STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE FOR THE DANVILLE CONSERVATION CLUB, INC ROGER KOONTZ MEMORIAL RANGE, LAKE AND CLUB GROUNDS Danville Conservation Club, Inc. 855 Sycamore Lane Danville, IN 46122 317-758-5107 www.dccsafety.com dcc.boardhost.com Effective Date: 03/08/2017
ORGANIZATIONAL INFORMATION The purpose and scope of the Danville Conservation Club, Inc. (DCC) is to: Promote hunter and firearm safety through education programs and range operation; and to create and foster a better public sentiment for the protection and responsible use of firearms. In 1946, the organization incorporated as The Danville Conservation Club with the express purpose of promoting conservation education, firearms safety and hunter education as well as promoting the protection of fish and game, securing laws for the better protection of fish and game and improving public sentiment towards the protection of fish and game. With the passage of time, the DCC has evolved and in recent years has concentrated its efforts towards promoting the responsible use of firearms through hunter safety and firearms education and affiliation with national organizations with similar goals. The club is affiliated with the Civilian Marksmanship Program. Members are able to use club membership to meet Proof of Membership requirements to purchase firearms and ammunition through the CMP and to participate in shooting programs. The DCC also promotes its agenda by being affiliated with the NRA through programs such as the Friends of the NRA and by conducting NRA sanctioned smallbore silhouette matches. The club maintains a lake for the benefit of its members. Fishing is restricted to members only. The adjacent property owners also have lake rights and participate monetarily in the upkeep of the lake and associated dam. The Club is a non-profit corporation organized under the laws of the State of Indiana. The officers consist of the President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer. Officers are elected annually and can serve a maximum of two terms with the exception of the Treasurer who can serve multiple years with consent of the membership. The Board of Directors (Board) consists of 7 members that are the governing body of the organization. Board members serve two year terms which are staggered such that 3 are elected one year and 4 the next. All decisions for the Corporation are made by a majority vote of the Board. Membership meetings are held on the 2 nd Wednesday of each month in the Clubhouse. RANGE CAPABILITIES The firearm portion of the range consists of four shooting benches at the firing line, a 50-foot steel trap, a 75-foot steel trap, a 50-yard berm and 100-yard berm. In addition, there are berms provided for silhouette targets at 60 and 77 meters and a berm at 50 yards that serves the 40 meter silhouette and and 50 yard benchrest targets shot from bench 1. The 50 and 75-foot steel traps are restricted to handguns in pistol calibers and rimfire rifles only. These 2
steel traps can easily be damaged by rifle calibers. The 50 and 100-yard berms are for all allowed calibers in rifle or pistol configuration. The 50-yard berm consists of approximately 10 ft. depth of dirt with a rear utility pole wall for support of the dirt berm. The 100-yard berm is a natural berm approximately 20 feet in height. The silhouette berms consist of small dirt berms. Due to their positioning, they have limited backstop for rounds that penetrate or overshoot the berm. These berms are restricted to rimfire calibers for silhouette / benchrest matches and practice. This is the only acceptable use of these berms. Personal protection firing at close range (less than 50 feet) is allowed at the 100-yard berm only and require that the member take special precautions to shoot at this distance. The firing line has a roof for weather protection only. In front of the firing line, a metal canopy extends 20 feet down range. This canopy provides support for ballistic panels forming an eyebrow over the shooting positions. These panels are positioned to stop any projectiles from arcing over the 100-yard natural berm and leaving the property. In addition, 2 x6 boards are suspended from the canopy to slow down projectiles that are too high to impact the 50 and 75 ft. berms. The west support wall of the canopy contains Styrofoam board insulation partially protected by plywood panels. This wall is for sound containment only and provides no ballistic protection. Benchrest style front supports and rear sandbags are provided for each of the four shooting positions. A container is provided for misfire or damaged ammunition. A plastic bucket is provided for reloadable brass that members may use if they do not wish to take their brass with them. A broom and dustpan are provided for clean-up. The firearm range is under 24-hour video surveillance. Range rules and safety reminders are posted in the firing line area. The Archery Range is