The Wake County Firearms Education and Training Center was abruptly and unceremoniously closed to ALL public use effective 1/15/2020. Fortunately, it has re-opened. Let's keep this unique facility open and available to the people of Wake County to whom it was dedicated!
This morning, Sheriff Baker gave a "State of the Sheriff" speech. It announced some important promotions within the WCSO, some discussion of clearing a permitting backlog and this tidbit about the Wake Range:
In December, Baker abruptly cut ties with a private contractor running the Wake County Firearm Education and Training Center outside Holly Springs, alleging the center was not making enough money.
The sheriff had planned to close the center to
the public and convert it to a law enforcement firing range only, but
Wake County Manager David Ellis soon announced the county would take
control and consider public access.
On Thursday, Baker said he looks forward to
working with the county staff and N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission to
opening it again. (Emphasis mine)
Seems like the Sheriff is cool with working with the Wildlife Resources Commission and re-opening the range. That's really good news for the return of public hours.
Keep watching to see how it all turns out.
Full article at the Herald Sun - https://www.heraldsun.com/news/local/crime/article240035038.html And more at CBS17 - https://www.cbs17.com/news/local-news/wake-county-news/wake-county-sheriff-gerald-baker-reflects-on-1st-year-in-office-announces-2-historic-promotions/ And more still at the N&O -https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/crime/article240041618.html
Read more here: https://www.heraldsun.com/news/local/crime/article240035038.html#storylink=cpy
It's not hard, after watching the video of the work group of the Wake County Commissioners, to conclude that the fix is in and in fact has been for awhile. RSM was treated like yesterday's news, the Sheriff is the highest priority for most if not all the Commissioners, the NC Wildlife Commission rode in on a white horse to save the day for the public except they're going to have to find out from the WCSO which days they can save first. Further, it's not clear whether or not the Wildlife Commission will be teaching CCH classes, NRA classes, hosting leagues or even fielding the "1 RO per range policy" that RSM adhered to. Does my WCFETC card still get me into the range during whatever public hours are allowed? What about my annual membership payment - do I get a refund? When and how will I know when the range is again open to the public? So many questions...
One thing that as of this evening is clear, the thousands-member family that was the Wake Range and RSM is over. The range as most know it will cease operations tomorrow, Jan 14th at 9pm. Damn shame that. Those people, that place, those times constituted a sense of community that those who are fond of publically preaching about "the community" can only aspire to. Respectful gratitude is due to Fred, Fritz and Eric, the owners of RSM, for (almost) 20 years of service and fun for the shooters of the entire region.
ABC11 is reporting that Kyle Briggs, deputy director for N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) has made the following statement:
"A partnership is truly a joint activity where we're not being paid for
our services. We're providing this to the public," said chief deputy
director for NCWRC Kyle Briggs. "Obviously, our shooting ranges that we
operate are always free to the public to use. So that would be our goal
in this partnership."
If we are to take Sheriff Baker's requirement that the public hours be profitable to the county seriously, charging the public $0 an hour as opposed to the $12 an hour the range get's now (that's cheap btw) is going to be an accounting nighmare for someone. Should be interesting...
There will of course be more to report over the next several weeks (and probably months) as we learn how and when the range will again open to the public. If you want to keep up with events then hit the email subscription link in the right hand column. We'll let you know what happens as we find out ourselves.
As Mr. Stough so adroitly points out, it's hard to make a business profitable when you have absolutely no control over anything affecting profitability.
Wake County will close its firearms training center to the public in January.
The Wake County Sheriff’s Office ended its
contract with Range Safety Management (RSM) LLC’s because of the
company’s “lack of profitability and a review that fees and funds
collected by RSM were not accounted for accurately,” according to a
Sheriff’s Office news release Wednesday.
“To the responsible gun owners who use the
facility, I understand your concern,” Sheriff Gerald Baker said. “This
decision was not made in haste. We will continue to review how to use
this training center that works in the best interest of all citizens,
while saving taxpayer money. Unfortunately, the current agreement only
met the needs of a few.”
The Wake County Firearms Education and Training Center, located near
Holly Springs, is used by the Sheriff’s Office and other law enforcement
agencies for training, and has been open to the public for shooting and
classes.
Mark Valletta is a member of a pistol league and shoots at the range
twice a month. He started a Change.org petition demanding the center
remain open. It had gained more than 1,100 signatures in under 24 hours.
“We will have nowhere to go,” he said. “We will have to try to find other facilities, if they even exist.”
Center finances
Questions about how much money the center was
getting from the sheriff’s office and the public were not answered by
the Sheriff’s Office or the county Wednesday afternoon.
But Fred Stough, one of three partners of RSM, said the sheriff’s statement was inaccurate.
