Not getting shot

[Classic_jon]

Glad you are ok and I hope that people use this information to be more aware of things on the range!

My heart skipped a beat in sympathy for you!

[XD Niner]

We almost had something similar happen at Saturday's match. It was a wide open COF but the RO was distracted. He was standing on the shooter's right side looking at the shooter. There was someone at the 2:00 position pasting the last of the targets. The RO asked the shooter if he was ready to begin (prior to giving the Make Ready command) and had the shooter and another competitor point out the poor guy still pasting holes. It wasn't even close but it was still scary.

[XRe]

Being an RO is not a candy ass job, people. There are lives on the line. If you can't roll with that and be responsible for the safety of others, you don't need to have that box anywhere near you. The only exception is someone very new to RO'ing - and then they should have an experienced RO hanging with them to keep an eye on things.... Safety can't be hurried or shortcut. Every time I've seen someone get hurt in this game when it wasn't a "sports injury" (bullet spatter, etc) - every time - it's because someone did something half assed in regards to safety.

It's to the point where I don't shoot at local clubs that continually set up safety issues, or give me s**t for pointing out potential safety problems to them.... And I don't squad with safety problems, either. I prefer to leave with the same number of holes I showed up with, thank you very much....

[torrpd]

Glad you are alright. I have seen it come close a time or two, but never a shot being fired. It is when we become complacent that these incidents happen.

[Jim Norman]

The Shooter is the ULTIMATE RO!

Yes, You are responsible. Just because the RO says LAMR, does not mean that you do it. I look first and then LAMR. I have not loaded because I saw something amiss and I have had shooters do the same when I RO. No one can be 100% all the time, but if we all are striving for it and we all accept that we are all the RO when it comes to safety, then the overlap is pretty near perfect.

If it were in my power, I would make official " RANGE IS GOING HOT!" as a precursor to the LAMR command string. It won't eliminate the problem, but if it were added it would be something that all competitors regardless of English proficiency would be listening for. As it currently stands, that is just background noise to a non-English speaker. All they are required to know currently are the basic commands: Make Ready, Stop, Finger, Muzzle, If Finished, Unload Show Clear, If Clear, Hammer Down, Holster and Range is Clear. I think that adding a pre-load warning yell is not a bad idea. We do it except on wide open stages and even then if we think that there are people that might have been distracted and removed ears or eyes during a lull.

I can't believe I want an other rule! Just goes against my nature, but this I think is one that will help to ensure that we all return home with the same number of holes we started the day with.

Jim

[PaulW]

Ironically his name is "Mike"! No seriously, glad you are ok and this is a great reminder to everyone of the severity that may come about when people get complacent. Safety should always be #1.

[SoonerPast]

Thanks for so many well wishes. We just all need to be safety aware, all the time. Show new shooters that we mean it when we review the safety rules. Live them like we are always new shooters. Accidents happen, we don't need to help them happen. I get more than my share of "mikes", but my friend who was the shooter had no idea I was back there. This is certainly one case in which I very much like it that he hit what he meant to hit, and Mike was not it.

[JimmyZip]

The Shooter is the ULTIMATE RO!

Yes, You are responsible. Just because the RO says LAMR, does not mean that you do it. I look first and then LAMR. I have not loaded because I saw something amiss and I have had shooters do the same when I RO. No one can be 100% all the time, but if we all are striving for it and we all accept that we are all the RO when it comes to safety, then the overlap is pretty near perfect.

If it were in my power, I would make official " RANGE IS GOING HOT!" as a precursor to the LAMR command string. It won't eliminate the problem, but if it were added it would be something that all competitors regardless of English proficiency would be listening for. As it currently stands, that is just background noise to a non-English speaker. All they are required to know currently are the basic commands: Make Ready, Stop, Finger, Muzzle, If Finished, Unload Show Clear, If Clear, Hammer Down, Holster and Range is Clear. I think that adding a pre-load warning yell is not a bad idea. We do it except on wide open stages and even then if we think that there are people that might have been distracted and removed ears or eyes during a lull.

I can't believe I want an other rule! Just goes against my nature, but this I think is one that will help to ensure that we all return home with the same number of holes we started the day with.

Jim

I agree with you Jim that there should be that extra step. I also am fond of the RO being last and keeping the timer with him. It will not slow things down. It will prevent further problems.

That is all I have to say about that.(In my best Forrest Gump voice.)

JZ

Edited January 27, 2010 by JimmyZip

[Jim Norman]

I should also have included that I too feel that on any stage that has blinds, that there needs to be a designated person to be LAST. That person in my MUST be the guy with the timer, the RO/CRO. This person walks whatever route he needs to to be sure that no one is hiding bent over fixing a steel, taping a low target or passed out from the heat.

EVERY TIME.

Jim

[snertley]

Last summer my son and I were setting steel down at the end of a stage that sort of had a curve to it and was fairly deep in the bay, and as we walked out I see the shooter removing his had from his gun after LAMR was given. I yelled stop! The RO, shooter and myself all a bit shaken.

When I RO a stage with walls or any blind area I try and be the last one out of the stage since I am the one with the timer and nothing is getting started with out you.

Glad you are ok, that is scary as hell.

[ima45dv8]

I like how they do it at South River GC near Atlanta...

They have 3 people make sure the range is empty. One comes through the shoot house, one around the left side, and one around the right side. That way they make sure no one is still downrange.

Thanks, Mike. We try.

John (Singlestack) and I were talking about this last Tuesday after I discovered this thread. I honestly can't say it's a standard at the range among all ROs and all squads but it's a standard for The Usual Suspects. I've wondered before whether people would understand why we do it that way, and why we invest extra effort and a few extra seconds in how we do it.

In light of this thread I hope more will.

[Neomet]

my power, I would make official " RANGE IS GOING HOT!" as a precursor to the LAMR command string.

Jim,

Great point. May not be official or even proper but is an absolute if I have the clock followed by enough time for someone to respond

[ima45dv8]

my power, I would make official " RANGE IS GOING HOT!" as a precursor to the LAMR command string.

Jim,

Great point. May not be official or even proper but is an absolute if I have the clock followed by enough time for someone to respond

I like using GH! sometimes. If I can't see every square inch of the range, I see it as a courtesy. Still, I want to be in front of or have a hand hovering over, the shooter on the line when I say it.

Some folks are jumpy.