comprised of the large field east of the firearm range, across the driveway. While there are no permanent backstops or shooting positions, the DCC provides archery targets for member use. Targets are located in a small locked shed attached to the southeast corner of the trap house. The contents of the shed and current combination may be obtained at any DCC meeting or by contacting one of the club officers. The targets are to be locked away in the shed upon completion of use by the member. When using the Archery Range, it is permissible to use compound bows and crossbows. No broadhead points are allowed. The It is recommended that the archers take up a position immediately east of the trap house and shoot in an easterly direction towards the north-south tree row. Archers should remain south of a line that represents an extension of the firearm shooting line when the firearms range is hot. 3
Danville Conservation Club, Inc. RANGE OPERATIONS The DCC Range is a self-service range available for use by members possessing a valid range card during established operating hours. During scheduled matches and live fire exercises for organized education classes, the range is closed to individual member activities. These activities are noted on the DCC website calendar and Match Schedule. All members are required to attend a Range Safety Orientation (RSO) when joining the DCC and at least every three (3) years thereafter. A range card is issued to each member that has met the RSO requirement and paid their dues for the current year. Access to the property is controlled by an automatic gate. Members joining after 3/1/2016 will receive one gate access card with their paid initiation fee upon completing the RSO. Gate access cards may be purchased by members that possess a current range card for a fee set by the Board. (this includes spouse members) Members pull up to the card reader located on the east side of the driveway and hold their card in front of 4
the reader until the gate begins to open. When the gate is fully open, members proceed through the gate to the range parking area. The gate will close automatically. When leaving the property, it is only necessary to pull up to the white post on the east side of the driveway. A proximity sensor will detect your vehicle and the gate will open and close automatically to allow exit. During scheduled activities, matches, and club meetings, the gate will be locked open and access to the property is uncontrolled. Members are to sign in and out on the sign-in sheet providing the time arrived, calibers shot and time of departure. Range cards are to be displayed on the person while using the range. Guests are allowed for a fee and require that the Guest and Member both sign a Member/Guest Acknowledgement Card. Minor children or grandchildren of members are not required to sign the Acknowledgement Card or pay a fee, but must be supervised by the member. Signing the Acknowledgement Card confirms that the member has explained the DCC Range Rules to the guest and he or she agrees to abide by them. The Acknowledgement Card and guest fees are to be placed in an envelope and deposited in the mail slot on the trap house door before bringing any firearms to the range area. Guests require special attention and must be closely managed by the member. Do not invite more guests than you can manage at any one time on the firing line. Severe rule violations seem to occur more often when a guest is present at the range. Violation of any range rule by the guest will be viewed as the member violating the rule. Both may be ordered to leave the range if rule violations occur on the firing line. RANGE COMMANDS: Flashing lights mounted under the canopy are used in conjunction with commands to signal the condition of the range. The switch to actuate the lights is located on the front center support post of the firing line roof. These lights shall be turned on ANY time that ANY person is down range for ANY reason. Firearms carried on the person in a holster are considered safe for the purposes of range commands for cold range conditions. They are not to be touched on a cold range and once removed from the holster are subject to firearms at the bench rules. CEASE FIRE: Called by anyone at any time an unsafe condition or emergency arises; Immediately take your finger off the trigger and place all firearms on the bench with muzzle pointed downrange; step back from the firing line and wait for further instructions. Do not handle any firearm during a cease fire. CLEAR: 5
