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Range/Safety Officer Responsibilities


Shooter Grrl

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Over on that "unmentionable" list, they're currently discussing RO's not assisting a shooter before the COF.  Specifically starting them without eye's, ears, gun loaded, other stuff like that - but the RO definitely knowing that the shooter is NOT READY.

I've always thought that it is OUR job to assist as well as maintain safety - what do you all believe/feel/think about this?

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Allowing a competitor to start without eye and ear protection is crazy.  Is it supposed to be giving someone an unfair advantage if they can shoot without risking the lose of one or more senses?  I'm all for shooter's being responsible for their own actions, but its simply curteous to let some one know they're about to hurt themselves.

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Thankfully we've never had a problem with safety issues, R/o would mention ears and eyes if necessary, but we did have a major issue with allowing you to start in the wrong position then giving a procedural!!

The shooters overcame the problem by asking if they were in the correct positionduring the load and make ready.

I think the mentality behind such trivia clearly demonstrates a them and us situation. The solution is R/o's that shoot. All our problem R/o's are rarely if ever seen shooting.

P.D.

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at our club we use a simple method of assiting shooters without giving them an unfair advantage over the others.  At the start, the RO will ask "Are you ready?"  If the shooter is lacking something like eye or hearing, or a brand new shooter who doesn't have a mag in his gun, the RO will ask "Are you sure?"

Obviously, no glasses or muffs brings things to a halt.  In the other cases if the shooter is paying attention, he knows that something is up, and replys "No" and checks his gear.  If he says "Yes" then you start him.

RO's are there to help, but not so much their help changes scores or the match outcome.

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In idpa the SO is a helper. Their job is to assist the shooter to shoot safely and have a good time. We don't try to trap our shooters into a proceedural,were not looking to bang him. If he doesn't finish the COF then we tell him they still have more to go. IDPA doesn't want RO's thats why they called them SOs'.

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RO's are there to help, but not so much their help changes scores or the match outcome.

Have you considered that allowing a shooter to start unprepared does just that.... changes the outcome when a higher level shooter gets penalties, it moves up the lower levels.
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Our RO's are mostly old-timers, and they teach the new RO's as they filter in.  We use the "Are you sure" approach mostly for new shooters.  We'd rather have a new guy be reminded to put a mag in, than ding him for the mistake, and have his first experience be a sour one.  He's going to shoot slowly enough that his score won't be a threat, why make it worse?

If an A or Master shooter forgets to put a mag in place, it's his own fault.  If someone interrupted his getting ready, and that's the cause of the no mag condition, then the RO will give him the "Are you sure" option.

We aren't interested in being bad guys.

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