Mansfield University Home PageThe Annual 20-Hour Constable Firearms Training Program has been designed to provide refresher training to certified constables. It will focus on improving acceptable law enforcement techniques presented in the Basic Firearms course. It will also serve as the criteria for advancement to the Advanced Firearms training modules. It will consist of a series of lectures, laboratory, and practical exercises that provide aid in the in the improvement of the safe manipulation of the constable's service revolver or pistol. The course will emphasize safe handling techniques, proper cleaning, correct weapons handling skills, and marksmanship. Constables will also be exposed to firing in reduced light and to interactive judgmental shooting scenarios. Satisfactory course completion will require a passing score of 75% on all assessments and tests. Constables must achieve a qualification standard of 75% or better on the Constable Qualification Course (CQC) using their primary duty service weapons.
The Annual Constable Firearms Training Course for 2008 will consist of 20 hours of instruction focused on improving basic marksmanship skills. It will include reduced light and judgmental training, as well as annual weapons qualification. The Advanced Constable Firearms Training Course will also be 20 hours, but will provide more advanced training. It will take the place of the Annual Firearms Training, provided the constable demonstrated the required skill level the previous year. There will be two prerequisites for the 2008 Advanced Firearms Course. The first will be the successful completion of the 2007 Annual or Basic Firearms Course with a score of at least an 88% on the CQC with the constable's primary duty weapon. The second will be the completion of all 12 Stage Assessments in the 2007 Annual Firearms Training Program without any significant deviations from established protocols. The 2008 Advanced Firearms Program will consist of a series of assessments, laboratory, and practical exercises in order to insure the constable meets or exceeds the PCCD's minimum firearms certification requirements. It will include reduced light and judgmental training, as well as the qualification course. For 2008, the 2007 course will be modified with the development of 25 interactive judgmental scenarios for the judgmental portion that utilize the "branching" capabilities of the Lasershot™ system.
Through lecture, class discussion, demonstrations, laboratory activities, and practical exercises, constables will improve their ability to use their service handguns. They will shoot their weapons from a variety of distances and different positions, using both hands or each hand separately. During the CQC, students must fire a score of at least 75% and demonstrate proficient and safe weapons handling skills through the successful completion of a series of stage assessments. The quantification course is divided into two stages. A shooter must qualify on each stage with at least a 75%. A shooter who fails to pass one of the stages will be permitted to repeat that stage. This will be the shooter's one remedial attempt to qualify. Shooters who fail again to reach the threshold of 75% on the remedial attempt will be required to repeat the entire 20-hour block of training. Any violation of safety rules while participating in the course will constitute an automatic disqualification. An instructor will evaluate students on the performance of their basic weapons skills. This evaluation will allow the instructor to provide feedback on what students have been doing well, where they need improvement, and what techniques need more practice.
Course Objectives
At the conclusion of the Annual Firearms Course, the constable will be able to discuss and demonstrate:
- Safe weapons handling with her or his duty service weapons
- Reduced-light shooting techniques
- Use of force and the proper application of force on a judgmental firearms simulator
- Principles of marksmanship
- Proper loading, unloading, and reloading of revolvers and semi-automatic pistols
- Proper handling of malfunctions in revolvers and semi-automatic pistols
- The "low ready" position for covering a suspect's position