MCFG Members - Help Me Improve Our Safety Officer Program

[ddavidson]

I agree with the email announcements. Unfortunately, we don't have a good database of emails, and many of our older members don't have email! That being said, we can work towards that goal, and we can do a better job of posting updates on the website.

I would suggest adding a spot for email to the new application form if it's not already there. I am in my first year so I haven't gone through the renewal process but those members can add themselves to the email list somehow. And then there's also the "contact us" area of the website where you have to submit an email address in order to ask a question. I would say keep doing what you're doing now to communicate. Email will just be an additional form of communication, not the only form of it. I could create a new application based on the old one if needed.

I was unaware of the rule change on regulating how many people can share a bay. My co-workers and I have on many occasions gone up before we went to work and done some shooting . Now I find out that we were violating the rules because there has been as many as 8 of us sharing a bay.

I guess the next time we go we will just have to occupy both bays.

Yeah, you'll show them.

 

[churchmouse]

I believe the gentleman with the pickup truck is the source of most consternation, Shooter.

I am all for a good, solid SO program. Safety first, last and always. That said, I do not want my time constantly interrupted by someone interfering in a safe shooting experience. The person in question feels the need to hover around you and add his 2 cents worth constantly. If we are not inside the rules, say something and we will abide. If not, say hi and let us be please.
I do not see using the rear bench in a safe "Muzzle" down manner as unsafe. Muzzles are down and away when we move from point to point. SO's should moniter this activity and by doing so folks will understand "Muzzle Sweep" as many are not thinking it un-safe.

Edit....Interaction with other members and their guest's has always been very positive. I have met some very nice folks at the club. My issues revolve around one individual and his actions not the entire board and membership. I am sure in his heart and mind he is doing what is best for the club. I intend to teach my grand children to shoot there as well.

 

[chizzle]

I am all for a good, solid SO program. Safety first, last and always. That said, I do not want my time constantly interrupted by someone interfering in a safe shooting experience. The person in question feels the need to hover around you and add his 2 cents worth constantly. If we are not inside the rules, say something and we will abide. If not, say hi and let us be please.
I do not see using the rear bench in a safe "Muzzle" down manner as unsafe. Muzzles are down and away when we move from point to point. SO's should moniter this activity and by doing so folks will understand "Muzzle Sweep" as many are not thinking it un-safe.

Edit....Interaction with other members and their guest's has always been very positive. I have met some very nice folks at the club. My issues revolve around one individual and his actions not the entire board and membership. I am sure in his heart and mind he is doing what is best for the club. I intend to teach my grand children to shoot there as well.

After talking to that gentleman, I believe that issue is handled. Is there anything else we can do to improve the SO program?

 

[Ben Nelson]

I was at the range one morning last week, doing some test-firing of customer guns in one of the bays. I was the only one there. I had my gear set on the table at the back of the bay, and I would walk forward about half the distance to the target, load the gun, fire until empty, then walk back to the table with the gun pointed at the ground. While I was doing this, a gentleman had pulled his pickup onto the gravel "road" at the back of the bays, and was collecting the trash. Upon seeing me walking back to the table, he approached me and said "They don't want anyone open carrying a gun in the bays," explaining that I had to either case or holster the gun prior to returning to the table, or move the table down to where I wanted to shoot from. I thanked him for explaining that to me, but was unaware that it was in the rules (I don't consider a muzzle pointed straight down as breaking the 180).

The person in question never introduced himself to me by name, nor did he identify himself as a Safety Officer. He did not have a club badge visible, and was not signed in on the sign-up board (after he got done gathering the trash, he left). If he was acting in an "official" capacity, he should have said that. If there are rules changes made after the rulebooks are distributed, they need to be communicated to the membership, either by mail, Email, posting on the club website, and/or posting outside the clubhouse.

This was the first and only interaction I've had with someone who might have been a volunteer RO.

My shooting buddy (a fairly new member of MCFG) and I had the same circumstance and experience with the RO/SO in question. Fortunately, it was not a bad experience as others have discussed in this thread.

IMHO, the club has improved greatly over the last couple of years: the bays, then steel (yes!). I appreciate the efforts of the volunteer ROs in keeping the range safe . . . Will be there on Tuesday evening to see out the individual RO problem shakes out.