Called to make the line safe; all firearms at the benches shall be unloaded, actions open and magazines removed; lay firearms on the bench with the muzzle pointed downrange or place in the rack; repeat the command CLEAR and make eye contact with the RSO; if you have a problem and cannot clear the weapon, call NOT CLEAR and wait for instructions from the RSO. LINE IS COLD: Called to allow shooters to advance beyond the firing line to retrieve spent casings or to service targets; all firearms at the benches shall be unloaded, actions open and magazines removed; flashing lights are turned ON; there shall be no handling of firearms in the racks or on the benches; no uncased firearms shall be brought to or removed from the range area. LINE IS HOT: Flashing lights are turned OFF; ear and eye protection is required for everyone in the range area; no person shall move past the firing line; use caution when leaning over a bench; while handling any firearm, keep the muzzle pointed downrange or up and never at another person or yourself. 1 All loaded firearms are to be pointed downrange only with finger off the trigger until ready to fire. In addition to the above commands, the following Silhouette Match Commands are used: SHOOTERS READY: Given approximately 15 seconds before the command of FIRE Rounds may be chambered Shooters may take aim FIRE Shooters have two and one-half minutes to complete the 5-shot course of fire. MAKE YOUR WEAPONS SAFE AND ROTATE: Open the chamber and insert an open chamber indicator Muzzle in a safe direction (up or downrange) Move your equipment counterclockwise to the next station 1 If the need arises to inspect the muzzle of your firearm, make sure the magazine is removed and action locked open. 6
Place your weapon on the bench, muzzle pointed downrange. MEMBER RESPONSIBILITIES Members shall obey all commands issued by the RSO. Members are expected to be aware of the rules and to obey them. Signs posted at the range are there to reinforce knowledge of the rules ensure there is no question or dispute between the members as to rule violations. Members are to coordinate with each other to minimize cold range needs for target placement. Individuals under the age of 18 must be accompanied and directly supervised by a member when shooting handguns. Individuals under the age of 16 must be accompanied and directly supervised by a member for all shooting activities. When shooting, rounds are expected to impact the berm or trap. If you don t know where your rounds are hitting, ask someone to spot for you. If rounds are hitting the dirt or missing the backstop, you must shoot from the bench only using some form of rest until you can reliably place your rounds in the target berm. The range is limited to slow fire with a pause of at least 3 seconds between shots. Shots are to be deliberate, well placed and controlled. Members should be aware of their personal limitations and those of their guests. You must have a reasonable level of firearms knowledge and experience to use the range without supervision. If a new member is inexperienced with firearms, they should schedule a time to meet with an Authorized RSO at the range to go over basic firearm safety and practice skills training to gain experience. See the last section of this document, OTHER DCC FACILITIES / CAPABILITIES for additional information. Members wishing to practice personal protection firing at close range (less than 50 feet) may do so at the 100-yard berm only. Flashing lights are to be turned on while the member proceeds to the 100-yard berm and takes up a position in front of the target area. All persons in the area must remain well behind the shooter. Drawing from a holster, double taps and rapid fire are NOT allowed anywhere on the range. Members should pick up their brass when practice is complete and be mindful that the range is closed to normal use while the flashing lights are on. Be courteous to other shooters waiting to use the range. Members are responsible to maintain a safe environment and to clean up the range upon completion of activities. Food and soft drinks are allowed on the firing line. Expended shell casings shall be picked up and deposited in the trash or recycle containers if not retained by the shooter. It is acceptable to leave rimfire brass in the grassy areas or the dirt in front of the shooting positions, but brass on the shooting benches and concrete pad should be swept up and put in the trash. A magnet is available for picking up steel casings from both the dirt area and the concrete. Paper targets should be removed and placed in the trash container along with any other trash on the firing line. The range should be left in a clean 7
