Winter 2015 Newsletter

Alpha Range5002 West Elm

McHenry, Illinois 60050

Opening Shots...

It has been eighteen months since Alpha opened it’s doors to a community of specialized shooters. Since then, our roster has grown to serve roughly 130 annual pass holders. Alpha continues to host advanced train-ing opportunities for members of our com-munity both through formal instruction and through shooting league opportunities. For convenience reasons, I am including known dates of upcoming training opportunities later in this newsletter. Besides Spartan Tactical Training Group, Permanent Solutions Training, & MISS USP-SA shooting league, I am pleased to announce

McHenry IDPA (International Defensive Pistol Association) will be joining Alpha one Wednes-day evening a month to add yet another dynam-ic training opportunity for our pass holders’ consideration. More information is shared later in this newsletter. As always, thank you all for your interest in being a part of our community. Alpha can only be as great as we all want it to be. And as always, never hesitate to share any feedback to make us stronger.

1

While Google calendar is not required, it is highly recommended that you check availability and ensure your range time by creating an event. This is especially true if one of the bays is al-ready reserved during the time period you wish to shoot. In that case, you are best served by creating an event to protect your access. Remember, whoev-er is on the calendar has rights to the space... Please also ensure you are posting your event to the ALPHA RANGE calendar and not your personal. Remember, no one else can see events on your own calendar. Be sure to use your LAST NAME, as common first names can lead to confusion. If you are a Google Calendar user, please try to avoid putting non-Alpha related appointments on the Alpha calendar. While it may seem repetitive, it is recom-mendable that you check the calendar as your ap-pointment approaches to confirm you are the only one signed up for that slot. If any errors or overlaps are found, check what calendar you put your ap-pointment on or contact Herb for an assist. Cancelling events that you are unable to make is not just appreciated, BUT REQUIRED. The tool only works if we use it appropriately. Nothing worse than seeing both bays booked with no one on site. Make every attempt to update your events with as much lead time as possible, but most im-portantly delete it if not used.

Alpha has been able to continue maintaining a high level of cleanliness as most work above and beyond to leave the facility better than they found it. Such efforts are both noticed and greatly appreciated.

However, on more than one recent occasion, the range bays have not been quite right... Here are some reminders to consider:

Be sure to report anything that gets broken

to help eliminate down time between repairs. Remember the floors must be left in good order. If shooting steel, use the vacuum or brooms to clear the entire floor as frag will slide all the way to the rear of the range. Red rolling tool carts are for gun table use only- DO NOT HAUL heavy steel targets, etc. In-stead, please use the new blue carts that are de-signed for load. Please clean the red carts after use. All brass, paster foils, etc., should be disposed in provided trash receptacle. Timers, dummy rounds, drills, etc., should be returned accordingly. Black Brass Barrels are for BRASS only. Please no steel, aluminum cases, shot gun shell hulls, or trash. If your brass flies into the area shared with the standing steel targets, then you need to sweep around the steel targets. While .22 brass is small, IT NEEDS TO BE SWEPT UP. Specific shell sorters designed to sift and capture .22’s are located in each bay- please use them and drop the brass in the donation can. If you can not safely lift / move the steel tar-gets without dropping them, then please do not use the steel targets. Enjoy the paper and cardboard options. Only paint steel targets when downrange and plywood is underneath to avoid drips on the floor. Do not drag any steel targets or steel wall bases on the floors as it damages them. Plastic bar-rels may be dragged. Both white and black trash bags are stored under the hallway sink. If the trash can is filling up, please be willing to take the trash out and replace the bag. 2x4’s are for supporting the coroplast wall sections. Please use 1x2’s for holding cardboard targets.

Thank you in advance for helping to keep Alpha clean and safe for all!

Facility Cleanliness

Google CalendarHousekeeping Issues to help keep Alpha the best it can be...

