FALLS CHURCH POLICE DEPARTMENT GENERAL ORDER NUMBER 1-6 SUBJECT: FIRING RANGE AND WEAPONS EFFECTIVE DATE: SEPTEMBER 24, 1987 REVIEW: MAY 17, 2010 ISSUED BY: __________________ Chief of Police APPROVED BY: _________________ City Manager POLICY: Firearms training is an important phase in the development of law enforcement officers, particularly with those weapons that are the most accessible to the officer, i.e., pistol, rifle and shotgun. Pursuant to the Code of Virginia the Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) mandates that every full-time police officer will be required to qualify with Department issued weapons at least once within a calendar year. That qualification score and any other scores used by the Department for record must be fired on an approved firing range, under the supervision of a certified Firearms Instructor. PURPOSE: The purpose of this General Order is to establish guidelines for the use of the firing range. During firearms qualifications, necessary precautions shall be taken for the safety of all users of the range. In addition, this General Order will establish the mandatory administrative requirements for all Department weapons. PART I. PROCEDURE A. The Department Firearms Training Unit shall consist of DCJS-certified Firearms Instructors, one of whom shall be appointed by the Services Commander to serve as the Range Master, with authority over the composition and operations of the Firearms Training Unit. B. A Primary Firearms Instructor shall be in charge at all times when officers are on the firing range for qualifications and training. The Primary Firearms Instructor assigned to the Department range for firearms training, qualifications, shooting matches, or any other shooting event shall be considered the ranking officer on location. GO 1-6 Firing Range and Weapons Review:______________ Page 2 C. The Department Firearms Training Manual Procedures shall be followed at all times by both the Department Firearms Instructors and the officers attending training. D. Only those weapons and ammunition issued by the Department for duty or training purposes will be used during qualifications. E. Inappropriate conduct will not be permitted on the firing range. F. All Department personnel who will be using a firearm on the range will be familiar with the firearm they will use before being allowed on the firing range (through classroom orientation). G. Other personnel of the Department who shoot for familiarization will be scheduled at the discretion of the Chief of Police. H. All weapons are subject to inspection by the Primary Firearms Instructor before and during qualification periods. All weapons are also subject to inspection by any Firearms Instructor or supervisor at any time during normal duty hours to ensure safety, proper care, cleaning and functioning. Weapons are to be maintained in good, operational condition. PART II. SAFETY A. Each officer, prior to going to the firing line, will wear approved ear and eye protection. When firing the Department police rifle, both “foam” type earplugs and over-the-ear style “muffs” MUST be worn by all personnel. B. At the beginning of any firearms training, whether qualification, remediation or tactical training, the Primary Firearms Instructor shall provide a facility-specific safety brief to all officers. All personnel present during training must comply with the directives of the safety brief. C. All officers attending any firearms training are required to be present for the entire range safety brief prior to being allowed to participate in firearms training. D. Officers who do not receive the complete safety brief at the time it is given shall not be allowed to fire that day, and shall make arrangements to return on the next available full training day. E. When attending firearms training, all weapons and ammunition will be maintained in a condition as prescribed by facility specific handling and loading procedures. GO 1-6 Firing Range and Weapons Review:______________ Page 3 F. Once weapons have been emptied, they shall remain in the holster until a position has been taken on the firing line and permission has been given by the Firearms Instructor to conduct specific training. G. Once a shooting phase has begun, weapons will be kept pointed down range, and officers must remain facing their targets. If there is a need for clarification of a command, a hand should be raised to draw a Firearms Instructor's attention. H. At no time will anyone go beyond the firing line until all shooting is completed and all weapons have been holstered, have been made safe, or are otherwise not being used. I. Officers experiencing a malfunction or stoppage shall clear their own malfunction or stoppage, bring their weapon back into service, and continue with the course of fire. J. No weapon will be transferred from one person to another without the weapon being both visually and physically cleared, either during training or at any other time while on or off duty. With the chamber open, officers will visually and physically inspect the chamber to ensure the weapon is unloaded and no round is in the chamber. PART III. ADMINISTRATIVE ISSUES A. Issuance, Maintenance and Disposal of Department Weapons: 1. The Department maintains a supply of firearms from which initial issues to officers are made. This supply is also for replacement of lost, stolen or unserviceable weapons. 