10/20/2026
THE WEEKLY AWARENESS MESSAGE FROM ELITE PREPAREDNESS
YOUR EXPERIENCE IS NOT YOUR CURRENT LEVEL OF PREPAREDNESS.
When seconds matter, will your training be there when you need it?
The tragic events at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, on October 15th have left families devastated and a community mourning the loss of three children and a teacher.
Amid that tragedy, a teacher and an armed parent took extraordinary actions to stop the attacker and prevent what authorities believe could have been an even greater loss of life.
The parent, Kaylub Giamanco, was carrying a legally owned handgun and intervened before law enforcement arrived.
We recognize the extraordinary courage demonstrated by those who acted, and our thoughts remain with the victims, their families, and the entire Bend community.
This tragedy also provides an opportunity to discuss something we emphasize constantly at Elite Preparedness: the difference between having experience and being prepared.
BEING TRAINED ONCE DOES NOT MEAN YOU ARE TRAINED TODAY.
We hear it frequently:
"I was in the military."
"I'm a retired police officer."
"I've carried a fi***rm for 20 years."
"I used to shoot all the time."
"I've already taken my concealed carry course."
These backgrounds and experiences can provide an excellent foundation. We have tremendous respect for the men and women who have served in our military and law enforcement professions.
But here is something every responsible fi***rm owner needs to understand:
Your past experience does not automatically equal your current proficiency.
Skills deteriorate without practice. Techniques evolve. Physical abilities change. And the demands of a real-world violent encounter are dramatically different from standing on a firing line shooting at a stationary paper target.
The same is true for active law enforcement officers, military personnel, veterans, security professionals, and civilian fi***rm owners.
No one is exempt from the need to maintain proficiency.
MARKSMANSHIP IS ONLY ONE PIECE OF THE PUZZLE.
Being able to accurately fire a handgun is important, but it is only one component of being prepared to respond to a life-threatening situation.
Proper training should also develop your ability to:
Recognize threats early. Situational awareness and threat recognition may provide the opportunity to avoid danger before violence occurs.
Make decisions under stress. Knowing when to act, when to disengage, and when to escape is just as important as knowing how to operate your fi***rm.
Maintain safe fi***rm handling under pressure. Responsible fi***rm ownership requires discipline, muzzle awareness, trigger control, and the ability to account for innocent people around you.
Understand your environment. Recognizing exits, identifying safe routes, understanding cover, and maintaining awareness of bystanders can be critical during an emergency.
Communicate and respond appropriately. Knowing how to contact emergency services, communicate with others, recognize responding law enforcement, and provide lifesaving medical assistance can make a tremendous difference.
Maintain proficiency through repetition. Skills need to be practiced, evaluated, corrected, and maintained. A qualification completed years ago does not establish your readiness today.
THIS IS WHY ELITE PREPAREDNESS TRAINS DIFFERENTLY.
We have invested years into developing a training environment that allows students to progress well beyond traditional range instruction.
Our facilities include:
Indoor and Outdoor Live-Fire Ranges
Developing and maintaining the fundamentals of fi***rm safety, accuracy, consistency, and proficiency.
LaserShot Interactive Simulator
Giving students opportunities to practice threat recognition, judgment, communication, and decision-making in simulated scenarios where the correct response isn't always to use a fi***rm.
Two-Story Live-Fire Shoot House
Providing a specialized environment for properly supervised advanced training, including movement, communication, environmental awareness, and complex decision-making.
Dedicated Tactical Training Areas
Allowing our instructors to develop realistic training experiences appropriate to each student's experience, abilities, and objectives.
But perhaps our greatest asset isn't our facility.
IT'S OUR INSTRUCTORS.
Elite Preparedness brings together experienced professionals from military, law enforcement, executive protection, emergency management, and specialized operational backgrounds.
Our instructor cadre includes active operators who continue to apply the principles they teach in real-world professional environments.
That experience matters.
It allows us to bring relevant lessons, practical judgment, and operational perspective into the classroom, simulator, and range.
We don't believe effective training should be based solely on what worked 20 years ago.
We believe training should evolve, challenge you, and prepare you for the realities of today.
WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU TRULY TESTED YOUR ABILITIES?
Not simply fired a magazine of am******on.
Not just renewed a permit.
Not relied on something you learned during your military service or police academy years ago.
When was the last time you received professional feedback, practiced making decisions under pressure, or identified weaknesses in your current abilities?
That is the question we want every responsible fi***rm owner to consider.
At Elite Preparedness, we offer group courses and individualized training for people at all experience levels.
Whether you're a new fi***rm owner, an experienced civilian, a veteran, a law enforcement officer, or a professional seeking to maintain advanced skills, we can help you identify where you are today and develop a training plan to improve.
THE GOAL ISN'T TO CREATE SOMEONE LOOKING FOR A FIGHT.
The goal is to develop people who have the awareness, judgment, confidence, and ability to avoid danger whenever possible and respond responsibly when necessary.
Training cannot guarantee an outcome during a violent encounter.
But quality training can improve the skills and decisions you bring into one.
A FINAL THOUGHT FROM ELITE PREPAREDNESS
We cannot know when or where the next emergency will occur.
We can, however, control how seriously we take our responsibility to prepare.
Don't confuse owning a fi***rm with being proficient.
Don't confuse past experience with current readiness.
And don't wait for an emergency to discover what you haven't practiced.
Train with purpose. Train with professionals. Maintain your proficiency.
Elite Preparedness
25580 Bell Church Road
Utica, Ohio 43080
740-263-1234
Contact us to discuss our upcoming courses or schedule personalized training.
THIS WEEK'S COMMUNITY DISCUSSION:
How often do you believe responsible fi***rm owners should participate in professional training beyond routine target practice?
We welcome perspectives from civilian fi***rm owners, veterans, law enforcement professionals, and instructors.
Please share this message with someone who believes in responsible fi***rm ownership and the importance of continued training.
A FI***RM IS NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR TRAINING