condition when activities are complete. Members may help themselves to reloadable brass left in the recycling bucket. First come first served. RANGE SAFETY OFFICERS AND RULES ENFORCEMENT There are no provisions for a Range Safety Officer (RSO) to be on duty at the range outside of scheduled matches. It is the member s responsibility to follow the rules for safe operation of the range. When more than one shooter is present, one member, preferably a NRA Certified RSO, should be designated to act as the RSO. This person will be responsible for calling the range hot or cold, assuring that the range status lights are used and calling attention to range rules as needed. If there is a problem on the range resulting in an unsafe condition, NRA Certified RSOs that are authorized by the Board may take whatever action they deem necessary to correct the situation, up to and including immediate suspension of a member s range privileges and ordering that member to leave the property. A listing of names and contact information for the Range Safety Officers currently authorized by the Board to enforce the rules is provided in Attachment 1 of this document and will be posted at the Range. In the case of a non-certified member acting as an RSO, the member should call attention to the rules violation but is not obligated or authorized to take enforcement action. Members have a duty to report unsafe behavior to the DCC Chief RSO for investigation and further action as soon as possible. The date and time of the incident and a description of the issue are required. The offending member name is helpful but not required. See Attachment 1 for contact information to report an incident. Members who receive an immediate suspension of range privileges by one of the Authorized RSO s may request a hearing before the Board of Directors to consider reinstatement. Members that are reported by another member and found to have committed serious documented violations may be called to a hearing before the Board of Directors to consider suspension of their membership. In either case, the Board may order remedial training, levy fines or uphold the suspension which would result in cancellation of membership and de-activation of the member s gate access card. SHOOTING RANGE RULES AND REGULATIONS The following rules are posted at the range and are to be adhered to by all Members and Guests: GENERAL Range Hours: 8:00AM to 1/2 hour before sunset. Sunday hours: 12:00 noon to 4:00PM. Check the DCC Calendar for scheduled range activities. You must sign in and display your range card at all times while on the range. No alcohol or illegal drugs are allowed on the premises. Do not use the range if you are taking any over-the-counter or prescription medications that impact your judgment. Wear eye and ear protection when the range is HOT 8
Anyone can call a cease-fire at any time. Individuals under the age of 16 must be directly supervised by a member when shooting. Individuals under the age of 18 must be directly supervised by a member when shooting handguns. When there is more than one group of shooters at the range, one person should be designated to act as a range safety officer. TARGETS Use only paper or self-healing rubber swinger targets. No bottles, steel targets, cans, or targets of opportunity are allowed. No exploding targets are allowed. All targets must fit within the outline of the berm. No paper target holder may extend above the berm. FIREARMS All rifles, pistols, shotguns and muzzleloaders are allowed except: o o o NO full-auto machine guns, even with single set or semi-auto mode selector. NO.50 BMG or similar firearm. NO firearm fitted with Bump-Fire or Slide-Fire stocks or any device that replicates full auto fire. When approaching the range, be aware of its condition, Hot or Cold and act appropriately. Do not bring uncased firearms to the range area unless the range is Hot. When bringing firearms to the range area they should be either in a case or with the action open and pointed up. Be sure your firearm is safe to operate and that you operate it in a safe manner. Use only the correct ammunition specified for your firearm. NO tracer, armor piercing, incendiary or similar ammo is allowed on the DCC Range. When not in use, firearms on the bench or in the rack should have actions open and magazines removed. Chamber flags are recommended. Muzzle Discipline is required- keep firearms pointed in a safe direction at all times. On the range, this means UP or DOWNRANGE. All loaded firearms are to be pointed downrange only. Do not allow yourself to become distracted while handling a loaded firearm. Keep your finger off the trigger until ready to fire. THIS IS A SLOW FIRE RANGE. YOU MUST PAUSE FOR 3 SECONDS BETWEEN SHOTS. Your shots need to impact the target berm. If you don t know where they are impacting: o o o Shoot from a stable rest until you are competent with the firearm. Ask someone to spot for you to help determine impact points. When mounting a scope on your rifle, it should be bore sighted prior to shooting your 9
