groups in the five conventional positions from that range. Once you are confident at that range, expand to longer ranges and shorter ranges. Learn the hold offs for your sights at those ranges. Practice shooting around, over and under cover. Shoot supported and unsupported; learn how that affects your accuracy. Learn and apply unconventional shooting positions; the hold offs for your sight will be different. Shoot slick and full kit; learn how your gear can affects your accuracy and ability to adopt fire positions.

Speed-Ring Finger

"Smooth is fast, but slow is just frickin' slow" Kyle Lamb

This is gunfighting. Shooting as fast as you can maintain combat effective groups is a life skill. However, speed without causing terminal effect on your target is futile. This is more than timing and cadence than rushing for the sake of going fast. Time and distance affects the requirement for speed. The shorter the distance to the threat the shorter the reactionary gap.The greater the distance to the threat the longer the reactionary gap.

Set realistic goals. Work engagement drills to increase speed: controlled pairs, hammers, zipper, Two and One and non-standard response. Use a shot timer or shot timer app to set limits and increase stress.  Do all drills at combat speed. This includes immediate action, remedial actions, reloads and post engagement drills to complete the cycle of training. Push your limits but once your groups are not combat effective or making errors then dial it back a notch.

Tactics-Little Finger

"You should not be figuring out SOPs as your SUV is being remodeled by a PKM in Tikrit" a US PMC

Tactics are the final building block of tactical proficiency. They must suit the environment, mission, threat and your own level of skill. They must be executed with safety, accuracy and speed to be effective.

Work on individual tactics, pairs and team tactics. Consider different environments and threats. Build slowly at the speed of the slowest member of the team. Remember, what works in the sandbox might not work in the arctic!

"What worked yesterday would be fine, if it was yesterday." CTOMS Website

Practice, Practice, Practice.

Mindset

"It is not about shooting. It is about fighting with a gun" Pat Rogers

You may have noticed that I did not include mindset in my principles of training. Think of mindset as the glove. Some people wear gloves in tactical environments, others do not. Though everybody should. It is a personal thing. Mindset cannot be taught. It is product of experience and personal growth. It is part of the overall training experience.   If you are reading this blog post, then you are on the path of personal growth towards the correct mindset.

A good tactical mindset can be guided and hindered by well-intentioned bystanders and trainers. Good instructors provide experience and expanded the 'toolbox' of their students. A tactical mindset is a highly personal thing. Developing your mindset affects your lifestyle and it is up to you how far you down this path you are willing to go.

In closing, these are the principles to which I conduct my personal training, range activities and the courses that I teach. This is, by no means, an exhaustive article on The Five Fingers of Tactical Proficiency. It is, merely, an introduction to the concept.

Credit: Whiskey Delta Gulf

Gun Lobby Organizations: To Join? or Not To Join?

As many legal gun owners in Canada are aware the rules, regulations, and laws surrounding firearms is probably one of the most backwards pieces of legislation ever to be written in Canada. Firearms in general are a focal point of controversy amongst the liberal left of Canadians who are simply not informed and lawful gun owners. I've had a conversation about firearms to many of my peers, some who themselves are lawful gun owners and others who, at the beginning of the conversation, were very critical about the topic and put forth the narrative of "MORE GUN CONTROL".

One such conversation focused on the topic of gun advocacy groups and lobbyists. Three predominant organizations in Canada are the National Firearms Association, the Canadian Coalition for Firearms Rights, and the Canadian Sports Shooting Association. Each in their own right has promoted lawful gun ownership and informing Canadians about the truth surrounding the gun debate. There are an equal number of Anti-gun organizations such as the Coalition for Gun Control. Whose aim is to destroy the firearms community through misinformation and misrepresentation of the truth.

I was asked if I was a member of an organization to which I replied "No". Then I was asked "Why?"

FIREARMS ORGANIZATIONS IN CANADA

First, I was introduced to the National Firearms Association through Peter Elliot, a well known firearms instructor in Nova Scotia. Peter Elliot has served as an instructor, a police officer, and a member of the British Special Air Service. I was told about the many things done by the NFA and the support they provide to their members such as individual insurance policies, and even representing members in court. They provided some training courses such as a Holster Safety Course and Range Safety Officer Course. At first I thought the idea of a course to use a holster to be a silly idea, but I kept having to be reminded that not everyone serves or has served in the military, police or the professional firearms community and for someone unfamiliar it was very important that they understand the basics to be able to use it safely. I volunteered at a local gun range teaching under Peter and the club President, I learned a lot adapting my previous experience to the civilian firearms world.