2

After one-and-a-half years of use, a restoration project has begun to return the Battle Walls to like-new condition. As many have inquired how the system works, I thought it appropriate to share information and photos of the first restoration sequence to shed light on one of Alpha’s very unique facility attributes. First, a review of the Battle Wall system. When shot at a 90-degree perpendicular angle, a bullet pen-etrates the 1.5” rubber tile, a 3/4” sheet of plywood (if plywood still exists!), past a 1 1/2” air gap, and then strikes a 1/4” AR500 4’x8’ steel sheet that has been bolt-ed to the wall. The round flattens out and falls to the bottom of the void along with a mass of splintered ply-wood pieces. The self-sealing rubber tile can make it impossible to even tell the wall has been hit. However, when the wall is struck with a round approaching at an angle less than 90 degrees, a num-ber of outcomes may occur. The bullet may travel side-ways through the rubber and end up laying on the floor by the front of the trap in near perfect shape (no- do not reload those!). The bullet may also skid between the rubber and plywood until losing momentum and “nesting” between the layers. You may have noticed the rubber tiles appear to bulge away from the wall- this is what’s happening when that appearance is present. Minor repair is completed by loosening the tile and brushing out debris. I perform this step often, but after heavy use, full restoration is required as the ply-wood can disintegrate yielding no material to screw the rubber tiles to. To date, 16’ of wall have been fully restored in East Bay with more slated soon. While Alpha’s Battle Walls total a length of 160’, not all require service at this time as areas toward the rear of the range have only re-ceived light use. From inspection, about 60’ of more wall are anticipated requiring service. While somewhat of an experiment, the longev-ity of the rubber tiles themselves is constantly assessed. Once they begin to break apart, they will need to be re-tired and new tiles installed. To date, integrity remains and their service life continues. As always, please perform a safety check before engaging the Battle Walls to ensure the tiles are still in tact and not lifted off the walls due to nesting where rubber edges can be exposed / create a bounce hazard. Please continue to report any such instances so I can ensure we always have a safe shooting environment.

Battle Wall Restoration Many have been kind to offer assistance and vol-unteer time to lend a hand in the restoration process. Much appreciated and I will send a “volunteer com-munity” work date email at a later date for anyone who would like to swing by and lend a hand.

Complete plywood and stud disintegration where targets are typically hung / greatest use. AR500 steel in perfect shape.

Replacement studs bolted to steel provide furing for new plywood.

2-hours later, tiles are installed and job is completed.

3

Alpha Range Tee Shirts Back In Stock

Alpha is very glad to announce a new ship-ment of tee shirts including a wider selection of colors. More importantly, these shirts are 100% made in the USA. It took extra effort to find US made products that met quality standards at an af-fordable price, but these are worthy of the Ameri-can Flag printed on their sleeves! Male sizes range from M to 3XL, and are offered in gray, slate gray, navy, and black. Female style cut shirts are also available and range in sizes M to XL. Colors for the girls include white, navy, and black. Male shirts are hanging in the back hall and female shirts can be found in a box underneath the east end of the make-ready table. All styles include multiple colored silk screen printing on the chest, back, and left sleeve. And all shirts are offered for $12.00. Sim-ply find one you like and deposit the money in the white pay box.

Rule #1: If it’s got an American Flag printed on it, then it better be made in America! New Alpha shirts are here and are 100% Made in the USA.

4

By – John Krupa III

How many times have you been at the range and thought “What do we do if someone gets shot or injured during training?” You’d be surprised to learn that there are a lot of range facilities that do not have a posted Emergency Medical Action Plan (EMAP) in place to deal with serious on-site inju-ries! Sure, they may have a policy protocol estab-lished in their range operations manual, but who is responsible for executing it? Have they been trained appropriately on how to respond to medical emer-gencies and what resources are available on site to actually deal with serious injuries? If you do ask that question at the range, most of the time the response will be to use the first-aid kit that is available on site and to call 911 for serious injuries. It’s obvious that there needs to be a much more detailed plan other than just slapping a band-aid on a wound and waiting for EMS to arrive. It has been my experience when inquiring about EMAP’s at range facilities that they are not all prepared to deal with serious medical emergencies and lack proper equipment & training to deal with trauma injuries. So let’s explore some steps on how to estab-lish a reliable EMAP and how it can be implement-ed so students, instructors and range staff alike will know these procedures and what actions to take at the onset of each training evolution.

Start out by acquiring medical supplies and build medical kits that can be easily identified and accessible on the range. I recommend building a First-Aid Kit, a Trauma Injury Kit and AED Kit. The First-Aid Kit is typically built using a heavy duty plastic tool box or tackle box that is orange or yellow in color. Use an indelible black marker to write FIRST AID KIT on the front, back and sides of the box in large letters so it can be eas-ily identified. The First-Aid Kit will include all of the essen-tial medical supplies that will be used for non-seri-ous injuries and will be accessed regularly to treat small scrapes, cuts and other minor injuries. This kit should be monitored on a regular basis to ensure that used items are replenished. The Trauma Injury Kit is typically built us-ing a heavy duty plastic tool box, tackle box or soft canvas bag that is RED in color. Use an indelible black marker to write TRAUMA KIT on the front, back and sides of the box or bag so it can be easily identified. The Trauma Injury Kit will include all of the essential medical supplies that are needed to treat serious trauma injuries such as; hemorrhage control, deep lacerations, penetrating puncture wounds, gunshot wounds, sucking chest wounds and tension pneumothorax. While this kit will rarely, if ever, be accessed (hopefully you won’t need to use this kit!) it should also be monitored regularly so items with expi-ration dates can be rotated out and replaced with fresh supplies. The Trauma Injury Kit should ONLY be ac-cessed for serious injuries and by personnel that have been properly trained in TCCC (Tactical Combat Casualty Care) or training of equivalent level.

