FREE – STOP THE BLEED Tourniquet Training Clinics Being Conducted During the Month of May

May is National STOP THE BLEED Month

In observance of National STOP THE BLEED Month, In-Gauge of Polk County will be conducting FREE, open to the public, Stop The Bleed tourniquet raining clinics during the month of May, beginning May 9th.

How it works:

  • Simply complete the FREE, 20 minute, Stop The Bleed online ‘Interactive Training‘ class
  • Then schedule your FREE Phase 2, in-person, skills training and assessment session
  • Show up for your scheduled appointment.
  • Bring with you your completed Phase 1 printed quiz results from your online ‘Interactive Training‘ class
  • Complete the Phase 2, in-person, skills training and assessment and receive your official Stop The Bleed certificate of training.

Training is appropriate for those 12 years of age and older. For complete training course information go to: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/stop-the-bleed-emergency-blood-loss-tourniquet-training-tickets-305852171077

Additional information:

You are encouraged to schedule your skills training and assessment appointment as soon as possible, as this is only a one day opportunity and appointment times are expected to book quickly.

You can take and complete the online, ‘Interactive Trainingat your convenience, any time prior to your scheduled skills training and assessment appointment.

We look forward to your participation in the 2023 National STOP THE BLEED Month.

The only thing more tragic than a life lost is a life needlessly lost that could have been saved.

Florida’s New ‘Permitless Carry’ Law – It is not as simple as you may think

Not knowing the new law can result in a felony arrest and a criminal record.

So you think you understand Florida’s new ‘Permitless Carry’ law. Can you correctly answer the following questions?

The new law went into in effect with Governor DeSantis’ signature and is now the law of the land in Florida.TRUE / FALSE
Anyone over the age of 18 can now legally carry a concealed firearm in public without a license in the state of Florida.TRUE / FALSE
You can now legally carry a concealed firearm or other weapon in public without a license.TRUE / FALSE
You can now legally carry a concealed firearm or other weapon anywhere in public unless specifically posted otherwise.TRUE / FALSE
A license and background check are no longer required to purchase a firearm in Florida.TRUE / FALSE
See the correct answers below

.

An incorrect answer to any of the above statements could result in a felony arrest, a criminal record and the loss of your right to own a gun forever.

You can either learn what Florida’s new concealed carry law is and carry your gun legally or you can get arrested, charge with a felony and find out the hard way from a judge.

Florida’s new ‘PERMITLESS CARRY’ law is not as simple as many people believe. Not knowing the new law can result in a felony arrest and a criminal record.

There are benefits to having a Florida concealed carry weapon and firearm license. Learn and know what they are.

Not knowing them can result in arrest, criminal charges, an appearance before a judge, extensive legal fees, a criminal record and the loss of your 2nd Amendment rights.

We are still conducting Florida concealed carry license and handgun training classes. Contact us to enroll in a class at: 863-206-1996

The correct answers are . . .
The new law went into in effect with Governor DeSantis’ signature and is now the law of the land in Florida.FALSE
Anyone over the age of 18 can now legally carry a concealed firearm in public without a license in the state of Florida.FALSE
You can now legally carry a concealed firearm or other weapon in public without a license.FALSE
You can now legally carry a concealed firearm or other weapon anywhere in public unless specifically posted otherwise.FALSE
A license and background check are no longer required to purchase a firearm in Florida.FALSE

Florida’s New Concealed Carry Law – You have a choice

Florida’s new ‘PERMITLESS CARRY’ law is not as simple as many people believe.

You can either learn what Florida’s new concealed carry law is and carry your gun legally or you can get arrested, charge with a felony and find out the hard way from a judge.

Florida’s new ‘PERMITLESS CARRY’ law is not as simple as many people believe. Not knowing the new law can result in a felony arrest and a criminal record.

There are benefits to having a Florida concealed carry weapon and firearm license. Learn and know what they are.

Not knowing them can result in arrest, criminal charges, an appearance before a judge, extensive legal fees, a criminal record and the loss of your 2nd Amendment rights.