Next was the Canadian Coalition for Firearms Rights, a friend of mine, we’ll call him Mark, was a “field officer” with the CCFR. His role was essentially to spread the word about the organization, provide information about firearms to both legal gun owners and those not aware of the gun debate in Canada, and to recruit people to sign up and join. I was familiar with the CCFR before from seeing Rod Giltaca’s YouTube Channel. Rod is the President of the CCFR, a successful businessman and owner of Civil Advantage Firearms in B.C. He is a well spoken and educated man, with an ability to really get down to the facts and present them in a way that everyone can understand. His online personality is one that would probably make someone join an organization even if they did not fully understand what it is they were joining, the kind of personality that could sell a fridge to an Inuit family in winter. Not implying any deceit on his part, he just has a very likeable online personality (I’ve never met the man personally)

I joined several social media feeds to get an idea of who these organizations were and what they were about, and to get an idea of the attitudes and insight of their members. Much of what was posted was a lot of folks showing off their guns, “internet experts” (who often got it wrong) voicing their opinion on topics you could easily tell they knew little to nothing about and the odd post here and there on actual gun issues, such as the RCMP’s unconstitutional authority to write laws and regulations concerning the classification of firearms, the Long Gun Registry, or incidents such as High River, Alberta where the RCMP took advantage of displaced Canadians during the Calgary floods and broke into over 3000 homes to steal firearms most of which were properly stored and secured(contrary to what the RCMP claim). Some conversations were productive; others were down-right nasty and hateful. For people like me who possess firearms for reasons other than target shooting, such as home defence or honing my weapons handling skills for work purposes, guys like me seemed to be very frowned upon at least on the east coast where the community is about 15-20 years behind the rest of the country.

For people in the actual profession of "gunfighting" there is the Operational Shooting Association. A group which supports the operational use of firearms. Be it home defense, professional development, open or conceal carry (yes while it is illegal in Canada, some Canadians travel south with CCW permits from the U.S. and exercise them.) Reputable training firms such as Veritac Solutions, Phase Line Green Tactical and WGT Consulting also provide similar courses and training.


BAD FORM CCFR, BAD FORM

My friend Mark invited me out for coffee one evening with another close friend of ours. He seemed troubled and asked me about a dispute I was having with local security firm owner. After I explained the vendetta that was being pursued against me he showed me a message he received from Morley Knight, Nova Scotia Director for the CCFR.

Needless to say I was taken back that a person in a position of leadership in an organization such as the CCFR, someone whom I have never met or even had a conversation with on any topic would slander me in this way and then threaten to kick Mark from the organization.

I contacted the CCFR asking that they take action . I informed them (as politely as I could) that while I support the CCFR’s mission to better the firearms community and lead change to the firearms laws in Canada, this sort of conduct was unacceptable and shouldn’t be permitted. I gave the CCFR the opportunity to correct the issue. I later received a response from their General Counsel essentially telling me that this was a private conversation and not defamatory and that my friend should not of disclosed “internal” information to me. They essentially stonewalled and back peddled, hiding behind a shield of ignorance. Later I would come to find out that they would fire Mark. The message this sends is simple, the CCFR condones harassment and bullying behaviour within its organization. The CCFR supports its members if it’s politically convenient and falls in line with its own agenda.

My view and opinion of the CCFR was scared. They permitted and condoned a member of their leadership to violate a person’s freedom of association. A protected right, not only under the Canadian Constitution Act but also the UN Charter, Article 20. Perhaps it is a showing of their true colors. They, obviously do not stand behind all of their membership; perhaps I was late getting the memo considering out of 2 million plus gun owners in Canada, only 15K plus are CCFR members.



FIRST IMPRESSIONS ARE EVERYTHING

A business associate of mine once said to me (shortly after this incident.) “I would never affiliate myself or my business with organizations like that; the majority of them are yahoos to begin with, and the rest just drink the koolaid”

I suppose in this instance that statement is not entirely inaccurate.

