Epurata PoLice DEPARTMENT TRADITION * SERVICE * HONOR Dear Ladies and Gentlemen of Adamstown Borough Council, Dally, the media reports on police involved armed encounters. From, active shooter/attack, to criminal armed confrontations. Shortly after these headlines make the news, it’s immediately followed by securitizing the police officer(s) response and tactics. The public questions the necessity of the force when used by the police and often wants to understand how proper training generates a better outcome. Here at the Ephrata Police Department, our firearms training is paramount in the application of use of force training. We train in lethal and non-lethal techniques, under most environmental circumstances. From a standing interview to vehicle stops. The jons of the use of force is one we split-second decisions of the legal and proper apy hold to higher standards and far above the Commonwealth's minimum requirements. We constantly and consistently train officers to “neutralize the threat”. We define “threat” as; a declaration of the intention to inflict serious bodily harm, pain, or death, ‘an indication of imminent serious bodily harm, danger, or death, and/or a person or thing that is regarded as dangerous or likely to inflict serious bodily harm or death. We define “neutralize” as; to render or become ineffective or neutral by counteracting and/or to render incapable of further action. Obviously, our officers are not involved in shootings on a dally basis. Even though this a low frequency event it is high risk, therefore we train diligently. It is our sincere hopes that our officers can go through their careers without having to experience a deadly shooting encounter. However, officers are experiencing encounters with potentially 1124 SourH Stare STREET © EPHRATA, PA 17522-2411 (717) 738-9200 « Fax (717) 738-9224violent people on, at least, a monthly basis and the possibility of an armed encounter always exists. Therefore, firearms training is essential to this high liability topic. Currently, the Ephrata Police Department utilizes a firearms training range that is controlled and operated by a neighboring police agency. Occasionally, this causes scheduling conflicts and forces our agency to submit to schedule changes and their range configuration. Furthermore, training must continue during adverse weather conditions, such as thunderstorms that occur on our scheduled day(s), because rescheduling may be difficult. Additionally, the firearms training, range is outside of the Ephrata Police Department's jurisdiction. The following information is a submission to the Adamstown Borough Council requesting the construction of @ firearms training range, within the boundaries of Adamstown Borough. The location of the proposed training range is in the area of 400 Adamstown Road. ‘The benefits of having a consistent place to train are numerous; however, we believe these benefits are the five most important and relevant. 1. Our Range Rules - Training can and will be held to our standards; to include, policy, safety standards, and maintenance. Our safety plans would be shared with local fire and EMS services and we could invite those emergency services to incorporate their training and train with us. This will create opportunities for active integrated response training. Our core safety rules are those used by the National Rifle Association (NRA). 2. Availability and Ability to Train Locally - This benefit will provide us with opportunities to have maximum training contact with less travel time; cutting costs (travel and overtime due to travel time). Instructors would not have to travel outside the jurisdiction to test weapons after making necessary repairs. Furthermore, officers will have the ability to qualify while on-duty. Most importantly, we wouldn't be restrained from training due to another police department's control over scheduling.3, Storage of Range Equipment - Essential range training equipment can be secured and stored at the ‘arms training range. This will free space within the police department and reducing transportation usage. Currently, an enclosed trailer is towed to and from range facilities. 4, Active Threat and Reality-based Training ~ We would have the ability to utilize our instructors to their full potential by providing reality-based training environments. We have the control to train with real-life obstacles, barricades, and vehicles; the ‘everyday barriers an officer may encounter during an armed confrontation. Team and group exercises can be incorporated providing training opportunities with the ability to shoot and engage targets in three different directions. The firearms range can be configured in ways to benefit our training philosophies and environments. 5. Ecologically Responsible - We are responsible for the environment of the range. Proper care and cleaning are our responsibility. Certainly, there are questions, and our goal is to answer those questions and provide information regarding the justification of a firearms range. Our hope is to ease any concerns and be provided with the opportunity to construct the firearms range and train within Adamstown Borough Weapon Calibers Currently, each officer with the Ephrata Police Department is issued a duty handgun. Patrol officers are issued a Glock, model 21. In addition to the Glock, model 21, the Detectives of the Investigations Section and the School Resource Officer are issued the Glock, model 30. Both models fire 45 ACP, Furthermore, the police department authorizes the use of a 12-gauge Mossberg, pump-action shotgun, and a Windham AR platform style “Patrol Rifle” that is chambered for 5.56/23.