In the world of firearms training and safety training, we prefer to refer these tools as firearms or guns, not weapons.  The idea is that the firearm is not a weapon until it is picked up by a human with ill intent.  This preference cuts against the grain of police or military members who were trained extensively to use the term weapon to refer to a firearm.  

Without diving into this particular controversy, I will say that in some respects the connotation of “weapon” has some value, especially when talking about two significant issues in the world of firearms that deserve more attention.  In the context of firearm safety, I am talking about child safety and suicide.

Many of the most tragic stories involving firearms involve the accidental death of a child.  Often, the story goes along the lines of a young person found a gun lying around, it was loaded, and the child re-enacted what he or she has seen on grown-up shows on TV and pointed it at someone and pulled the trigger.

Sometimes media reports such an incident as an “accidental shooting”, but despite the fact that it was merely a child that (perhaps) intentionally pulled the trigger, I still prefer to call a situation like this a negligent discharge.  The owner of the firearm was negligent in leaving a loaded gun where it was accessible by a child.  

I have always taught the *critical* importance of ensuring that firearms are always secure (e.g. in a locked container) and stored unloaded and in a safe condition. In addition, I enthusiastically support the principles found in the NRA’s Eddie the Eagle program for younger children.  Those principles teach children that if they were to find what looks like a gun, they should:

1. Stop
2. Don’t Touch
3. Leave the Area
4. Tell a Responsible Adult.

For older children, I also enthusiastically support the idea of teaching them firearm safety.  Allowing them to handle the guns in a safe, controlled environment, learn the basics of shooting, and especially, learn the basic gun safety rules:

• Always point the gun in a safe direction
• Always keep your finger off the trigger until ready to shoot
• Always keep the gun unloaded until ready to use

If these basic tenets were taught frequently and strictly adhered to, “accidents” would virtually be eliminated – at least those caused by the negligence of the owner.

Of all the types of firearm related injury or death, by far the most common category is suicide.  In Utah between 2010 and 2014, 86% of firearm deaths were suicide.  It is very unfortunate when a person finds themselves in a situation where there seems to be no hope.  Hard times can happen to anybody, and hard times can quickly get away from anyone and grow to something that seems out of control.  Frequently, when a person attempts suicide it is really just a call for help – and it is a call that should be answered!  

Suicide is most often a hasty decision – in nearly half of unsuccessful suicide attempts the person admitted to considering suicide for 10 minutes or less!  Removing an easy, quick, and seemingly painless method could save a life.

Therefore, if there is someone within your sphere of influence who has fallen on hard times mentally and/or emotionally, it is completely appropriate to reach out, offer support, and ask if they would like you to hold their firearms for them – at least until they are feeling better.  An early intervention like this can mean the whole world to a person with problems that seem bigger than what they can chew.  

It is commonly known that in order to obtain a Utah Concealed Firearm Permit there is no requirement to demonstrate shooting proficiency. I can appreciate the reasoning behind this seemingly very relaxed requirement imposed by the Utah Legislature. The Constitution specifically protects the right to bear arms which includes the right to defend oneself from attack.

However, even for the many states that do require applicants to demonstrate some shooting proficiency, that level of proficiency is still extremely light – generally on the order of grouping some shots on a 9” paper plate at 7 yards. These shooting proficiency tests would be administered on a static, square range, with good lighting, and in a controlled environment that does not, at all, approximate the stress and confusion of a critical, life-threatening incident. Very basic stuff, indeed.

One of the main themes that emerge as I teach my Utah CFP courses is that it will be in the student’s best interest to seek additional training. Just because Utah does not explicitly mandate firing a certain number shots with an arbitrary standard of accuracy should not be construed as meaning that after sitting through a Utah CFP course, students are prepared to defend their life or the lives of others using a firearm. I make it a point in my teaching to emphasize, several times throughout the course, that each student should find a good trainer, and then regularly practice what they learn.

