Police Defensive Firearms Training

10/12/2026

Still a couple of seats left in the Pistol mOunted Optics class in Adams County, PA (just outside Gettysburg). Venue allows active or retired LE only.

Transition Your Agency to Pistol Mounted Optics for Fi****ms Instructors
Date: October 29, 2026, 0830-1630. October 30th, 1230-2100 **Note Hours on Day 2**
Tuition: $450
Hosted by: Biglerville PD
Attendees must be active or retired LE.
Classroom/Range: Adams County LE Range, 230 Greenamyer Ln, Gettysburg, PA 17325
Recommended you bring a lunch/drinks daily.
Class is designed for Agencies that are considering the transition to this technology, or Agencies that have already selected a make/model of pistol mounted optics (PMO's, also known as RDS). Current Fi****ms Instructors will learn how to transition their Agency to this accessory, including benefits of its use and policy considerations. Non-instructors will benefit from the training methodology to shorten the learning curve and transition to RDS.
Class (approx 3-4 hours) will discuss current technology, industry trends, and certain RDS features, mounting, maintenance, policy considerations, etc.. (We do not endorse a specific make/model of RDS but can help you drill down on pros and cons of various models and how they may be configured). Organized to help officers learn the efficient and effective way to utilize this tool, officers will avoid the common issues encountered when agencies employ this sighting system without effective transition training.
Students will zero their RDS, with explanations of the benefits of a zero, in real terms, at various distances. Dot size, expressed in MOA, will be thoroughly explained. RDS relationship to iron sights will be discussed. Myths regarding iron sight vs RDS qualifications will be dispelled.
Alternate aiming techniques, Weapons manipulations (loading/unloading, malfunctions), intuitive “target/threat focused” benefit of the RDS, and structured series of drills and exercises that will allow rapid skill acquisition, confidence, and increased proficiency with their duty handguns. Before and after skill tests will be conducted.
RDS benefits to veteran officers will be discussed. Advantages of RDS at distance will be discussed, demonstrated, and drilled.
Required Equipment:
• Duty Pistol equipped with RDS, 3+ magazines and 800 rounds am******on.
• Holster that that allows RDS on duty fi***rm and weapon-mounted white light
• Ball cap
• Eye protection
• Hand-held light
**Note: Limited number of “Loaner” PMO equipped pistols, holsters, magazines, magazine holders available for LE agencies who have not selected a specific optic/handgun combination.**
Fi****ms Instructors are encouraged to attend to learn how they might transition their agency to this technology. Non-instructors will benefit from the training methodology to shorten the learning curve and transition to RDS.
Register at policedft.com, under Schedule Tab. ** Contact PDFT for Department Invoice, if needed. [email protected]

10/11/2026

Thanks, Anthony, for the awesome review on the website!

"Best training I received in a long time. Ron taught me new skills and was 100% hands on to make you better."

10/11/2026

Thanks, Kevin, for the kind words and 5-Star on Google.

"3 weeks ago
Ron is truly a professional. If you want practical training that helps you build your skill, this is the man to see"

10/10/2026

https://www.forcescience.com/2026/03/stop-watching-the-clock-science-supports-a-flexible-approach-to-post-incident-interviews/

Should officers be interviewed immediately after a critical incident? Research on stress, sleep, and memory suggests a more flexible approach.

10/10/2026

10/10/2026

CALL TO ACTION! If you are a PA Law Enforcement Officer, or care about the proficiency of the Police Officers who serve you, you need to contact your State Senator and ask them to support this bill!

The measure just squeaked through the house Tuesday along partisan lines. While you are contacting elected officials, contact your local reps and ask why they didn’t support the bill. Our state is SO far behind in training and standards and will never gain ground until it is mandated through legislation. I cannot fathom the reasoning behind not supporting this measure other than typical partisan politicking.

Follow the bill here:
https://www.palegis.us/legislation/bills/2025/hb1604

10/05/2026

The image captures something many police officers, including myself, understand, but struggle to put into words: The fear of admitting that something is happening inside us that we can no longer control.

The officer is wearing the uniform. He is still recognizable as a cop. From the outside, people may see strength, authority, courage, and control. But behind him is something they cannot see, the darkness that has followed him home. It has its hands around him, inside his thoughts, covering his mouth and making him afraid to speak.

For many officers, that hand over the mouth may be the most powerful part of this image.

We spend our careers being trained to respond. Stay calm. Control the scene. Protect others. Make decisions when everyone else is overwhelmed. Somewhere along the way, some of us begin believing that those expectations mean we are supposed to control everything happening inside ourselves too.

So when the nightmares begin, we stay quiet. When we cannot sleep, we stay quiet. When anxiety, depression, anger, intrusive memories, guilt, hypervigilance, panic, or trauma begin changing who we are, we stay quiet.

Sometimes the fear of talking about it becomes almost as powerful as the symptoms themselves. It did for me.

What will my partners think? Will my supervisor look at me differently? Will they question whether I can still do my job? Will I lose my weapon? Will seeking counseling affect my career? Will people think I'm weak? Will I become "that officer" everyone whispers about?

That fear can convince an officer that suffering silently is safer than asking for help. It convinced me for years.

The shadow in this image represents what can happen when we continue feeding that silence. What begins as something manageable can slowly become something that follows us everywhere. To work, home, relationships, sleep, and the quiet moments when there is nothing left to distract us.

Seeking help does not erase the courage it took to put on the uniform. Sometimes asking for help requires a completely different kind of courage.

We need a culture in law enforcement where an officer can say, "I'm struggling," before those words become "I can't do this anymore." We need leaders who understand that officer wellness is not a poster on the wall or an annual training block. It is creating an environment where people genuinely believe they can speak without immediately fearing humiliation, isolation, retaliation, or the end of their careers.

I know what it is like to be afraid of what other officers might think about my mental health. I know what it is like to carry things silently because speaking about them felt dangerous. And I also know that silence did not make those things disappear.

There are police officers sitting in patrol cars, locker rooms, offices, and homes tonight fighting battles nobody around them knows exist.

The uniform should never become the reason someone is afraid to ask for help.

Speak. Reach out. Check on each other.

And when another officer finally finds the courage to tell you they are struggling, don't make them regret telling you.

Stop The Threat – Stop The Stigma. Sometimes the greatest threat isn't the darkness we're carrying. It's believing we have to carry it alone.

By Stop The Threat - Stop The Stigma Founder and Wisconsin Police Captain Adam Meyers, CPS - www.stopthethreatstopthestigma.org