Enhanced Safety & Compliance Program
by Don Senft, VP Operations
The intent of this article is to provide advanced notice and an overview to our members of the upcoming enhanced safety and compliance program that we will shortly be rolling out across all ranges at VFGPA.
With our annual membership base now exceeding 5,000 members, your Executive and Board has been working diligently to ensure that as our Association grows, we are continuing to provide a safe and efficient environment for all of our members across all of our ranges and facilities. As a part of this comprehensive effort, we will shortly be undertaking to increase the emphasis on Safety throughout our facilities, an effort that will see a multi-pronged approach across all disciplines.
First, you will shortly see renewed signage around the properties emphasizing some key aspects of our safety program. Particular emphasis will be placed on ensuring all members and day pass users are visibly wearing their membership card or day pass while on the property. This will ensure everyone using the facilities is a paid member that has completed the necessary liability waiver prior to using our facilities. This is a critical requirement of our ongoing liability insurance coverage. A reminder that spectators who do not have a membership or day pass are NOT permitted to handle firearms or actively participate in any way, and must still be wearing appropriate eye and ear protection at all times when on an active range. RSOs will be stepping up inspection of membership cards and day passes and we ask that you at all times wear these in a visible manner while on the property, along with having your orientation card available as well at all times.
Our RSO program continues to grow, and we will now be deliberately scheduling RSOs on a more regular basis, who will be present on ALL club facilities on a rotating basis to ensure their safe and effective operation, as well as to verify membership and orientation credentials of those in attendance. Our Discipline Directors will also be working diligently to ensure all participants at their events have completed the waivers and have a membership or pass entitling them to be on our facilities. We appreciate your support of these volunteers and the effort they will be putting forth to keep our ranges safe.
Finally, we will shortly be introducing a sign in procedure for each individual range, in the same fashion that we have currently at the MP range. You will arrive and sign into the property as you do now, with each member of your party signing in individually. Once you then proceed to a specific range, RP, Shotgun, MP, Archery etc, you will then sign in once again, specifically acknowledging that you have read and understood the rules for that particular range, as well as indicating which firing point you will be using, with a sign in and sign out timing. This is another effort at accountability and ensuring every user pauses to consider the rules and safety as they arrive to start their application of fire for the day. It will also simplify tracking users down in the event gear is left behind etc. RSOs will be verifying these sign in sheets as part of their rounds, so please write legibly, and ensure all members of your party are signed in individually, and signed out when you leave.
These measures, coupled with the other recent additions such as chamber flags, additional status lights for the RP parking lot and continued berm upgrades at the MP are all designed to ensure our facilities are operated in a manner that is as safe and efficient as possible for all of our members. We appreciate your cooperation and support as these critical safety measures are implemented as a priority in short order.