‘Additionally, officers are encouraged to carry a back-up/off-duty handgun. The secondary handguns vary in caliber and include; .38, .357, .380, 9mm, and .40. Finally, the Ephrata Police Department has three (3) members of the Lancaster County SERT Team, assigned as operators. ‘Two of those three operators are also assigned as Police Precision Marksman (PPM) and are ‘equipped with scoped rifies chambered for .308 caliber. Number of Rounds Fired, Training Days, and Shooting Times ‘The minimum number of training days, determined by police department policy, is sixteen (16). However, training days can exceed the minimum amount because weapon repairs and individual officer proficiency training will also dictate the number of days the firearms range will be used, up to 800 rounds of ammunition, per year. The per year. Typically, each officer will train estimated total number of rounds is 28,000 ~ 30,000. This includes all calibers and will also be dependent upon weapon repairs and individual officer proficiency training that are outside the normal scope of training. Police Officers with the Ephrata Police Department would not be discouraged from using the range. Those officers will be afforded the opportunity to practice their proficiency and will certainly add to the number of days that the range is used. Also, when an officer is injured and/or requires surgery and/or time off from work, that officer must qualify on the respective weapons prior to returning to official duty. These events are not predictable and will add to the number of range days. Typically, the firearms range will be used between 8:00 AM and 4:00 PM. However, police officers are also required to be proficient during hours of darkness. Training days that will begin after 4:00 PM will require neighborhood notification thirty (30) days prior to such training. Neighbors to the firearms range will be provided with written notification and contact numbers,Mutual aid with Other Police Departments Other police departments will not be permitted to use the firearms range without the Ephrata Police Department. There are numerous occasions when the Ephrata Police Department Is called upon to assist surrounding agencies with various types of incidents, sometimes critical incidents that involve the use of force. With that being said; it is important that when assisting other ‘agencies, those agencies have an understanding of the techniques and skills being taught to the officers of the Ephrata Police Department and vice versa. Officers encountering an armed confrontation don’t have the luxury of focusing on wondering if the officer from the neighboring agency Is engaging the threat. Mutual aid provides opportunities for agencies to train together. Training together gives the officers confidence to know that the neighboring agencies are training and learning the same techniques. In doing this, officers can be confident in their skills and the skills of the neighboring ‘agency when receiving and providing assistance with armed and/or potentially violent encounters. ‘One necessary evil that weighs heavy on everybody's mind is the possibility of engaging an active shooter. Whether that engagement occurs at a church, a local business, or a school; one single agency, in this area, will not be able to handle that devastation alone. It will be of upmost importance that multiple agencies have the same training mindset and skills when confronting an active shooter incident. If other agencies train at the firearms range; it will be with officers from the Ephrata Police Department, our firearms instructors, our rules, and under our control. Furthermore, those police agencies will be required to have insurance for their officers for use on our range and the insurance will be filed with the Ephrata Police Department.Utilization of Vehicles on the Range Force Science Institute® is a leading source of information to police agencies. The institute conducts high quality scientific research, presents findings at academic conferences, and Division of publishes scholarly works in a variety of academic and professional outlets. Thi Training puts research into practice by educating administrators, trainers, investigators, attorneys, officers, and other legal professionals in the application of Force Science concepts during their use of force investigations, training, and work in the field (Force Science Institute, website page). In an article published by Force Science Institute, written by Chuck Remsberg (2018), a report from the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF) and the federal DOJ covered 2 seven-year period from 2010-2016. Besides analyzing calls for service, the study conducted by NLEOMF and DO} rates the relative threats of officers’ self-initiated enforcement activities, specifically traffic stops and investigations of suspicious persons and vehicles (Chuck Remsberg 2018). Traffic stops resulting in fatal assaults on officers dominated this category, accounting for more than half of the officer deaths. In 21%, the attack occurred before the officer made contact with the violator, mostly while exiting the squad car or approaching the stopped vehicle. The report also provided information regarding ambushes and revealed that over 60% of the officers assaulted by ambush during the study period were not on a call or engaged in any enforcement activity. One in five of those ambushed were seated in their patrol vehicles (Chuck Remsberg 2018) ‘Amore recent article published by Force Science Institute, written by Dr. William Lewinski (2019), addresses the “Keys to Training Excellence”. As integrated training is developed, instructors must continually assess the reality of the experience. Well designed, scenario-based training is as close as police officers can get to real-world experience throughout training. The reality of the training,reaps benefits far beyond the normal benefits of scenario-based training (Or. William Lewinski 2019). Of the 55 police officers that were feloniously killed in 2018; 51 were killed with firearms (37 of those were handguns), 23 were slain when less than 5 feet from the offender, 4 were killed with their own weapon, and 36 of those officers were assigned to vehicle patrol (FBI/UCR 2018). The majority of the officers feloniously killed in 2018, were assigned to patrol. The Patrol Section of the Ephrata Police Department is the largest section of the police department, consisting of more than 82% of the officers employed. Based on these publications and the research, provided by these highly respected organizations and professionals, the firearms instructors with the Ephrata Police Department strive to develop training that is realistic and puts the officers in real-life situations, The reality-based training will include vehicles, among other daily obstacles, in order to place the officers in the environment closest to these statistics. This type of training will hopefully prepare the officers and provide them with the proper mindset and skills to be able to survive