Role Players Needed for FOF Training Course (FIRE Institute, www.fireinstitute.org, 505 Mossburg Blvd., N. Versallies, Pennsylvania, FREE): October 31st, 2009

[PeteG]

Originally Posted by renegadephoenix

Pete, count me in for Sunday if you have a roll that doesn't include being thrown around, still trying to get over this damn head/neck injury from January.

Sunday is great. (Most people want Saturday.)

It is up to you, however, to evaluate what things you can/should do and can't/shouldn't do. At a minimum, you can run the video camera. We have had a camera operator shot, but so far nobody has knocked one down.

We are short on female role players. it is always better to have females playing certain roles ... including the "role" of wife or girlfriend during incidents. Betty, my dear, sweet, long suffering wife, has played those roles, and shocked some people - including me - when the fangs came out. It's time to let some other people have the experience.

[PeteG]

A word about equipment for role players and crew in Tactics II:

Everyone should wear gloves, long sleeves and hats. This should not be a problem, since the high is only supposed to be in the mid-50’s. One of the places these things hurt is if you take one in the knuckle.

With respect to other gear, anything a role player has is something we don't have to provide, and we can equip more role players. A holster and a blue gun would be great, especially a concealed holster. If you have a choice, Glock holsters will be best employed in this course. Volunteers who bring blue guns can run through some of the simulations we do with blue guns … our way of saying thank you.

As for face and eye protection, we supply these. However, we only have five sets (other than those worn by Tony and I). One of those five sets will be worn by the video operator. This leaves four for one or two students, and one or two role players (in addition to either Tony or me).

Any kind of face/head protection will work for most role players. This would include airsoft masks, good paintball masks, SIMS-approved head gear or other head hear approved for simulated munitions. Even people who are assigned to be “standing around” or observing can take a hit, so everyone has to have protection. The level of protection increases as a function of the distance one is from a likely shooter.

It is important that eyes, nostrils, ears and throat be protected. These are the areas where a person can really get hurt. A hit anywhere else (knuckles, “bingo flaps,” etc. can hurt, but the actual injury is negligible).

We have chest protectors and throat protectors. If you have soft body armor, wear it. It is not that body armor is necessary to prevent injury: I routinely craft “armor” out of newspaper or cardboard placed inside my shirt, and it works fine. Wearing a jacket over your shirt also works fine. But soft armor is already tailored to you, once you put it on you don't have to screw with it, and taking a hit with that on is usually not even felt.

It might get wet on Saturday. Keep that in mind.

See you then.

Peter

[Shawn.L]

I have an airsoft mask, I'll bring it.

lookin forward to it !

[renegadephoenix]

Pete, i can provide 5 paintball masks and can bring 100 more if i stop by my field. let me know if you need them for saturday and i will get them to the club somehow. i will have them on sunday.

[nlcrsn]

A little behind the ball here but if you need any more help, let me know. I think it would be great to see some of the training.

[shelley66]

Unfortunately I saw this thread a little too late! Maybe I can help out at the next one...I'm a natural actress!

[Shawn.L]

Originally Posted by shelley66

Unfortunately I saw this thread a little too late! Maybe I can help out at the next one...I'm a natural actress!

you can still come out if your free today (Sunday)

[schr8er2000]

If you ever have something like this at the north-eastern end of the state let me know.. I would like to get involved with something like this to see what it is like....

[Shawn.L]

due to a work emergency I prob wont be able to make it out to the night session tonight

[shelley66]

I guess I'll have to keep my eyes and ears open for the next one...