Years ago when I was assigned to take charge of our firearms and force training I had the benefit of several years as an instructor. Nevertheless, I immediately recognized the need for a manual for rangemasters and I wanted one.
On various occasions, I started compiling a manual as I learned lessons the hard way, but the task was so daunting and the immediate needs of the job were so pressing that I never developed it beyond personal notes.
The good news is, Paul Wood, Benjamin Kurata and Jason Wuestenberg did it for us! They have put their many combined years of reputable rangemaster experience into an organized, referable, easy-to-read manual titled “Law Enforcement Rangemaster: A Foundational Guide.”
I acquired a copy of “Law Enforcement Rangemaster” soon after it was available for sale. When I opened to its table of contents, which is five-and-a-half pages, I knew I had acquired a wealth of information. As I read the content, I found myself nodding in agreement time and again. On several occasions I caught myself saying, “We need to do that – or do that better.” And often, “I wish I had this book back then!”
This text should be required reading for newly assigned rangemasters, who can quickly learn the necessities and nuances of their position without incurring all the scars that come from reinventing the wheel. It’s a safer – and faster – learning process.
The guide includes:
- An extensive glossary of firearms terms;
- Sample policy excerpts, such as what to do when an officer repeatedly fails to qualify;
- Sample job descriptions for all positions associated with a firearms training program;
- Reminders for conducting investigations associated with firearms training, such as an unintended discharge.
It is clear the authors were intentional about writing it for a variety of different agencies, from very small to the largest. Their wording is helpful, peer-to-peer, and not preachy.
I recommend the book to all firearms instructors and to anyone who supervises them. Studying the “Law Enforcement Rangemaster: a Foundational Guide” will enrich your contribution to your training program, equip you for making recommendations to your chain of command, help you defend your training program and make you a better program manager. For anyone in management who wonders why recommendations keep coming from your range staff, this book will help you understand that, too.
Read on, and may you improve the safety and quality of training you provide to your agency’s most precarious resource, the people with boots on the ground and pistols in their holsters.
Order your copy here.