Edley Engineering owners of Sharkzcoins, manufactures challenge coins gets it. They were approached by the CCFR to make a challenge coin for their organization and the company refused to even give them a quote. At first glance the company decided Yeah this is probably something we should stay away from.


CCFR published a blog stating:

It’s interesting that Helen from sharkzcoins.com obviously still hasn’t looked into our groups mission. How could any company be against the educating of Canadian firearms owners and how exactly is any of what the CCFR does a conflict with a company having a long and respected relationship with law enforcement agencies? This is a prime example of the bias and assumptions made by the public about Canadian gun owners. 2.2 million law abiding, licensed gun owners are in no way an “opposite” to law enforcement.

I don’t think it’s lawful gun owners the company took issue with. Regardless I am sure this was nothing short of a battle cry to their members.


After a conversation with the CCFR and, what I can only assume was a barrage of bad phone calls and emails from CCFR members Sharkzcoins  posted an apology. Sharkzcoins may not have been correct in their assumption, but they were also not wrong for declining business…. that is their protected right, to refuse service.


EXAMPLES OF REAL ACTION
Organizations such as the NFA have actually gone to court against provincial and federal governments. Most recently, to block Quebec from receiving the long gun registry data, which the federal government failed to destroy after they were ordered to by the Supreme Court of Canada. Similar actions have been taken by the NRA in the United States, an organization that has reach and influence even in the U.S. Federal Election.

CCW Safe is another example, an American organization which promotes the lawful use of firearms for self defence through their legal defence service plan.

“CCW Safe is a legal service membership plan that was designed for CCW permit/license holders, active and retired military and law enforcement officers, and gun owners. We are not an insurance plan; we are a legal defense service plan. CCW Safe takes on the burden of the expenses associated with defending a self-defense/use of force critical incident. These expenses can include attorney’s fees, investigators, experts, and other associated costs, such as depositions, document fees, trial exhibits, and more. CCW Safe does not have the conflicts of an insurance product because the company is designed to indemnify the cost of the incident and not the outcome of a trial. It is not a reimbursement package and no money is required to be paid back to the company regardless of the outcome. You are covered in all states that honor your permit, and in all 50 states where you can legally possess firearm.  Neither CCW Safe members will not have any out of pocket expenses associated with defending a self defense incident, nor will they be limited by a policy cap on defense costs.” - https://ccwsafe.com/page/about-us

CONCLUSION

It’s not that I do not support others joining these organizations. I support the CCFR, NFA, and CSSA’s mission to promote education and understanding, I will never fault anyone for that.

My personal situation could have been handled much differently with a simple apology and or an administrative action taken against Mr. Knight for his immature and unprofessional behavior. So far as being a joiner. I simply, have yet to find an organization that has convinced me that my interests and my money will be taken seriously and that the support I give will be provided in return.

Before you decide, look into the organization, talk to their members, and look for dirt! Take in the good, bad, and the ugly. Research online and do your due diligence, to make sure you’re not joining some freedom fighter organization. If you do find something that raises an eyebrow, ask the person or the organization about it. Do not jump to conclusions and assumptions, there is a very good chance that whatever information you came upon does not reflect reality.

Make sure that your hard earned dollar is not better spent on the hobby you enjoy, rather than in the pocket of a lobbying group who may potentially not have your best interests at heart.

Stay In Your Lane

Recently, Macleans.ca published an article by Ken Hansen titled “Why Police Tactics, Not Weapons, Failed Against Justin Bourque.|" In the article Hansen is described as a defense analyst, retired at the rank of Commander in the Royal Canadian Navy as a Maritime Surface Warfare Officer. Mr. Hansen now works for himself, owner of Hansen Maritime Horizons, a company who provides consultancy for the civilian mariner industry including personnel and operational support. Mr Hansen’s comments have caused a wave of controversy throughout the professional law enforcement and even military community, many demanding that Mr. Hansen “Stay in your lane”. 

