Becoming an advanced instructor

[Ronin13]

So I've looked around here and there and even contacted my local Sheriff's Dept. (Jefferson Cnty) inquiring about becoming an advanced tactical instructor- basically teaching tactical pistol/carbine (see: Magpul Dynamics type training). I have extensive experience from my Military Training in combat pistol, combat carbine/rifle, Protective Security Detail, and various battlefield drills training. After doing some research I can't seem to find any certifications that cover all these areas wrapped in one, instead the NRA offers 4 courses it appears I have to take, each costing in the $300 range (for a grand total of over $1200!). Is there an easier way to become certified? Or do I just need one cert to teach tactical carbine/pistol. My main goal is to teach self/home defense tactics, military/law enforcement enhancement tactics, etc. And finally would I need POST Instructor Cert in order to market to law enforcement?

[cysoto]

And finally would I need POST Instructor Cert in order to market to law enforcement?

All POST Instructors I know are either current or Retired LE. Not to burst your bubble but, it will be difficult to "break" into the LE market unless you have LE experience. Sadly, the skill set offered by Military Training is somewhat different than what is needed in both LE and Civilian markets.

I will suggest that you begin your quest here: http://www.tacticalskillsinstitute.com/

BTW, I have no business association with the aforementioned training school. I do know the instructor personally and can attest that he is very well qualified.

[275RLTW]

So I've looked around here and there and even contacted my local Sheriff's Dept. (Jefferson Cnty) inquiring about becoming an advanced tactical instructor- basically teaching tactical pistol/carbine (see: Magpul Dynamics type training). I have extensive experience from my Military Training in combat pistol, combat carbine/rifle, Protective Security Detail, and various battlefield drills training. After doing some research I can't seem to find any certifications that cover all these areas wrapped in one, instead the NRA offers 4 courses it appears I have to take, each costing in the $300 range (for a grand total of over $1200!). Is there an easier way to become certified? Or do I just need one cert to teach tactical carbine/pistol. My main goal is to teach self/home defense tactics, military/law enforcement enhancement tactics, etc. And finally would I need POST Instructor Cert in order to market to law enforcement?

1) YOU need to be vetted: You need to have the verifyable background to teach those skills. LE/Mil experience helps, must be more than "I took a class once..." unless it's a federal course (FBI Tactical Instructor, DoS WPPS PSD, etc...)

2) Your POI needs to be vetted: What you plan to teach needs to be correct (proven in combat) and current (not a fad). Teaching what you have used and what is acceped among the community as solid doctrine are different. Submitting your courseware to POST for approval helps or your considered a Subject Matter Expert (SME) in that field by a federal agancy.

3) Insurance: $5 mill or higher policy. (think $20-25K per year in premiums)

4) Get your name out. If people ask "Who is this guy? What has he done?" you've already lost their business.

[Ronin13]

Thanks very helpful... as far as vetting goes I have my DD214 and various training certifications from the Army- however some of my courses did not come with certifications that are verifiable since they were unit courses and the Army doesn't really do it that way very well. And insurance, to be an instructor I need to have insurance? What about waivers of liability?
@ cysoto, thanks for the link, I contacted Jim and hopefully will get a response soon.

[275RLTW]

"If it's not shared..it's not reality" -Pete Blaber (fmr CAG Commander)

Military Certs: if it's not documented, it didn't happen. Been there before.... No cert or not on your DD 214, you can't prove it. Having a cert doesn't mean you're vetted either. Going to unit level "marksmanship school"/scoring expert on rifle & pistol quals/EIB... don't count. However, being a SFAUIC or SFARTIC Instructor does, and would be considered SME credentials. I'm not putting you down, or any of your certs by any means; just pointing out differences. Experience can help in this area, especially in well known projects/agencies (DoS WPPS, ATA, NTOA, FLETC, IILETA, etc...)

Wiavers of Liability only cover you so far...to teach on most ranges you'll have to add them as a loss payee on your insurance (approx $200). A waiver of liability may keep someone from WINNING a lawsuit against you/range/other student but not from taking all of your money in the process. This is probally the biggest hurddle for new instructors, otherwise everyone with an NRA certificate would start their own company.

[Ronin13]

"If it's not shared..it's not reality" -Pete Blaber (fmr CAG Commander)

Military Certs: if it's not documented, it didn't happen. Been there before.... No cert or not on your DD 214, you can't prove it. Having a cert doesn't mean you're vetted either. Going to unit level "marksmanship school"/scoring expert on rifle & pistol quals/EIB... don't count. However, being a SFAUIC or SFARTIC Instructor does, and would be considered SME credentials. I'm not putting you down, or any of your certs by any means; just pointing out differences. Experience can help in this area, especially in well known projects/agencies (DoS WPPS, ATA, NTOA, FLETC, IILETA, etc...)

Wiavers of Liability only cover you so far...to teach on most ranges you'll have to add them as a loss payee on your insurance (approx $200). A waiver of liability may keep someone from WINNING a lawsuit against you/range/other student but not from taking all of your money in the process. This is probally the biggest hurddle for new instructors, otherwise everyone with an NRA certificate would start their own company.

Good advice... well crap, I don't have every single piece of qualification paperwork and range card... I guess some of this stuff will have to be taken at my word or face value. I work in insurance so I know about some of that, although we don't really deal with insurance for these kinds of cases so I might have to do some research.

[OneGuy67]

Please don't think I am dogging on you!!

Your experience level is probably similar, the same or in some cases, worse than what current officers have that teach their agencies and farm out to other agencies.

In the era of the shrinking all mighty dollar, agencies don't have the funds to bring in someone from the outside to train people, when they can send someone to a recognized school and have them come back and train the rest of the agency.

I am a firearms instructor for my agency. My experience level is most likely greater than yours, but I would attend a class taught by someone who spent the last twenty years as a SEAL and had multiple deployments under his belt, especially if he was training CQB or something else that was relevant to my agency. This experience is greater than my own experience and I am sure I can take something back to train my peers. The training HAS to be relevant to my LE agency; it can't be something that is the newest, coolest shooting stance or "this is what I did in Iraq."

I don't want you think we are putting a damper on your dreams, but there are a lot of people out there with 'schools' trying to teach with questionable credentials, especially with the amount of veterans coming back and getting out. Military and civilian LE are not the same and do not train similarly.

Just my $.02.

[Ronin13]

OneGuy- I wasn't planning on marketing to law enforcement agencies, just individuals who would like to "add some new tools to their tool box" as I was always told during non-required infantry based training. As far as military training crossing into the civilian realm, there was A LOT of common ground in my Protective Security training (considering they pretty much trained us to be the Army version of the Secret Service). Another tip I'd throw into my training is how military uses escalation of force... A lot of LEOs, not all, would probably think that an active shooter situation warrants them to show up, see the gunman and open fire, when all they could have done was tell the shooter to drop his weapon. He turns with weapon toward cops, he's dead, otherwise they could save his life and see if he drops it. But I know a lot of LEOs that would rather shoot first than risk being injured or killed even if it could preserve life.

[275RLTW]

A lot of LEOs, not all, would probably think that an active shooter situation warrants them to show up, see the gunman and open fire, when all they could have done was tell the shooter to drop his weapon. He turns with weapon toward cops, he's dead, otherwise they could save his life and see if he drops it. But I know a lot of LEOs that would rather shoot first than risk being injured or killed even if it could preserve life.

This issue isn't up to trainers...all depends on the dept's use of force guidelines and whether they are ammandment based or a force continum. The officer on the street can't change that, can only follow it and make sound judgements.

[Hoser]

(fmr CAG Commander)

Havent heard them called that in a while...