armed encounters, such as the encounters studied and described. Range Construction, Control, and Safety jon (NRA), “Range When considering the construction of the range, the National Rifle Associ Source Book” (RSB), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), “Best Management Practices for Lead at Outdoor Shooting Ranges” (BMP), were reviewed for recommendations and ideas. ‘An estimated 9,000 non-military outdoor ranges exist in the United States. The most common bullet containment system at rifle and pistol ranges is the earthen backstop, located directly behind the targets. Furthermore, vegetative ground cover, such as grass, is an important and easy erosion control method. Vegetation provides several benefits by minimizing the amount of ead that will run off the land surface during heavy rainfall. It is important to use a mixture ofgrass seed to ensure that cover will last into the future. Grasses yleld the greatest benefit at rifle ranges where the bullet impact areas are sloped, and water runoff and soil erosion may be more likely. in addition to vegetative ground cover, lime spreading is an easy, inexpensive and effective way for preventing lead migration (EPA/BMP 2005). Lead removal will allow the range to avoid contamination and potential impacts to health and the environment. Lead is a recyclable and finite resource and can be recovered from the active portions of ranges and sold to lead reclaimers. The best practices to lead management are to control and contain lead bullets and lead fragments, prevent migration of lead to the subsurface and surrounding surface, remove the lead from the range and recycle, and documenting activities and keeping records (EPA/BMP 2005). In addition to lead, sound abatement is another concern. Sound levels can be significantly reduced through good design. By blocking the line of sight or the direct path from the firearms to the receiver, the major component of the sound is minimized. The most common type of sound abatement used on shooting ranges is barriers. Cover or a roof at the firing line is a ‘common starting point in noise control. Trees should be close to the range for optimal results (NRA/RSB 2012). Range control serves to provide rules and supervision that encourages safe, healthful, and proper use of a range facility. Rules and regulations must be established for the firearms range. Traditionally, range warning signs are posted at 100-foot intervals around the range perimeter. Where necessary, use dual language signs. Sign colors should be highly visible, such as yellow or blaze orange. Red safety flags around the perimeter will also alert would-be trespassers (INRA/RSB 2012). The firearms range will consist of ten (10) shooting lanes (see attached diagram). Lanes 1-8 will each be 6 feet wide and 150 feet long. Lanes 9-10 will each be 12 feet wide and 300 feet long, ‘The side and impact berms will be approximately 24 feet wide at the base, 4-10 feet wide at thetop, and approximately 20 feet tall. The ground cover will Include a mixture of grasses, to include fescue grass. The range is surrounded by trees and will have 2 roof constructed at the firing line. The parking area will be gravel. A Porta Potty/Poly John will be on-site for bathroom facilities, with portable water for health and hygiene. Trash receptacles will be placed at the range facility for household type trash and brass collection. ‘As recommended by the NRA; flag poles with red flags will be posted at each corner of the firearms range. “No Trespassing” and “Warning” signs will be highly visible and posted around the perimeter of the range at intervals of no more than 100 feet. “Police Live Fire Training” signs will also surround the range perimeter. The access gate to the property is already secured with ‘a lock and the area will be patrolled regularly by the Ephrata Police Department. In addition to these safety measures, a firearms instructor will make an announcement with a PA system and siren from a marked police vehicle. The announcement will be made fifteen (15) minutes prior to range use. The announcement will be made three (3) times within the 15 minutes and will be accompanied by using the emergency siren. Borough of Adamstown Ordinance, Chapter 133. Firearms It is recommended that the Borough of Adamstown amend the firearms ordinance, specifically Chapter 133 -2 subsection C, to include; utilizing the firearms range located within the borough. Anticipated Start Date With the approval of the Borough of Adamstown, the Ephrata Police Department would begin clearing the perspective site as soon as possible. Construction of the actual range would begin during the spring of 2020. In closing, | would like to sincerely thank you for your time and consideration. This prospective ‘endeavor of building a firearms range is new to the Ephrata Police Department. However, | canassure you that we will follow the best practices described within this letter and continue to conduct ourselves with respect and professionalism. Respectfully, Kehneth Lockhart, Lead Firearms Instructor Ephrata Police Department CC: Borough Secretary, Sam Toffy Borough Solicitor, Josele Cleary Public Works Superintendent, Mike Palm Reference st tations Fore enc Instat: bts oreescionce orp Chuck Remsberg 2018). Whot Siootions Put You! Greate Risk On The Stee: New Report Retileved Hy, 81, 20:9 from toe//nw orcescenceocl 1 Willa Lewin 2039). eye to Training Excelence Reteved J 33,2019 from hips /w forcescince 1! US. Department of sie - Federal Bureau of Investigation - Criminal tie information Series Dison, FBI/UCR: 2018 Low Enforcement Offers led ond assoute. Retrieved ily, 33, 2019 rm hts//er fo sovcob/2038/ Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Bes! Manogement Practices fo Lead at Outdocr Shooting Ranges ne 2005. htasdirwn.e20g0u/eadbest monaqementproctices lod outdo? sheoia.ranges Naina ie Assocation INRA}, Range Source Book (2012)~— 48 ft —— 140 150 ft ® Oy ae 0 + Lanes 1-8 = 6 ft wide: each lane + Lanes 9 - 10 = 12 ft wide: each lane + Side Berm = 24 ft wide @ base 4-10 ft wide @ top 20 ft high + Table Stands = 5 @ 4’x 8’ each + Awning = 25' x 15" (wood/metal) + Storage Shed = 12' x 16" (enclosed) + Target Backers = 4' x 4’ Posts and 4'x 8’ sheets of plywood. Posts will be sleeved on concrete footer. + Flag pole with red flag + Gravel parking area