 

[nad63]

I happened to be at the range this summer when a safety violation occured. Although not directly involved in the incident I was talking with the individuals when it occured (the actual offender was an accompanied guest). I believe it was the safety director that also witnessed the event, he was wearing a bright orange safety vest at the time. The SO approached the group of us and handled the situation very professionally and correctly. Before leaving the SO was filling out paperwork and I overheard that the incident was meant to be later reviewed/addressed at the next board meeting in accordance with club guidelines. Obviously this incident should not have happened in the first place, but since it did, I have to say it was a positive experience regarding the way it was dealt with.
An E-mailing list would be beneficial to the dissemination of information but as always there will be people who desire to 'fly under the radar' (which I am perfectly fine with by the way) and so they would not get these 'heads up' messages. For those individuals the updated website shifts the responsibility to themselves to keep abreast of current events/changes.
I also plan to attend the next meeting so that I have the opportunity to be both better informed and see what direction the club is heading in the future. Just my .

 

[browndog2]

To Chizzle and the Boardizzle,

Keep up the good work.
And thank you for all you have done to improve the club.

Its been nearly a decade since I was on the board at MCF&G.
I can assure you that we discussed the possibility of implementing a Safety Officer program. It was as unpopular idea then as it is today. Member compliance with the rules has always been an issue. Back then the membership hovered around 300. It is three times that today. Even if the majority of the new members are conscious of the rules (and compliant), the number of problem members has also increased. Fortunately, there are members willing to volunteer and spend their time to be safety officers at our club.

It was getting to the point where every time I went to our range, I would observe someone violating a range rule if not a safety rule. Most people were happy to follow procedure if gently informed how to do so.

One or two new Safety Officers needing guidelines re-established out of twelve is not bad. As with any new program, management has to make adjustments. It appears that this process in progress. It is likely that similar issues will arise again. I am thankful that you will be there to address them.

Thank you for your good work.
Please do not let a couple of gun forum whiners discourage you.

 

[churchmouse]

Just so you guys know, I talked to him today for about 20 minutes and that problem should be solved from here on out. Any other suggestions for improvement would be appreciated, especially if you can make it to the Board meeting next week.

Guess I should read the entire thread. Thank you. No butt hurt intended but most of us do not need to be that tightly monitored.

 

[Simon6101]

Thank you

I would suggest adding a spot for email to the new application form if it's not already there. I am in my first year so I haven't gone through the renewal process but those members can add themselves to the email list somehow. And then there's also the "contact us" area of the website where you have to submit an email address in order to ask a question. I would say keep doing what you're doing now to communicate. Email will just be an additional form of communication, not the only form of it. I could create a new application based on the old one if needed.



Yeah, you'll show them.

Thank you sir for your . I wasn't complaining or being sarcastic just stating that I guess when we plan a shooting party that we will have to occupy more space. Our reasoning for always taking just one bay was so that other folks like you might want to enjoy shooting in the bays.

 

[Colt556]

I usually go during the week and there are very few people around. I've seen some of the same people a few times but they were shooting rimfire rifles like me. I don't think I've ever seen a RO before. I could have and not known who they were though.

 

[bigcraig]

Apparently I have missed a lot due to my work schedule these last few months.

I will say, I am NOT in favor of RO's or SO's "cruising" the range.

Also, why on Earth is there a limit on how many people can share a bay?

Slightly off topic, but very important to me, why are we not allowed to draw and fire from a holster in the bays?

I suppose I need to come to the next meeting.

 

[singlesix]

Thank you sir for your . I wasn't complaining or being sarcastic just stating that I guess when we plan a shooting party that we will have to occupy more space. Our reasoning for always taking just one bay was so that other folks like you might want to enjoy shooting in the bays.

Rules states four active shooters. So only four shooters on the line in the bay at the same time. Four shooting and four waiting to shoot is fine. Goes without saying there is a common sense limit as to how many people can be milling around the shooting bay.

 

[Coach]

I have had a couple of conversations with an SO at the club. I do not remember his name. I have no issues or problems of any kind, and have always found him to be helpful.

 

[chizzle]

To Chizzle and the Boardizzle,

Keep up the good work.
And thank you for all you have done to improve the club.

Its been nearly a decade since I was on the board at MCF&G.
I can assure you that we discussed the possibility of implementing a Safety Officer program. It was as unpopular idea then as it is today. Member compliance with the rules has always been an issue. Back then the membership hovered around 300. It is three times that today. Even if the majority of the new members are conscious of the rules (and compliant), the number of problem members has also increased. Fortunately, there are members willing to volunteer and spend their time to be safety officers at our club.

It was getting to the point where every time I went to our range, I would observe someone violating a range rule if not a safety rule. Most people were happy to follow procedure if gently informed how to do so.

One or two new Safety Officers needing guidelines re-established out of twelve is not bad. As with any new program, management has to make adjustments. It appears that this process in progress. It is likely that similar issues will arise again. I am thankful that you will be there to address them.

Thank you for your good work.
Please do not let a couple of gun forum whiners discourage you.