Cst. David Ross, 32, of Victoriaville, Quebec; Cst. Fabrice Georges Gevaudan, 45, of Boulogne-Billancourt, France; and Cst. Douglas James Larche, 40, of Saint John, New Brunswick were gunned down by Justin Bourque during an active shooter assault on 4 June 2014. Two other RCMP members, Cst. ÉricStéphane J. Dubois and Cst. Marie Darlene Goguen were injured during the assault. The Moncton shooting was the first time an active shooter specifically targeted law enforcement officers in Canada. The RCMP are currently fighting charges under Canada’s Labour Code that it failed to provide its officers with the necessary training and equipment, specifically C8 Carbinerifles, (the Canadian equivalent to the M4/AR-15 for our readers to the south) to deal with this type of threat. 

Mr. Hansen is well-articulated and clearly demonstrates his higher education. What he fails to demonstrate however, is his knowledge and understanding in law enforcement tactics as they relate to active shooter events. He draws on his own experience as a military naval officer using his knowledge of military doctrine and tactics and attempts to apply them to a civilian law enforcement setting. Let me put things in perspective for those who do not quite understand. The military is a broad sword, not a scalpel. Not just in its size and firepower but in the way they train, and the way they are employed. You cannot place a soldier in the role of a law enforcement officer, much like you cannot place a law enforcement officer in place of a soldier. The same goes for methodologies in tactics, policy and doctrine. This is one of the many reasons why western nations have laws against the employment of the military in law enforcement capacity, with the exception of aiding the civil power such as Oka, or the Montreal riots the military was employed but it was under the direction of civil law enforcement and not its own separate entity. 

My research into Mr.  Hansen’s pedigree, has been entirely open source however I have yet to find a reference that outlines his expertise in law enforcement, small arms, small team tactics, employment in a high threat environment, ground combat, response to active shooter threats, or police doctrine. This is the primary concern of the professional gun community, a mix of individuals who have actually been shot at, possess first-hand knowledge of what it means and feels like to have to engage in a gunfight, take another person’s life or experience the fear of losing their own. I, personally, do not know of many naval officers outside of the special operations community who have. I myself, thankfully, have never had to experience this outside of a controlled training environment, I do however know and have spoken regularly with both military and law enforcement personnel and therefore this article is developed through their experience. 

In a Military setting, weapons, numbers and tactics are essential to a successful operation, much like they are in police use of force encounters. However the mandate is much different. Police officers are sworn to protect and serve citizens; they are obligated by law to do so. In Canada, this is covered under the first three principles of the Canadian National Use of Force Framework published by the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police in November, 2000. 

1. The primary responsibility of a peace officer is to preserve and protect life. 

2. The primary objective of any use of force is to ensure public safety

3. Police officer safety is essential to public safety. 

The first two points speak to themselves. A Police officer, before applying for the job, knows and understands the risk they will not come home at the end of the shift, much like a military member understands the risk that they may not come home at the end of a battle. Police mentality differs from the military in the sense that they do not always have the option of intelligence resources, strength in numbers, equipment or a “tactical withdrawal”. In an active shooter scenario the offender is “actively shooting” victims. Their objective is not one of personal gain, political agenda, or religious belief. While some of these maybe the cause of their motivation their objective is to kill as many people as they can, as quickly as they can. In Moncton a “tactical withdrawal” for police meant innocents being killed. This was and will never be an option. For police this one of those damned if you do damned if you don’t scenarios. 

Police almost never have the tactical advantage in terms of numbers with exception to pre-planned operations. In many circumstances police are generally outnumbered. Here in Halifax the city employs over 500 police officers for a population of over 300K citizens. New York, having the largest police forces in the world with over 30K police officers in a city of over 11M people. The difference is made up in equipment and training. Not just in the use of force, but in a variety of other areas including mental health awareness, verbal communication, and interacting with the public to name a few. Military membersdo not receive the depth of training that police officers do. 

Police officer safety is essential to public safety. In layman’s terms means a dead police officer is no good to anyone. However expecting a police officer, or even a soldier for that matter, to take down a shooter armed with a weapon whose caliber alone allows them to engage targets out to 500 yards, with weapons that possess a max “effective” range of 50 yards is simple insanity. 

