Carson City Rifle and Pistol Club discusses the city ending use agreement for Rifle Range
This afternoon the Carson Rifle and Pistol Club posted the following message for its membership and the shooting public regarding the end of its role assisting the city in operating the Carson City Rifle and Pistol Range:
The "use agreement" between the city and the Carson Rifle and Pistol Club will expire on October 18th and the city has declined to renew it. Consequently, the club will no longer provide Range Safety Officers or assist in operating the range as of this Friday.
Starting in November 2018, the city required certified Range Safety Officers be present at the range when the facility was to be open to the public. Since January 2019, our club's 24 Range Safety Officers have provided over 600 hours of service to our shooting community. Over 4,600 shooters were able to use the range when it otherwise would have been closed to the public. The club never missed a day it was responsible for and even filled in for the city when they were unable to staff the facility. This service was provided at zero cost to the city, its tax payers, and our shooting community.
While all of the club's Safety Officers contributed to the success of this effort, some volunteered substantially more time than was asked in order to keep the range open. Leading the effort was RSO Bryant with over 105 hours! In addition to managing the RSO schedule, RSO Snider volunteered 56 hours on the range.
Additional high contributors were: RSO Rushing with 51 hours, RSO Branchcomb with 45 hours, and RSO Franklin with 35 hours. RSOs Dulco, Robinson, Ketchem, Johnson, and Mathues volunteered between 18 and 35 hours each. Several club members became RSO certified at their own expense specifically so they could help keep the range operating safely.
The service of these volunteers not only allowed the range to be open to the public but also helped make the range safer for users. Club Range Safety Officers provided education on the range safety rules set by the city, basic firearms safety, assisted with targets and target placement, provided assistance with malfunctioning firearms and ammunition, and in some cases, provided essential safety equipment. Additionally, club Range Safety Officers helped with basic upkeep of the facility and removal of debris and unsafe items from the range areas.
Our club and the shooting community owe a debt of gratitude to all volunteers. We are proud of the service our volunteers provided.