Yesterday I had posted (since deleted) that I was voluntarily discontinuing my instructor's position with my 'home' gun club, and I was disappointed that matters seemed to make this adviseable. It was not a disagreement with management that caused me to make this difficult decision, but a matter of liability insurance.
More than that, it was a missed communication because the dialogue was conducted by email, and misunderstandings were conveyed by everyone in the loop. That's the problem with email; you don't have the 'personal touch', and it's too easy for misunderstandings to occur.
MY concern was that I had asked about liability insurance, and the response was that the club and the directors were covered quite adequately.
Any participant at any range event is covered.
What I took from that was that instructors were not specifically covered by any liability insurance. And so I backed away, with reluctance, from the position which I've filled for more than five years.
I wasn't afraid of getting shot; I've been shot at before and it doesn't hurt when they miss.
I was afraid of getting SUED!
This afternoon, "Mac" ... who pretty much runs the joint (until he retires at the end of the month, and who is a past-president of the club and a current Board Director, as well as a personal friend) ... decided to enter the dialogue.
He did it the old fashion way: he phoned me at home.
It was nice to hear from him, and within a few minutes he resolved the mixed understandings with his usual good humor and fine appreciation for 'the human touch'. Yes, the club is fully covered, and as an official instructor I am personally covered both for liability as well as injury to a limit of ... well, more than I make all year.
Which means that next Saturday I get to go back to work at the best job I've ever had: introducing "new shooters" to the gentle sport of Practical Pistol Shooting! I feel much as I use to feel on the last day of the school year, way back in ... uh ... y'know. Back then. (vague wave 'thataway')
As the sun is now officially over the yardarm, it's time to raise a cup to the Peacemakers of the world, and I don't mean a Colt Revolver. I mean "A Man Named Mac".
PS to "The Hobo Brasser" yes, I will be taking in more matches, just as soon as I load enough 10mm to get me through a match, including all the 'misses' I have to make up. I figure 250 rounds should get me through a 140-round match.
3 comments:
This is a money-scam by the NRA. Suddenly, all instructors "need" liability insurance. Everyone wanting to teach a friend or relative shooting (NOT competition, but safe gun-handling) must be an NRA-certified instructor.
Bullfeathers. What has changed? Is there new legal precedent or is the NRA's palm having to be greased yet again? I was going to re-certify my NRA RSO status, but not now. The combined stink of lawyers and insurance salesfilk might drive me out of my club AGAIN.
What about the other misses?
RIVRDOG;
Um .. no. It's not a scam. It's encouraging volunteers to teach skills and safety without fear of "frivolous" lawsuits.
While you were working in the Sheriff's office, you were insured against numerous contingincies which probably would never be a threat to a 'civilian'.
It's the same thing with civilian instructors. We volunteer our time, we don't get paid, but we face some of the same threat of lawsuits as you did.
If a LEO, in the course of investigating a complaint, is present when someone is injured (whether or not the LEO is involved), you know that LEO will be the object of a suit. Deep pockets? "You're A Cop! You Should Have Stopped That!"
I'm not a cop. I'm a civilian. I volunteer my time to teach people how to shoot in a competition pistol match, and do so safely. If someone is injured in my match (regardless of whether shooting is involved in the injury), I'm liable to be sued. Because $$$$$$$$$$$$$$
They'll go after the club (in your case, the department) and they'll go after me (or you) because we are present, and representatives of the club (department).
You and I need liability insurance so that we can do our job, and will do the job that other people won't do because they won't/can't accept the risk of personal liability lawsuit.
Don't be dissing the NRA, Dog. I don't much like them either, but this is NO SCAM! It's just individuals who are trying to help, but acknowledging that this is a litigious society. Sooner or later somebody is going to get sued.
I don't want to lose everything I own just because I'm trying to do A Good Thing!
And neither did you.
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