Bruce,
Thanks for the kind words. As someone who helped run the club before I ever got started, I appreciate your insight. It has been far too long since I have been able to shoot against you at bowling pins. Hopefully we can remedy that in 2013...
Sincerely,
Chuck

 

[chizzle]

Summary of Suggestions Thus Far:

I just read through the entire thread and wanted to summarize the suggestions that people have made:
1. Create an email mailing list.
2. Handle the situation with the Safety Officer that was bugging people. Already done.
3. Make sure Safety Officers wear their hat or vest to identify themselves.
4. Make sure RO's only enforce the written rules.
5. Make sure the RO's leave people alone unless they need to address a safety concern or rules infraction.

Am I missing anything? That seems like a do-able list for 2013.

 

[kazaam]

I have to say, I don't think I would have liked shooting quite as much if I did it somewhere other than MCFG. Seems like a really relaxed place with good membership and a nice outdoors facility. I don't think I'd like to shoot indoors. Can't wait to join. As a prospective member I think you guys are great (and thanks).

 

[chizzle]

I have to say, I don't think I would have liked shooting quite as much if I did it somewhere other than MCFG. Seems like a really relaxed place with good membership and a nice outdoors facility. I don't think I'd like to shoot indoors. Can't wait to join. As a prospective member I think you guys are great (and thanks).

Thanks for the positive feedback. While we occasionally have people leave because they don't like our rules, we typically make up for it with new people that appreciate our focus on safety and education. While we strive for 100% member satisfaction, we also understand that we can't always make everybody happy.

While I would love to have my own piece of property with a shooting range with no "club rules", the reality is that I live in the city and need to work with like-minded folks to keep MCFG open for future generations. Part of that responsibility is financial, and part of that responsibility is our focus on safety.

 

[rockhopper46038]

I just read through the entire thread and wanted to summarize the suggestions that people have made:
1. Create an email mailing list.
2. Handle the situation with the Safety Officer that was bugging people. Already done.
3. Make sure Safety Officers wear their hat or vest to identify themselves.
4. Make sure RO's only enforce the written rules.
5. Make sure the RO's leave people alone unless they need to address a safety concern or rules infraction.



Am I missing anything? That seems like a do-able list for 2013.

With regard to Item 4, it may be advisable to post a complete copy of the Club Rules (when the revision is complete) near the Clubhouse door, or alternatively require that the SO's carry a copy for reference whenever acting in that capacity.

It might also be useful to post pictures of the SO's, updated as necessary.

 

[hps]

I've been a member going on 16 yrs, I've always been under the impression that if you seen a violation it was your obligation to speak up and tell the person that this is not allowed. Correct me if I'm wrong, but maybe the people joining within the past few yrs don't understand that this is how the club operates.

 

[chizzle]

I've been a member going on 16 yrs, I've always been under the impression that if you seen a violation it was your obligation to speak up and tell the person that this is not allowed. Correct me if I'm wrong, but maybe the people joining within the past few yrs don't understand that this is how the club operates.

Your understanding is totally correct. Unfortunately members weren't filling out the Safety Concern Forms, so the Board was often unable to do anything about complaints (which is incredibly frustrating from my seat). The Safety Officer program has greatly increased the number of Safety Concern Forms that have been passed on to the Board, and has resulted in several suspensions and a lot of good discussion during the meetings. Without these forms, the Board does not get a good feel for how safely the range is operating, or where our Safety Director need to focus his attention in the future.

 

[churchmouse]

Your understanding is totally correct. Unfortunately members weren't filling out the Safety Concern Forms, so the Board was often unable to do anything about complaints (which is incredibly frustrating from my seat). The Safety Officer program has greatly increased the number of Safety Concern Forms that have been passed on to the Board, and has resulted in several suspensions and a lot of good discussion during the meetings. Without these forms, the Board does not get a good feel for how safely the range is operating, or where our Safety Director need to focus his attention in the future.

It seems you have addressed most of the issues at hand. I am sure your job can be very frustrating at times. Folks do not often police themselves.
I was a guest for about 20 visits before I joined and did so because of the environment and location. The self policing aspect and just a very nice facility. Being located near a very populated area does put safety out front.
We will continue our participation and follow all of the posted and common sense safety concerns. I will teach my grand-kids to shoot at MCFG.
As to my obvious anger towards the individual in question I have gotten past that and will not address it if he does his thing and we are able to enjoy the facility and not feel like we are being treated as children. Give folks a comfort zone, do not inject yourself into their space unless there is good cause. Nothing wrong with a good hello.
As to the damage on my beloved Springfield Trophy, It runs just fine. I should get past being so jumpy I guess.

Thanks and remain safe.

CM