This course fulfills the training requirements for Utah, Arizona and Iowa concealed firearm permits. The class is tailored for individuals who already know how to safely operate a firearm.

The course begins with a brief review of gun safety, followed by lessons on various legal and tactical aspects of self-defense shootings. It concludes with what has quickly become students’ favorite part of the course: defensive role-playing scenarios. The following topics will be covered in class discussions:

Legal aspects of self-defense shootings

• Five principles of legal self defense
• Deadly force against an unarmed assailant
• Problems with warning shots

Tactics during a gunfight

• Color codes of awareness
• Use of cover, concealment and barriers
• Physiological changes that occur during a shooting

What to do after a self-defense shooting

• Common mistakes after a justified shooting
• Interacting with responding officers and investigating officers
• Reasons not to remain silent after a shooting
• Five things to say after a shooting

We will also go over the psychological and emotional impact of using deadly force. There will be no live-fire portion.

After covering the theoretical aspects of the course, students will spend the remainder of class participating in role-playing scenarios using dummy guns. The scenarios, which are based on real-life defensive situations, provide an opportunity for students to apply the principles they’ve learned in class – such as whether to shoot, where to find cover, which tactics best fit the situation, etc. There will be a discussion of the practical and legal aspects of each scenario after its completion.

After completing this course and obtaining the Utah, Arizona and Iowa concealed firearm permits, students will be able to carry in the following states (subject to change, always double-check before visiting another state): Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

The course will be held February 28 from 1-5pm at the Ames Izaak Walton League Chapterhouse. Cost is $75. For more information, please email me at eric.tull@nexusdefensivetraining.com or call me at (515) 291-6955.