Range Safety Officer (RSO) Qualifications

Minuteman · Dec 14, 2016

Greetings!

What are the qualifications to be an RSO where you shoot/visit?

What do you think the RSO qualifications should be?

Do you think the NRA RSO qualification is sufficient?

What if a member of a club/organization is an instructor, and obviously knows/complies with their clubs rules; are they a qualified RSO? Or at least to be an RSO for that club?

Thx!

Minuteman · Dec 14, 2016

jonnyl · Dec 14, 2016

I took the NRA RSO course just on general principle. I'd think that would be a good prerequisite. It let's a broad range of people know that you've been through a standard body of instruction.

ultraplanet · Dec 14, 2016

The Monocacy Pistol Club requires you to pass the NRA RSO course and then to apprentice under a current Club RSO for some number of club matches in order to be an RSO there. IDPA has its own SO course (some hours in a classroom) you have to take to become a certified IDPA SO but then you can SO at any club hosting an IDPA match even if your not a member or regularly shoot at said club.

Minuteman · Dec 14, 2016

Thanks, this is exactly the kind of feedback I was hoping to get.

I took the IDPA SO course several years ago, not sure of my current official status with IDPA. I just (today) took the NRA RSO course, it was a good refresher, I think its a good basis to consider for a club RSO (paid, volunteer or otherwise).

CharlieFoxtrot · Dec 16, 2016

IIRC to keep your IDPA SO certification you have to recert every two years. It can all be done online after the initial class.

Minuteman · Dec 16, 2016

CharlieFoxtrot said:
IIRC to keep your IDPA SO certification you have to recert every two years. It can all be done online after the initial class.

Thanks. I'd ask Cody (the mid-Atlantic) director, but I'm honestly not so interested; I just do it when/if they need the help.

Biggfoot44 · Dec 16, 2016

To date myself , back when I was taking NRA Instructor training, range officering was inherently part of every Instructor or Coach class, and there was no seperate RO only curriculum.

Minuteman · Dec 16, 2016

Biggfoot44 said:
To date myself , back when I was taking NRA Instructor training, range officering was inherently part of every Instructor or Coach class, and there was no seperate RO only curriculum.

Same here, I thought it a little different to have a specific RSO course, but having taken the NRA's RSO training (and passed), I see how and why they made it, and some clubs require it for someone to be an RSO for their home range/club.

Minuteman · Dec 17, 2016

NRA Range Safety Officer Course - NRA Training

Here's some slides I found online, essentially the same content as the actual NRA course; although the NRA material is better and more comprehensive.

http://www.xpowerpoint.com/NRA-Range-Safety-Officer-Course--PPT.html

Pinecone · Dec 22, 2016

IMO, RSOing is different than instructing.

Yes, an instructor is inherently an RSO in some form, but there is a difference with training and a match environment.

I am a former NRA Instructor and USPSA Range Officer and Chief Range Officer.

Minuteman · Dec 22, 2016

Absolutely.

RO, RSO, Chief RSO, SO, and instructor are all different.

NRA materials explain the differences pretty well.

Whiskey · Dec 30, 2016

Generally just someone with experience that is known and trusted.

John from MD · Dec 30, 2016

Funny you should bring that up. I will be assisting in teaching a RSO course for our club members at AAF&G in January. We used to rubber stamp certified NRA RSO's as Club RSO's but have since stopped the practice.

We have found that the NRA course is not enough as operations at our club have become more complex and our location makes it important that we concentrate on operations and safety for our club. We moved in this direction because we want to keep the club up and running and don't need incidents and accidents (including shooting outside of hours). As it is, we operate according to a court order that was written in the '80s and that we try to never even accidentally violate.

I am a NRA Chief RSO and the NRA course is a good general course. I believe that even if you are an NRA Certified RSO, you should still receive training for the range where you will conduct your duties.

Jaybeez · Dec 30, 2016

At our range the requirements are

NRA certification.
Member of our range.
Familiarity with our range's SOP.
Designated RSO by the Chief Safety Officer.

mcbruzdzinski · Dec 31, 2016

John from MD said:
Funny you should bring that up. I will be assisting in teaching a RSO course for our club members at AAF&G in January. We used to rubber stamp certified NRA RSO's as Club RSO's but have since stopped the practice.

We have found that the NRA course is not enough as operations at our club have become more complex and our location makes it important that we concentrate on operations and safety for our club. We moved in this direction because we want to keep the club up and running and don't need incidents and accidents (including shooting outside of hours). As it is, we operate according to a court order that was written in the '80s and that we try to never even accidentally violate.

I am a NRA Chief RSO and the NRA course is a good general course. I believe that even if you are an NRA Certified RSO, you should still receive training for the range where you will conduct your duties.

Always good to tailor your RSO class to focus on the needs of the range where the RSO candidates will be working. I do this for my classes for the AGC (my home range) and Elk Neck State Forest (my second home). The NRA RSO course provides an excellent framework but using examples from the range rules and range SOP helps in emphasizing the conditions that the RSOs will be working in.

Just my $0.02!

Sundazes · Dec 31, 2016

When I took the RSO class one of the items was familiarity with the range's SOP.
Other than the scouts and the club I belong to, I will ask for written SOP's if I am asked to be a RSO.

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