Norfolk FLD 'Safe shooter assessment'

[Dagless]

Has anybody here had experience of undertaking the Norfolk Firearms Licensing Department's 'safe shooter assessment'?

I'm currently awaiting the availability of the FEO who covers the area I have a land permission on to conduct said assessment on me, so I can have my certificate changed to allow me to shoot deer and AOLQ. From what they've told me, it more or less duplicates the practical element of the DSC1 safety stalk assessment.

Apparently this is standard operating procedure for anyone who is new to shooting live quarry. I passed my DSC1 earlier this year, and have held an FAC for more than a decade (restricted to target shooting). I've competently stalked and shot deer since gaining my DSC1 whilst accompanied by experienced stalkers, using their rifle.

I was told that Norfolk FLD won't accept the completion of DSC1 alone as adequate proof that I am a safe shot, so need to varify this for themselves before they'll change the conditions on my certificate.

They assure me that I've done nothing wrong to merit having to do the assessment, so presumably the practice is widespread, therefore the chances are a few of you on here will have done it already, right?

 

[VSS]

I've never heard of anything like that before

 

[andyk]

First I’ve ever heard of this (having originally been in Devon & Cornwall, more recently West Midlands and now West Mercia).

Without getting into the rights and wrongs of it as a policy, my primary concern would be how competent the FEO is to conduct such an assessment and why they think they know better than those running the DSC1 course.

Given the backlogs so many face, this seems a serious drain on resource.

 

[Jelen]

Sounds like they're making up their own rules.

 

[Morkai]

Has anybody here had experience of undertaking the Norfolk Firearms Licensing Department's 'safe shooter assessment'?

I'm currently awaiting the availability of the FEO who covers the area I have a land permission on to conduct said assessment on me, so I can have my certificate changed to allow me to shoot deer and AOLQ. From what they've told me, it more or less duplicates the practical element of the DSC1 safety stalk assessment.

Apparently this is standard operating procedure for anyone who is new to shooting live quarry. I passed my DSC1 earlier this year, and have held an FAC for more than a decade (restricted to target shooting). I've competently stalked and shot deer since gaining my DSC1 whilst accompanied by experienced stalkers, using their rifle.

I was told that Norfolk FLD won't accept the completion of DSC1 alone as adequate proof that I am a safe shot, so need to varify this for themselves before they'll change the conditions on my certificate.

They assure me that I've done nothing wrong to merit having to do the assessment, so presumably the practice is widespread, therefore the chances are a few of you on here will have done it already, right?

So you have a FAC already for target?

If so, do they come and watch you shoot targets to ensure you are safe?.....

I've never heard of such a requirement from anybody in fieldsports.

 

[Dagless]

First I’ve ever heard of this (having originally been in Devon & Cornwall, more recently West Midlands and now West Mercia).

Without getting into the rights and wrongs of it as a policy, my primary concern would be how competent the FEO is to conduct such an assessment and why they think they know better than those running the DSC1 course.

Given the backlogs so many face, this seems a serious drain on resource.

I did the BASC four day DSC1 course, which is is DMQ accredited, and I found it sufficiently rigourous that I could easily have failed the practical elements of it had I not prepared properly beforehand. It would seem that the FLD could easily be assured of the quality of the assessment to gain DSC1, and save the valuable time of their FEOs by not seeking to duplicate it.

That said, the only cost to me is time so I'm prepared to do whatever their procedures require, especially since I've already had a fair bit of practice!

 

[Dagless]

So you have a FAC already for target?

If so, do they come and watch you shoot targets to ensure you are safe?.....

I've never heard of such a requirement from anybody in fieldsports.

Yep. And I'm a qualified RSO.

 

[Morkai]

Yep. And I'm a qualified RSO.

Sounds like departmental overreach to me.

 

[chriswjx]

@Conor O'Gorman sorry, but is this something we could get BASC to look into please?

 

[timbrayford]

Perhaps it would be good to ask the FEO what his qualifications & experience are too?

 

[Conor O'Gorman]

@Conor O'Gorman sorry, but is this something we could get BASC to look into please?

@Rick Dagless MD please email firearms@basc.org.uk about this if you are a BASC member. If not, please PM me more details.

 

[Hawshill]

Yes, I’ve done it and if you have done level 1 you’ll be fine. Just a walk/drive around your ground looking at safe shots/hazards etc. Useful to present a map with rights of way, dwellings etc on it as part of your risk assessment.

 

[Deerkeeper2]

Perhaps it would be good to ask the FEO what his qualifications & experience are too?

Presumably their qualifications and industry experience will need to be greater than a DMQ Assessor if they are saying that the DSC1 Safety Assessment is not sufficient? I would be very interested to know how many FEO’s hold a TAQA Assessor Qualification and between 10 and 40 years of practical deer and firearms experience? I’m going to hazard a guess that, nationally, the answer is very close to zero!

 

[Dagless]

Yes, I’ve done it and if you have done level 1 you’ll be fine. Just a walk/drive around your ground looking at safe shots/hazards etc. Useful to present a map with rights of way, dwellings etc on it as part of your risk assessment.

Glad I'm not alone!

I have a nice 1:25000 OS map with lots of my own crayon marks on it so I'll be sure to bring that.

 

[User00047]

This sounds like very good news….
Finally, newcomers will no longer need to pay hundreds of pounds and take several days doing DSC1 to get their deer rifle, just get the pope out for a drive around looking at safe shots and hazards and Bob est ton oncle…

 

[Dagless]

Yes, I’ve done it and if you have done level 1 you’ll be fine. Just a walk/drive around your ground looking at safe shots/hazards etc. Useful to present a map with rights of way, dwellings etc on it as part of your risk assessment.

Was the outcome of your assessment an 'open' ticket, or was it conditioned limiting use to your land permission only?

 

[NullMac]

I was told that Norfolk FLD won't accept the completion of DSC1 alone as adequate proof that I am a safe shot, so need to varify this for themselves before they'll change the conditions on my certificate.

And they have trained people that are competent to make that assessment? What is their qualification?

Highly dubious

 

[Morkai]

And they have trained people that are competent to make that assessment? What is their qualification?

Highly dubious

I'll laugh if they say the officer has done DSC1.

 

[Dagless]

Presumably their qualifications and industry experience will need to be greater than a DMQ Assessor if they are saying that the DSC1 Safety Assessment is not sufficient? I would be very interested to know how many FEO’s hold a TAQA Assessor Qualification and between 10 and 40 years of practical deer and firearms experience? I’m going to hazard a guess that, nationally, the answer is very close to zero!

Presumably so! However, I'm quickly learning that I shouldn't really presume anything.

 

[Hawshill]

Was the outcome of your assessment an 'open' ticket, or was it conditioned limiting use to your land permission only?

I ended up with an open certificate but that may be based on a large acreage over several locations, plus lots of documented previous experience. I think the default is a restricted condition.