The following article will be published in both an upcoming issue of Illinois Cops Magazine and an Action Target Newsletter. It has been shared with Alpha by the author, John Krupa III, of the Spartan Tactical Training Group (STTG).

Many of us in the Alpha Community know John well and have him to thank for much of our formal tactical training. New to Team Spartan or well versed, be sure to see STTG’s upcoming class schedule at Alpha listed on pages 7-8 of this newsletter. Plus read about STTG’s 20th Anniversary Gun Give Away for 2015 on page 8.

Emergency Medical Action Plans for Live-fire Range Operations

5

The AED Kit (Automated External Defibril-lator) is something that every range facility needs to acquire and have available at all times. While AED units can be purchased new, with a little work searching on the Internet, you should be able to find a source that will donate a decommissioned unit for your facility. The First-Aid Kit, Trauma Injury Kit and AED Kit should be kept on-site where the training is actually taking place and immediately accessible. These kits will be useless if they are kept in a range building down the road or in a vehicle parked 100 yards away! The next step is to establish a communi-cation protocol to contact 911 for EMS response. While hard line phones may be on-site, they might not be immediately accessible on the range. I rec-ommend assigning at least (2) range staff members or students with reliable cell phone service to keep their phones with them on the range in the event a 911 call needs to be made. Another option is to have a police radio on the range for direct contact with dispatch. Assign (2) people to emergency call duties in case one of them is the person that is in-jured. Create a laminated handout, outlining the EMAP, that can be kept on the range and accessible with the medical kits. The handout should contain the physical address of the range facility, GPS co-ordinates (for Life Flight dispatch) and the direct phone number to EMS dispatch. The direct num-ber is important, as a 911 call on most cell phones may not always reach the dispatch center for the area you are training at. Having the direct number to dispatch available, the people assigned to emer-gency call duty can pre-program that number into their cell phones. Include the name, address and phone num-ber to ER of the closest Level 1 Trauma Center in the laminated handout in the event the decision is made to use one of the vehicles on site to grab & go vs. waiting for an ambulance. Sometimes it may be quicker to drive someone to the local hospital vs. waiting for EMS to respond. If you do decide to grab & go, make sure a phone call is made to the hospitals ER in transition from the range to the

hospital to notify them of what you have and ETA to ER. In summary; review the EMAP with ev-eryone at the beginning of each training evolution during the range safety briefing. Show everyone in the class where the medical kits will be located on the range. Identify range staff that are TCCC qual-ified. Identify any students in the class that might have a medical skills background and recruit them to assist the range staff, should a medical emergen-cy occur. Assign at least (2) reliable people on the range to emergency phone call duties and verify the direct dispatch number, GPS coordinates and range address with them. Make sure they know where the laminated EMAP handout is located with this in-formation.Lastly, if a serious injury incident does occur, wheth-er you decide to wait for EMS or grab & go to the hospital, be sure to secure the area where the inci-dent occurred as responding LEO’s will be required to process that area as part of their investigation. It is also recommended that anyone that witnessed the incident remain on scene for LEO debrief. If you follow these procedures and develop a sound EMAP, you’ll be ready to handle any emer-gency medical situation that occurs on your range. As always, stay safe, remain vigilant and Fight to Win!

Bio - John is a police officer with the Orland Hills Police Dept. (IL.) and has over 24 years of experi-ence in law enforcement. He has previously served as a patrol officer, FTO and firearms instructor with the Chicago Police Dept. He is a recipient of the Award of Valor, Silver Star for Bravery and Distin-guished Service Award for his actions in the line of duty. He is a certified Master Firearms Instructor from PTI and graduate firearms instructor from the Secret Service Academy, FBI, DEA and FLETC. He holds the rating of Distinguished Weapons Expert with the Department of Homeland Security and has presented numerous courses at training confer-ences across the country including ASLET, IALE-FI and ILEETA. John can be reached at – jkrupa@teamspartan.com

6

Alpha is very proud to have John Krupa III and Spartan Tactical Training Group back with us the Winter Season.

