I'm calling again tomorrow for stone cold clarification. This is killing me!
I would ask point blank if they would sell a gun to you without having a public safety ID. And if you get a yes answer, make sure you write that name down!
I suspect they have a very specific definition of "civilian" that might be a little different from what most of us believe it means. They also sell all kinds of other first responder related stuff, so make sure they understand you are talking about a firearm and not a pair of tacticool underwear