The center was opened to the public from the beginning as part of a compromise over the county’s gun ordinance
and was never meant to be profitable, he said. The county prohibits
people shooting a gun within 100 yards of a home without permission of
the homeowner and within 100 yards of a “public building” likely to be
occupied. Giving the public access to the then-new firearms center gave
people a chance to practice their shooting.
A resident has to complete a range safety class
before being allowed to shoot at one of the ranges, which include 50
yards for pistols and rifles, and 100 yards for rifles. More than 25,000
people have completed that course and become members since the range
opened in the early 2000s, Stough said.
Some people shoot regularly and others come once a year to check their rifle scopes before hunting season.
Memos sent to the Sheriff’s Office from Wake
County this summer outlined a number of concerns within the sheriff’s
department including how “both the firing range and general WCSO
offices” were not following the county’s policy of handling cash. The
sheriff’s office recently rebutted those memos with nearly 200 pages of
his own documents.
The county’s cash-handling policies were recently revamped after the former Wake County Register of Deeds was charged and found guilty of embezzling money from her department.
Wake County did have concerns about how money was
handled at the firing range, but none was ever missing, Stough said.
The firing range doesn’t have an office, and the money for classes is
collected from an off-site post office box and processed at RSM’s
office, also off-site.
“We understand they had some concerns and talked
to us about it, but they did a full accounting every month,” he said.
“There was never a nickel missing when it was supposed to be there.”
Last month a civilian firearms instructor at the center accidentally shot himself in the leg while putting his gun back into his holster, The News & Observer reported.
It was the first accident where someone was shot
in nearly 20 years, Stough said, adding he didn’t know if the incident
contributed to the sheriff ending the contract.
“It’s not a matter of if, but when there is an accident,” he said. “Firearms are dangerous.”
Future plans at the center
There is a need for more training space for
local, state and federal law enforcement agencies, according to the
Sheriff’s Office news release.
“We are living in dangerous times,” Baker said.
“We need to have an ability to provide increased training opportunities
for our officers, so that they are prepared to face the dangers that may
await them every day they protect our neighborhoods.” This year’s budget
includes $100,000 to study whether a “simulation training facility”
could be added to the Wake County Firearms Training Center.
“The Sheriff ’s Office has requested the
construction of a training facility that will allow their employees to
conduct real life training in a simulated live ammunition environment
that would include configurable interiors for various scenario
training,” according to the budget approved by commissioners this year.
Simulation buildings and projectors are
frequently used as training tools for officers, including when there is
an active shooter threat.
A “simulation building” at Wake Technical
Community College’s Public Safety Education Center was part of a $349
million bond approved by voters in 2018. Officers already use a room
that looks like an apartment to investigate mock crimes like shootings
and domestic violence crimes. Wake Tech’s proposed simulation building would
allow for a mock city with streets, first-floor apartments, kitchens,
police and fire stations, The N&O previously reported.
Read more here: https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/counties/wake-county/article238507413.html#storylink=cpy
Read more here: https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/counties/wake-county/article238507413.html#storylink=cpy
Read more here: https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/counties/wake-county/article238507413.html#storylink=cp
Read more here: https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/counties/wake-county/article238507413.html#storylink=cpy
Read more here: https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/counties/wake-county/article238507413.html#storylink=cpy
County manager says Wake County will take over control of gun range
Posted December 18
Updated 10:38 p.m. Friday
Apex, N.C.
— The Wake County Sheriff’s Office said Wednesday it will shut down a
local shooting range next month because of financial concerns.
But on Friday night, WRAL learns that county leaders now say "not so fast."
Sheriff Gerald Baker canceled the contract for the Wake Firearms
Training Center in Apex, citing it lost money. Members of the public
started a petition, and on Friday, County Manger David Ellis informed
the sheriff that the county would take over control of the facility.
The manager says the county will find a balance between public and law enforcement use.
The sheriff's office has decided not to renew its contract with the
Wake County Firearms Education and Training Center, which provided
firearms training to the public.
Officials are working with the range's operator, Range
Safety Management LLC, to honor classes scheduled through Jan. 5,
authorities said.
Sheriff Baker said the contract with RSM wasn't renewed because the
range at 3921 Old Holly Springs Apex Road in Apex, was losing so much
money that the sheriff's office had to subsidize its operations for the
last seven years.
Also, a financial review found that fees and funds collected by RSM weren't accounted for accurately, he said.
RSM operators were notified of the move this week.
Last month, a civilian firearms instructor at the range shot himself in the leg while holstering his gun, authorities said.
Although the shooting range will remain available for law enforcement
training, Baker says Wake County needs more space to provide training
for local, state and federal law enforcement agencies.
"We are living in dangerous times," he said. "We need to have an
ability to provide increased training opportunities for our officers so
that they are prepared to face the dangers that may await them every day
they protect our neighborhoods."