email sent.

Anything happening with the latest batch of applicants?

Same here. One of the mods (Striker) said they are a little behind in processing the icons. I'm already advertising in HTF so as long as I don't get banned I don't really care

We slowed up new additions and haven't had a chance to reply to everyone regarding that. The goal has been to sign up enough instructors to get a good number of course listings in the forums. At that time we wanted to ensure we promoted more users to the area.

Originally Posted By DvlDog: Goatboy and anyone else it may concern, Can you gentleman outline the criteria for awarding instructor cred to board members. The industry in general is rife with barely qualified "instructors" who think that a dozen classes from gunsite/thunderranch etc makes them an authority. I understand that training value is relative to the point of view of the trainee. A Podunk County Sherrif's Dept SWAT cop probably doesnt have a thing to teach me but to a new gunowner and CCW recipient he could be a wealth of knowledge. Personally I am setting my expectations kinda high due to the "professional" title of the program. I would hate to see this great idea get turned into nothing more than a status symbol for the advanced hobbyists who are training class addicts but have no actual experience.

Very Good Point DvlDog,

I agree that there a lot of posers out there and I can't speak for anyone else, but I can assure you that I have the background and credentials to qualify for this venture on ARFcom.

Be Safe.


Joseph Nizzari
Director of Training Operations
Line of Fire, LLC
Professional Firearms Training Group
CCW/Handgun Training Division
Las Vegas, Nevada
(702) 242-8288 (o)
(702) 324-3720 (c) 24/7
E-mail: joe@lineoffirellc.com
www.lineoffirellc.com

Originally Posted By DvlDog: Goatboy and anyone else it may concern, Can you gentleman outline the criteria for awarding instructor cred to board members. The industry in general is rife with barely qualified "instructors" who think that a dozen classes from gunsite/thunderranch etc makes them an authority. I understand that training value is relative to the point of view of the trainee. A Podunk County Sherrif's Dept SWAT cop probably doesnt have a thing to teach me but to a new gunowner and CCW recipient he could be a wealth of knowledge. Personally I am setting my expectations kinda high due to the "professional" title of the program. I would hate to see this great idea get turned into nothing more than a status symbol for the advanced hobbyists who are training class addicts but have no actual experience.

We in the Pennsylvania hometown forum had a situation where an NRA Training Counselor was admonished against the background of this program for posting NRA courses.

So it certainly begs the question again. What are the criteria? This question was asked, but not answered.

Exactly who makes the judgment, and what are their qualifications to do so?

To what length is information submitted actually verified?

Please know I'm not opposed to the concept of vetting instructors, but based on what I'm hearing, there's no transparency in the process. An icon appears next to a moniker based on a review of unseen qualifications by an unknown individual(s), based on an email, which includes either verified/unverified information. (?)

The above poster is right. There's a difference between a real improvement, and a parliamentary one.

--Fargo007

Not really.

Originally Posted By DvlDog: Goatboy and anyone else it may concern, Can you gentleman outline the criteria for awarding instructor cred to board members. The industry in general is rife with barely qualified "instructors" who think that a dozen classes from gunsite/thunderranch etc makes them an authority. I understand that training value is relative to the point of view of the trainee. A Podunk County Sherrif's Dept SWAT cop probably doesnt have a thing to teach me but to a new gunowner and CCW recipient he could be a wealth of knowledge. Personally I am setting my expectations kinda high due to the "professional" title of the program. I would hate to see this great idea get turned into nothing more than a status symbol for the advanced hobbyists who are training class addicts but have no actual experience.

Experience doing what? Teaching? Doing dynamic entries? Martial arts experience? Writing parking tickets? Assaulting beaches?

The point of instructing is to impart information and related skills. One who is good at that is a good instructor. One who can hump the hills of Afhanastan with 80 lbs of gear and survive on his own for weeks, but who cannot teach, is not a good instructor.

The idea that one who has taken a dozen Gunstight courses leaves a fellow with nothing to contribute is simply false, unless the fellow cannot impart what he learned. It does make them an "authority" on some things, depending upon how one defines "authority."

I did an article on this topic about a year ago: SWAT, April 2006, if I recall correctly. The article was very well recieved by many (including, thank God, some I did not know before I published and for whom I have great respect.) It met with virulent criticism by a number of individuals who base the marketing of their products and services upon upon what they used to do or, more accuartely, how they currently represent what they used to do.

I won't repeat the whole thing here, but the central point was that to the extent prior job experience can be a predictor whether an instructor is competent, that experience must be relevant to the particular skills and skill level of the students he or she undertakes to teach. I also note that "training pedigree" (meaning where the individual in question trained) is also something a prospective student should check. A dozen courses at Gunsite, particularly courses prior to 2000, ain't a bad place to start.

In 2005 and 2006, the F.I.R.E. Institute did a lot of work trying to work up a set of crieteria one might use to predict who will be a good instructor and who will be not-so-good. We had significant help in that regard from some trainers who were in the business long before there was a "training industry" (the late Col. Cooper among them). It is very, very difficult, and remains a work in progress.

My recommendation is that the moderators here simply allow instructors to post whatever background any particular trainer feels is relevant about themselves, and make it clear the list moderators neither evaluate the quality of that trainer's experience or verify the accuracy of the information posted. That way every person can make his own decision whether to credit the opinion of any particular instructor, and the moderators of this list are not in the middle.

Originally Posted By SGB: Not even an email acknowledgment of having received my application.

Same here after two e-mails.

Originally Posted By SGB: Not even an email acknowledgment of having received my application.

Please,send it to striker or to me if not a problem or too much trouble.Juan has been swamped and somewhat indisposed lately, so I apologize on his behalf

Originally Posted By GoatBoy: I'm transitioning some of this program to the staff and then will address any emails which have come in. I posted here that things were on hold for a bit, while 2008 rolled around. The goal this year will be to ensure class schedules are being posted and that we present these classes to the community to encourage people to sign up and get involved. I apologize for the silence on my part in regards to emails.

NP GB,

I got everything squared away with Ed Sr.

I am happy to be a part of the Professional Exchange Program. Please feel free to contact me if there is anything I can do for you here from Nevada.

Be Safe.


Joseph (Joe) Nizzari
Director of Training Operations
Line of Fire, LLC
Professional Firearms Training Group
Small Arms Training Division
Las Vegas, Nevada
(702) 242-8288 (b)
(702) 324-3720 (c) 24/7
E-mail: joe@lineoffirellc.com
www.lineoffirellc.com

We're working on this folks. I'll get everyone sorted out ASAP!
George