Basic Firearms Instructor
Develop the coaching, evaluation, and documentation skills to lead an agency firearms program.
No dates are scheduled yet. Leave your contact information and DMEC will let you know when the next class is posted.
- Duration
- 40 hours · 5 days
- Level
- Instructor certification
- Format
- Classroom and live fire
- Who can attend
- Law enforcement only
About this course
Basic Firearms Instructor is DMEC’s 40-hour certification course for law enforcement personnel who will teach and manage firearms training within their agency. The most recent course ran over five days through MTU 2 in Rockford.
DMEC’s instructor courses extend beyond shooting proficiency. They prepare trainers to build defensible lesson plans, document training, conduct in-service programs, manage agency firearms programs, remediate deficiencies, and control live-fire risk.
Instructor candidates study adult learning principles, coaching methods, range safety, performance evaluation, and policy alignment. The goal is instructors who improve shooter performance and can clearly defend their training process in administrative review or post-incident analysis.
What you’ll work on
- Adult learning principles and coaching methods
- Building defensible lesson plans
- Range safety and live-fire risk control
- Performance evaluation and remediation
- Training documentation and records
- Managing an agency firearms program
Prerequisites
Law enforcement personnel only.
- Law enforcement only. Confirm agency eligibility and prerequisites with DMEC.
Before you attend
- Closed, law-enforcement-only training. Attendance is arranged through your department or the hosting Mobile Training Unit (MTU).
- DMEC lists its law enforcement courses as certified through the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board (ILETSB) and applicable POST standards. Confirm credit for your agency with DMEC or the MTU.
- Every student signs a waiver of liability before class starts.
What to bring
- Duty pistol and holster, magazines, and eye and ear protection, unless the host specifies otherwise.
- Confirm the round count and any agency-specific equipment with DMEC or the hosting MTU before class.