So then, what next for the beginner CFP student? How shall they design their own, personalized training pipeline? The first thing to recognize is that not all trainers are the same. Many trainers attempt to sell their services based on former military or law enforcement experience, success as a competitive shooter, or just “years of hunting experience”. However, though they may be skilled shooters (or maybe not!), that does not translate into being good teachers – especially good teachers of firearms safety. I am not alone in this belief: I recently referenced an excellent article on the Beehive Defense Facebook page that discusses this very topic: Firearms Training or Trends?

https://www.facebook.com/beehivedefense

So what should a student look for in a potential trainer or course? Many factors could be weighed, but I suggest looking for:

1. National certification, such as from the NRA. Being certified by a national organization usually means using a nationally recognized curriculum. A trainer who does not adhere to such a curriculum might just be making it up, and who knows what omissions or misinformation might be included? In addition, being certified usually means some attention has been paid to quality teaching skills based on sound education theory. Finally, there are safety standards that are expected of a certified trainer that protect all participants of a shooting course.
2. Track Record and course frequency. Has this instructor been teaching courses for months or years? Does this instructor teach regularly, or just one or two courses per year? Does this instructor have a track record of satisfied students? Of conducting safe courses?
3. Commitment. One of the most telling clues about whether you are choosing a good instructor is whether he or she is willing to continue to coach you, and support your goals, even after class has ended. A quality instructor will genuinely care about the success of the student, and not merely taking your tuition to the bank.

Whatever trainer or shooting course you choose, I sincerely hope that you will have an enjoyable experience and that you will be able to regularly hone the skills you learned in order to be ready if a life-threatening situation should occur.

EDC (Every Day Carry) is a popular topic.  Survivalists, sheepdogs and other “Be Prepared” individuals like to post pictures of the items they carry every day, all neatly arranged and posed for a portrait.  In fact, the popularity of this past time is not limited to just us survivalist “crazy folks.”  The phenomenon is truly becoming mainstream.

I also have an EDC “load-out” (though I have never posted vanity pictures of my kit).  I probably carry more than I need to, and there are some days, depending on the fashion requirements, where I carry less.  But, here is a list of the basic core items that I always try to keep with me (not including obvious things like car keys, cell phone, or wallet).

1. Handgun – I usually carry IWB at 3:00-ish.  
2. Folding knife – right-side pocket
3. Flashlight – left-side pocket
4. Spare magazine – left-side cargo pocket
5. Multi-tool – right-side cargo pocket

Other additional items that I will often be carrying (again dependent upon fashion limitations) include:

1. Straight-blade rescue knife – left-side cargo pocket
2. EMT rescue shears – right-side cargo pocket
3. “Altoids”-type tin with mini survival kit – left-side calf pocket
4. 6-foot paracord – right-side calf pocket
5. Little Ouchies  med kit – left back pocket
6. Backup pistol – left-side ankle holster
7. Covert trauma kit – right-side in a specially designed ankle holster

Some items may need a little explaining:

• The “Altoids”-type survival kit contains a few items just in case I get caught alone and without transportation, and I have to make-do for a time.  It contains things like a small butane lighter, fire starter, signal-mirror/Fresnel lens, and wire saw
• Little Ouchies is my own pet name for a small wallet that contains small bandages, small packets of anti-bacterial ointment, medical tape, and moleskin.  It is designed to be super thin, but contains some essentials in case of a minor injury
• The ankle trauma kit contains a SWAT tourniquet, which can double as a compression bandage, some bleed-stop (Celox) z-fold gauze, rolled gauze, duct-tape, and chest-seal

Is this enough to handle most emergencies?  I hope so.  It is so easy to go overboard, and it quickly becomes a trade-off between every day preparedness and every day convenience.  And I’m not even listing what is in my car kit, either!  I sincerely hope I never will have to actually use most of these items (actually, I have used the knife, flashlight, and Little Ouchies quite a bit).  But, should the moment come when I need them, I would surely rue the day that I failed to pack them with me!

Your EDC choices are personal, and depend on a lot of factors, convenience not being the least of them.  Whatever your choices are, make sure that they are A) things that you will actually carry every day, and B) are things that you can actually use and are within the scope of your training.