first rounds. o If you are inexperienced with shooting, contact a Range Safety Officer or other experienced shooter for help. When cleaning a firearm, make absolutely sure that it is unloaded. The action should remain open during the cleaning process and no ammunition shall be present in the cleaning area. Remove used targets, pick up brass, throw away trash and put things away before leaving the range. EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLANS In the event of an emergency at the range, call an immediate CEASE FIRE and CLEAR the line as soon as it is safe to do so. Any time that someone is seriously injured or falls unconscious for any reason, call 911. Provide the DCC address of 855 Sycamore Lane and any requested details Do not hang up on the 911 operator If someone is available, send them to open the gate and direct the 911 responders to the range. If nobody is available, tell the 911 operator that the range is located about 500 feet past the locked entrance gate. All witnesses present for the emergency should remain on the property until after the arrival of first responders or Law Enforcement. A DCC Officer or Board Member should be notified as soon as possible in the event of any emergency requiring a call to 911. When the emergency is over, each member that witnessed the event should make notes to individually document what they witnessed. Write down what you saw or heard and what actions you took, if any. Do not share information and only document what you personally witnessed. Notes are to be collected and provided to a DCC Officer or Board Member as soon as possible. A first aid kit is available for minor injuries. 10
OTHER DCC FACILITIES / CAPABILITIES THERE ARE NO ALCHOLIC BEVERAGES ALLOWED ON DCC PROPERTY AT ANY TIME FOR ANY REASON. CLUBHOUSE The DCC Clubhouse and grounds are available for rental for the fee set forth in the DCC Schedule of Fees. Contact the caretaker to reserve your date. A signed lease agreement is required for rental. Rental of the clubhouse includes use of chairs, tables, kitchen facilities and restrooms. The clubhouse is to be left in the same condition in which it is found. A deposit may be required in addition to the rental fee. Rental of the Clubhouse does not include fishing or range privileges. The range and lake are open to members during normal hours and use of the grounds will be subject to your acceptance of concurrent activities, including noise from the range. LAKE: There is no swimming allowed in the lake at any time. Fishing is restricted to Members and immediate family. Membership Cards must be shown if requested by the resident manager or a Club Officer. No guests are allowed to fish in the lake. State fishing laws are to be observed with the exception that Bass and Catfish fishing is catch and release only. Ice fishing is allowed under appropriate conditions. The lake is chemically treated periodically for algae and weed growth. Sucker, carp or goldfish minnows are prohibited. Boats may be left on the DCC premises but must be labeled with the Owner s name and contact information. Electric trolling motors may be used however outboard motors are not permitted. A flotation device must be provided for each boat occupant. Boats are not allowed on the water 30 minutes after sunset or 30 minutes before sunrise. Fishing Limits are as follows: 10 Crappie 20 Bluegill Bass and Catfish Catch and Release ONLY All limits are per family per day 11
NRA CERTIFIED INSTRUCTORS: The DCC has several NRA Certified Instructors and NRA Certified Range Safety Officers that are available for training or to help members with their shooting skills. They may be available one-on-one for personal instruction or classes can be organized for members and the general public. Organized classes are offered for a fee to cover training materials and registration. A small donation to the club is requested for one-on-one instruction. Contact the Chief RSO for details or send an e-mail to info@dccsafety.com The DCC maintains a website www.dccsafety.com and an on-line forum at dcc.boardhost.com. Please visit these sites regularly for DCC info and updates or to share your comments with the group. 12
Attachment 1: The following NRA Certified Range Safety Officers are authorized by the Board of Directors to take actions as appropriate to ensure safe operation of the DCC Range. Acting in a manner that would result in injury to any member, a projectile leaving the property, or failing to obey commands of a duly authorized RSO may result in immediate suspension of a Member s range privileges. To report a safety issue, inquire about help or training or to make suggestions to improve range safety send an e-mail with your contact information and a description of your issue to info@dccsafety.com. Jon Bowden David Burd - DCC Director, Chief Range Safety Officer and NRA Instructor Certified Range Safety Officer William Carr, II Certified Range Safety Officer Glenn Gray Ed Janeczek Phil Kimble Certified Range Safety Officer Certified Range Safety Officer Certified Range Safety Officer Barry McCown Certified Range Safety Officer Andy Wickham Certified Range Safety Officer and NRA Instructor Dennis Zupan Certified Range Safety Officer 13
Revision Log: Revision Date Changes Number 0 3/9/2016 Initial Issue 1 5/11/2016 Changes on Page 11. Added fishing limits and restrictions on boats boating after sunset and before sunrise. 2 7/13/2016 Revised to align with Bylaws Revision and clarified guest fee requirements. 3 2/22/2017 Modified Attachment 1 14