Question for Certified Firearms Instructors

[radioflyer]

A friend of mine in my IDPA group told me of a CFI class being taught locally that he's going to take and suggested I sign up to get the group rate price. He is a shooting tactics teacher so my question is:

How does getting a CFI affect your privileges in teaching that you would normally not have?

 

[txinvestigator]

"Certified" by whom? "CFI" class? In what manner would a "CFI" (whatever that is) affect my privileges in teaching?

 

[radioflyer]

CFI = Certified Firearms Instructor. I've learned that there are multiple groups that offer certification. I assume each one comes with it's own set of privileges.

 

[txinvestigator]

Are you referring to specific IDPA or IPSC terminology?

Youq question does not make sense to me. It is like asking if anyone is a certified driving instructor. Certified by whom? To certify what?

Pretty much anyone can hang out a shingle and call themselves a certified firearms instructor.

 

[Jon Payne]

I can hang out one shingle saying that I am a State Certified CHL Instructor and another that states I'm a Staff Instructor for Suarez International. Who or what makes that legit? I have a certificate number from the State and the title and recognition from S.I. The other source of credibility comes from having insurance as a Firearms Instructor. The company that insures me required all kinds of documentation before they would sell me coverage.

The privileges you speak of may simply be the authorization to teach company material and use a company name. Hope this answers your question.

 

[radioflyer]

Are you referring to specific IDPA or IPSC terminology?

Youq question does not make sense to me. It is like asking if anyone is a certified driving instructor. Certified by whom? To certify what?

Pretty much anyone can hang out a shingle and call themselves a certified firearms instructor.

I mean in reference to NRA, FBI and local law enforcement courses. Other than that, I'm not really sure. I was under the impression that the certification was a legal requirement to teach or instruct, but i'm still a little confused.

 

[SIG_Fiend]

The one thing you need at a minimum ,when it comes to firearms instruction, is insurance. One mistake can quickly get into the MILLIONS in medical and other fees. For quite a few of the insurance companies out there, they have requirements, and usually those requirements involve some sort of "official" certs like NRA, state instructor's license of some sort, etc. In addition, many of the ranges out there require proof of insurance to allow you to teach on their premises.

One thing to understand is, a certification doesn't mean jack. Passing the test doesn't certify that an individual actually intuitively understands or is proficient in the subject matter. It's all about the student and how they approach training, and how seriously they take it. I can't tell you about the many "instructors" I've met or people with various other "certifications" that were complete morons, or at the least thought that "passing the test" was where their learning stopped. Learning is a life long process. I'll say this much, get a good look at course material from say an NRA Basic Pistol Instructor class and you'll see how pointless certification can become (teaching 50+yr/old outdated, archaic, sometimes incorrect material). On the flip side of things, there are some schools and instructors out there that offer "certification" courses that hold significant weight and are respected in the industry. Unfortunately, some of these schools and instructors, regardless of the high quality of their material, may not be well known to insurance companies, and so their certs may not be sufficient for obtaining insurance.

I would ask yourself what it is you are looking to accomplish? Are you wanting to become a firearms instructor? Is this a hobby, or something you are looking to make a full time career out of? Is there anything specific you enjoy about firearms? Is there anything with firearms that you are already proficient with? Be honest with yourself and ask yourself what are your strong suits and what needs work.

I'm still a bit confused about your last question Radioflyer? What does it affect? Well, unless you have a lot of land, it's next to impossible to really instruct any classes unless you have insurance. It's pretty tough to get insurance without some sort of cert. Therefore, some sort of cert and insurance is a necessity if you want to make a living out of it.

 

[radioflyer]

from what I see, getting any type of certification would be beneficial to me at most if i decided to do a side-job hobby. While I enjoy shooting, tactics training and everything else related to firearms (yes, even cleaning) It's not something I would pick as a full time career. The Insurance factor is probably going to be the biggest deal breaker. The idea of needing coverage for everything but wiping your own ass is very repulsive to me. I'm all for safety especially and believe that accidents are the result of negligence, stupidity improperly maintained equipment....none of which I intend to associate with.

For now i think I will just continue to develop my personal skills.

 

[Texas1911]

from what I see, getting any type of certification would be beneficial to me at most if i decided to do a side-job hobby. While I enjoy shooting, tactics training and everything else related to firearms (yes, even cleaning) It's not something I would pick as a full time career. The Insurance factor is probably going to be the biggest deal breaker. The idea of needing coverage for everything but wiping your own ass is very repulsive to me. I'm all for safety especially and believe that accidents are the result of negligence, stupidity improperly maintained equipment....none of which I intend to associate with.

You need coverage because of the millions of dollars of liability should someone be injured in your class. The insurance also covers civil liability should you teach something to someone, they do it, and they end up suing you as a result. Insurance is there for a reason, and risking you and your families entire financial future on a member of the general public is down right stupid. Trust me ... the insurance isn't enough.

 

[txinvestigator]

I agree with the insurance comments.

That said, insurance is not required by any law. A person with no training as an instructor in anything, and zero firearms experience could call himself an instructor. He cannot teach classes that represent the government (CHL, Private Security, police, etc,) without the proper legal licensing. He cannot represent to teach an NRA class unless authorized the NRA certifies him or the NRA will sue him.

He could open the "Secret Squirrel Super Tactical Shooting School" with no experience. He is not required to be licensed, certified, etc.

That is one reason I am SOOOO careful when choosing a school or selecting an instructor. There are lots of folks out there teaching questionable tactics or just have no real experience.

 

[radioflyer]

You need coverage because of the millions of dollars of liability should someone be injured in your class. The insurance also covers civil liability should you teach something to someone, they do it, and they end up suing you as a result. Insurance is there for a reason, and risking you and your families entire financial future on a member of the general public is down right stupid. Trust me ... the insurance isn't enough.

I mostly hate these damn lawsuits that are the reason for needing insurance....but since i do not plan to teach any time soon, it will be a non-issue for me at the moment.