While many of us already have a wealth of experi-ence training with John, some have yet to have had an opportunity to join Team Spartan.

With some late season 2014 course already com-pleted at Alpha, there are still many great upcom-ing training opportunities to consider. For those of you who have expressed interest, please review the following list of courses at Alpha.

Additionally, please check Team Spartan’s website for the full 2015 training schedule, course descrip-tions, and registration for upcoming events at Alpha and elsewhere at teamspartan.com, or watch our own Alpha Google calendar for listings.

If you are new to STTG, please contact John di-rectly at: jkrupa3@aol.com to help identify the best course to start your training.

And to make things better yet, STTG is offering discounted course prices to help celebrate it’s 20th Anniversary and a special gun giveaway.

FebruaryFebruary 07-08:2-Day Intro to the Semi-Auto Pistol ($295)

February 09:1-Day Basic Defensive Pistol Course ($160)

February 14-15:2-Day IL CCW ($295)

February 21-22:2-Day Concealed Carry Strats & Tactics ($295)

March March 07-08:2-Day Intro to the Semi-Auto Pistol ($295)

March 09:1-Day Basic Defensive Pistol Course ($160)

March 14-15:2-Day Dynamic Room Entry Handgun ($295)

March 21-22:2-Day Advanced Concealed Carry Techniques ($295)

March 28-29:2-Day Low-Light Strats & Tactics ($295)

7

AprilApril 11-12:2-Day Intro to the Semi-Auto Pistol ($295)

April 13:1-Day Basic Defensive Pistol Course ($160)

April 18:1-Day IL CCW (*check prerequisite) ($160)

“Spartan Tactical Training Group celebrated it’s 20th anniversary on January 3, 2015!

To commemorate the hundreds of distinguished train-ing programs we presented to thousands of students across the country over the last 20 years, we are proud to announce that we will be giving away 12 firearms throughout 2015 as a tribute to this milestone.

We have worked very hard over the last year to compile an awesome collection of firearms for this event and it will be our pleasure to present them to the 12 lucky win-ners that win them!

Whether you are a returning Spartan Alumni or first time student attending a class with us, this is our special way of saying Thank You for helping Spartan Tactical Training Group become one of the most prominently recognized training companies in the United States!

Information about the gun giveaway rules, eligibility and list of firearms are listed below. Good Luck!”

-John Krupa III

Special 20th Anniversary

Gun Giveaway Announcment

from Team Spartan:

On Wednesday, January 14, Alpha hosted a tri-al run for McHenry IDPA (McIDPA).

McIDPA currently runs once a month at On Target in Crystal Lake, but had interest to run a “special series” match at Alpha. As IDPA (International Defensive Pistol Association) is tactically orientated, Alpha’s Battle Walls al-lowing the ability to run 180 degree live fire, af-fords the league new and welcomed flexibility for course of fire design.

While McIDPA remains happy at On Target for their larger-enrolling monthly meets, the concept was “kicked around” to run a lighter, more experienced, squad at Alpha to afford more trigger time each month. Plus a change in shooting environments can always be a good thing.

The January 14th match provided for 5 courses of fire and was attended by 24 shooters, 8 of them current Alpha Pass Holders.

After a successful and fun evening, Alpha is proud to have McIDPA join us once a month for the remainder of their 2015 Winter / Spring season. 2016 and beyond looks like a great possibility as well!

As IDPA is more tactically-based then IPSC/USPSA, it fills a void in Alpha’s current offer-ings. And same financial advantage to all our pass holders interested in taking part: save the $10 range fee portion of the registration.

More information can be found at www.mcid-pa.com, or email Herb and I will assist getting you pointed in the right direction.

8

This range report is way overdue... So much so that I will not just be reviewing one of PST’s fan-tastic courses, but three different 2.5 day training courses that I had the opportunity to take part!

A little over a year ago, PST joined Alpha’s fami-ly of in-house training companies. While Spartan Tactical draws from decades of law enforcement background, PST methodology draws from exten-sive combat-tested military techniques, taught by a Team of combat-proven, active duty, Operators. For those interested in expanding their training and skills to include both law enforcement and mil-itary techniques, Alpha is very glad to have oppor-tunities from two great companies.

While PST offers a number of courses and contin-ues to expand their offerings, I had the opportunity to take part in two curriculums hosted at Alpha: In-tro thru Advanced Pistol and Intro thru Advanced Carbine, along with PST’s 2.5 day Carbine Seminar at The Site in Mt. Carroll.