"The RCMP training changed in a radical way when the IARD program was implemented. As you stated this tactical withdrawal was no longer an option for the new members that were taught this at the academy." - Former RCMP Officer, 27 years service

Mr Hansen in his article states:

Reports from the Moncton incident show that the constables were confused, and some became terrified when wounded. Meanwhile, Bourque was completely calm and an efficient killer. While the police were very familiar with their equipment and the former commissioner says they were reasonably trained, their states of mind were not up to the situation. It is likely they eventually felt it was hopeless because they could not react effectively against their assailant. A tactical withdrawal was apparently not an option. 

Law enforcement active shooter policy does not permit a tactical withdrawal during an active shooter event. An active shooter event is different from a hostage taking, or barricaded gunman. In fact, many policies authorize the first officer on scene to enter an active shooter scene by themselves. An American study published in March 2014, titled The Police Response to Active Shooter Incidents by the Police Executive Research Forum compiled 84 active shooter incidents in the United States and provided statistical analysis, stated that in 75 incidents, a solo officer entered a scene to take direct action against the active shooter. 62% of the time the officer shoots the attacker, 13% of the time the officer otherwise subdues the attacker and the remaining 25%, the attacker shoots themselves. More importantly, 33% of solo entries resulted in the officer being shot. 

Combat is a unique animal, I use the term animal because I cannot think of a better descriptor. Combat is very unpredictable, as Mike Tyson once said “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face” based on the testimony from veterans of the various conflicts the western world has been involved in. Many seasoned soldiers will tell you that there is no amount of training that can prepare you for actual combat; much like many police officers will say the academy can only teach you so much the rest you learn on the street. Unlike our friends to the south Canadian law enforcement officers are not exposed to the quantity of deadly force incidents. Confusion is inevitable; the only response to limit confusion is communication and training to cope with the sympathetic nervous system’s response to stimulus. The Sympathetic Nervous System controls our Fight, Flight, Posture, Submit responses to a threat and are triggered by four events; Objective Threat Perception, Objective Fear Perception, Physical Exhaustion, and Startle response. 

“Despite the instinct to rush in and protect, holding back and sending in an aerial drone to get a better understanding of the threat would have been a better first response. In fact, drones for reconnaissance are probably the force’s most urgently needed technology, rather than carbines for fighting.”

Quite frankly I think Mr. Hansen has watched Act of Valor or played Call of Duty one too many times. This is beyond a ridiculous suggestion to responding to an active shooter event, and again outlines Mr. Hansen’s lack of knowledge and expertise in this area. As previously mentioned, active shooter events have but one option, stop the threat. There was absolutely zero intelligence on the shooter, his motivations or who his intended victims were; there was no way for the RCMP to know that he specifically intended to target them. By not having carbine rifles and only responding with pistols and shotguns the RCMP were outgunned in an outdoor environment. The effective range of the RCMP’s weapons was much lower than Bourque’s, compounded by the effects of SNS activation and survival stress which include a 70% reduction of the peripheral field of vision which includes the loss of night vision, loss of near vision, loss of ability to focus the eyes, loss of monocular vision and depth perception, the effectiveness of their weapons was even less.

Frankly, considering the RCMP’s position in this battle, and as horrible as it sounds, three officers down was probably the best outcome they could have hoped to achieve. Only their training, decisiveness and instincts prevented more officers from being killed. 

In Conclusion Maclean’s has a professional responsibility to ensure that the so-called “experts” they allow to write commentary are actual experts in the topics they are discussing. Mr. Hansen has done a serious disservice to the members of the RCMP and the law enforcement community as a whole. His expertise is in naval and maritime related matters and his opinions should remain focused on those areas. One doesn't bring a knife to a gunfight, and you don't fight rifles with pistols.

In short Mr. Hansen, Stay in your lane. 

Ref: 

• Why Police Tactics, Not Weapons, Failed Against Justin Bourque – Ken Hansen, Maclean’s Online. – July 2017
• Threat Patter Recognition – Use of Force Instructor Manual Jan 2017
• Canadian National Use of Force Framework  - Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police Nov 2000
• Training at the Speed of Life – Kenneth R. Murray
• On Combat  - LCol. Dave Grossman (Ret.) US. Army
• The Police Response to Active Shooter Incidents – Police Executive Research Forum March 2014