2. Should an officer require a temporary replacement of their sidearm, Firearms Instructors and supervisors, with notification to the Range Master, are authorized to remove a single sidearm from the Department Armory for that purpose. 3. At the conclusion of the officer’s tour, the replacement weapon will be returned to the supervisor, inspected, and secured in the Armory. 4. All sworn personnel must receive and be trained in GO 3-1, “Use of Force”, before being authorized to carry any firearm. B. Authorized Firearms: The issued service handgun shall be standard equipment for all Police Department employees having the power to arrest, and no other sidearm GO 1-6 Firing Range and Weapons Review:______________ Page 4 shall be carried on- or off-duty unless written permission is granted by the Chief of Police. C. Unauthorized Firearms: 1. No firearms other than issued service weapons, Department special weapons authorized for immediate use by a supervisor, weapons approved by the Chief of Police for an officer to wear off- duty, and weapons that come into police custody in the line of duty shall be permitted in a Police Department facility or vehicle unless authorized in writing by a division commander. 2. Officers shall not carry any unauthorized firearm in a concealed manner on or off duty. D. Carrying Firearms: 1. On Duty: The service handgun shall be carried at all times while on duty except when such carrying is unsafe because of specific conditions or when it hinders the performance of duty. Officers engaging in extraditions and other Department assignments in which they are on duty but out-of-state are required to know and conform to the carrying of firearms laws of the states in which they will travel. For any airline travel, officers are required to be trained in Flying While Armed procedures and such travel must be authorized by the Commander of Operations. a. Other than as may be required by training exercises, only that ammunition which is currently issued by the Police Department as service ammunition shall be carried in the Department issued weapon. b. Ammunition shall not be altered in any manner. c. All on-duty uniformed officers will carry on their duty belt, all issued weapons (sidearm, baton, OC spray) in the performance of their assigned duties. d. Each on-duty uniformed officer shall be equipped with both the shotgun and the police rifle at the beginning of their shift, unless they are performing a task where they will not be utilizing a police cruiser equipped with a rack to secure each weapon. e. All on-duty command, administrative, and investigative personnel will carry, at a minimum, their issued sidearm in an approved duty holster, with spare magazine. Other GO 1-6 Firing Range and Weapons Review:______________ Page 5 intermediate weapons (baton, OC spray), may be carried as deemed appropriate for the situations facing that officer. f. Except under dire circumstances, officers may only use, carry or deploy the firearms which are issued specifically to that officer. g. Shotgun: (1) The only shotgun allowed while on duty is that which is issued by the Police Department. (a) During normal operations, the only ammunition allowed for the shotgun is Department issue 12 gauge kinetic energy impact munitions. (b) Live ammunition (00 Buck, Birdshot, Slugs, etc.) may be used in the shotgun for TRAINING PURPOSES ONLY. Use of the shotgun for training must be approved by the Commander of Services. Any shotgun used for training shall be issued by a Firearms Instructor, and shall be inspected by a Firearms Instructor before being returned to the armory. (2) Each officer shall ensure that a shotgun is in the proper locking rack in their cruiser at the beginning of each tour of duty. (3) At no time shall a shotgun have a round chambered while inside police headquarters. (4) Anytime a live round is in the chamber of the weapon, the safety shall remain on until firing the weapon is required. Live rounds in the chamber will be removed prior to placing the shotgun back in the vehicle. (5) When not in use, shotguns will be secured in the Department armory, in a Police Ready Cage, or in a cruiser shotgun rack. h. Police Rifle: (1) The only rifle and ammunition that shall be used are those which are issued by the department. GO 1-6 Firing Range and Weapons Review:______________ Page 6 (2) The rifle shall be secured in the locking rack in the cruiser at the beginning of each shift.