PST’s typical class format spans 2.5 days. Basic is covered on the half-day, intermediate skills are developed in the first full day, and advanced tech-niques culminate in the final day. Students may

Example of one of the many Facade set-ups. A live-feed “projection” experience awaits students. Mistakenly shoot a facade and earn the honor to Sharpee your name next to your handywork... Wall of Shame!

Intermediate Carbine Course Facade Set-Up at Alpha. Elaborate Courses of Fire focusing on tar-get discrimination, movement and cover require-ments.

Range Report: Permanent Solutions

Tactical Handgun & Carbine

2.5 Day Carbine at The Site in Mt. Carroll, Illinois: a peremier outdoor facility.

sign up for all or just part, but must meet skill level requirements in order to advance.

Very unique about PST is the student to teacher ra-tio. Among the three courses that I took part, ra-tios grew no greater than 2:5 instructor to student. Most courses were 3:5. Performance debrief was very meaningful with this many eyes-on.

Evolutions start with fundamentals, some of which I admit were new for me. Simply put, military ra-tionale differs from law enforcement technique. But rationale is thoroughly explained and it’s quick-

9

ly understood where and why such techniques are of great value. Different tools to train up on and have in the box to draw from... Never a bad thing!

Quals are constant and really speak to your devel-opment. Skill sets build logically, but pace is not slow. Rather, the student is exposed to a number of drills and instructed on how to execute the drill properly. Feedback is thorough and constant for how to improve with extra drill ideas to help you reach proficiency. But time does not allow to re-run drills to the point of mastery. Instead, the next evolution begins and you’re left knowing what you need to work on and develop on your own train-ing schedule. This was invaluable to me: I would much rather be introduced to numerous drills and be given the knowledge for how to identify proper technique that I can take to my own training time. After all, that’s what having a facility like Alpha is all about...

PST courses utilize technology at a very high lev-el for assessment, critique, and review. Through different media, PST can visually show the shooter how well they measure up vs. the standard. Com-paring your time on a shot clock is great, but it is significantly more meaningful to watch a split screen video comparison of your performance vs. the “benchmark’s” to see where you lost time, made extra movement, etc.

At every step, the instructors make certain the stu-dent understands what they can do to improve. The critique is done in a positive, and most impor-tantly, personalized manner. A performance vid-eo montage is also part of the culminating packet each student is given upon completing the course. Humbling to critique your own video and recog-nize both strengths and weaknesses.

You can find PST’s course list, dates, and descrip-tions at: http://www.forgingelitemindsets.com/. You can also see their events on the Alpha calendar and click there to find more information.

10

As Four Leaf Training is on teaching hiatus, PST has graciously taken on the role of running the new Alpha Pass Holders competency training to fulfill “new guy” requirements. Beyond safe handling and movement, PST’s mindset and values permeate the curriculum and help new shooters acclimate to Alpha.

Regardless of what I can share about PST courses and curriculum, I cannot speak more highly of the instructors. It is an honor to train with their squad and have PST as a part of Alpha.

Sending it long out at The Site from the 600 yard line. Please find brochures for The Site at Alpha or visit their website at: thesitetraining.com/. Both PST and STTG have upcoming class-es at The Site during the warmer months.

2015 2015 Armament Technology LWRC HK CRYE Precision Eotech Kershaw Action Target Kifaru Night Force EmersonElcan Surefire

2015 2015 Accuracy

International Aimpoint Larue Yeti

Benelli MilitecNighthawk CZ Custom

Blueguns BarrettVegas Baby...

The 2015 SHOT Show took place again this year in Las Vegas. With over 1,500 exhibitors and 64,000+ in attendance, it was the second highest on record. While not open to the general pub-lic, manufacturers, sales reps, press, and “people in the industry,” comprise the swarm.

Heading to SHOT, I was told to wear good shoes and get ready for some long hours. And that three full days were not enough to take in the whole show... Advice was spot on.

Teaming up with PST, STTG, and a few fellow Alpha-ites, we did our best to see it all, meet

some new friends, make new contacts, and of course, take advantage of our time in Vegas.

So what’s to come from our labor? Still too early to tell as proper development takes time, but Alpha is working toward making strategic alliances to expand our scope and offer select merchandise at significant savings to our Pass Holder Community.

Please watch for display samples to start show-ing up at Alpha. Pass holders will have an op-portunity to test run selected equipment and if desired, place orders.

11