We are still conducting Florida concealed carry license and handgun training classes. Contact us to enroll in a class at: 863-206-1996

Florida: Constitutional Carry – HB-543

Its “permitless carry” not “constitutional carry”.

The first bill regarding “constitutional carry” in Florida has been filed by Representative Robert Brannan, of Lake City. It is HB-543. The bill is 63 pages long.

Contrary to common understanding the bill is “permitless carry”, not constitutional carry. Basically, in summary, the bill provides for the permitless carrying of a handgun or other weapon, by both Florida residents and non-residents.

The bill (HB-543) does not require training, fingerprinting or background checks in order to legally carry a firearm or other weapon, anywhere other than where otherwise prohibited. In the Bill, otherwise prohibited maintains all the locations where a firearm or other weapon currently cannot be legally carried. Everything remains the same. That includes businesses or other private property whereby the owner prohibits the possession or carrying of a firearm on his, her or their property.

The bottom line: An individual’s 2nd Amendment right does not trump personal property rights.

As good as permitless and constitutional carry sounds, a surge in the appearance of NO GUNS ALLOWED signs can be expected in private business. Private business that currently tolerate the carrying of firearms by trained, background checked and licensed firearm owners.

Yes, Florida’s concealed carry weapons licensing process needs revision; however, it is not believed that “permitless carry” is the answer.

Florida is the 3rd most populated state in the country, with a population similar to Texas. In September 2021, Texas’ “constitutional carry” law went into effect. Since that time, there has been a 550% increase in firearm violation convictions. That is convictions, not arrests. Firearm violation convictions rose from 1,049 in 2020 to nearly 7,000 since the last year reporting data was available. The same can be expected to occure in Florida. The question begs: Who benefits from “constitutional carry”? Follow the money!

You may not be aware that Florida currently has a “permitless” vehicle carry law in effect. Specifically defined in FS: 790.06, a person who is not otherwise prohibited from owning and possessing a firearm can legally transport a loaded firearm, in a vehicle or other conveyance, without a concealed carry weapons or firearms license, if done so in the manner described.

No background checks are required for vehicle “permitless” carry. No fingerprinting is required for vehicle “permitless” carry. No firearm training is required for vehicle “permitless” carry.

Have you noticed the sky rocking increase in road rage shootings in recent years?

“Permitless carry” in Florida . . . Be careful what you wish for. The result may be that where you currently enjoy the right to carry your concealed carry weapon or firearm (private business property), you will no longer be able to exercise that right. It must be kept in mind that private property rights supersede your 2nd Amendment right.

In the event you are not aware, government takes care of and protects itself.

Neither currently, nor in the proposed bill (HB-543), can a person or will a person be allowed to carry a firearm or other weapon, in any government building where government business is conducted. In addition, neither currently, nor in the proposed bill, can a person or will a person be allowed to carry a firearm or other weapon on any property owned by a public or private school. That includes: pre-school, elementary school, middle school, high school or college. It also includes any school sponsored event.

Florida: Armed Good Samaritans Stop Robbery and Assault of Two Women

Another Good Guy(s) with Gun Stops Bad Guy with G

January 7, 2023

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/armed-florida-good-samaritans-detain-140322509.html

A Florida man has been arrested by deputies after two concealed carry permit holders stopped him from escaping by holding him at gunpoint after he allegedly shot two women.

Florida police say Lee David Wilkerson, 38, was standing outside the Bingo Paradise bingo hall in Pensacola, Fla., on Wednesday when two women tried to enter and an argument ensued, according to a Facebook post from the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.

When Wilkerson tried to go back into the building, two citizens with concealed guns drew those guns and held him at the scene until police arrived.

Wilkerson allegedly pulled a gun from his side and hit one of the women in the head with it before firing in their direction as they tried to run away.

Wilkerson, who police say was carrying methamphetamine at the time, then allegedly threw his gun into a nearby dumpster.

Lee David Wilkerson, 38, was arrested after shooting two women outside a Florida bingo hall.

Authorities were able to locate Wilkerson’s gun in a nearby dumpster..

Watch for nationwide AMMUNITION RECALL – NYPD orders officers to turn in their ammunition

NYPD officers ordered to turn in their ammunition – RECALL

NYPD orders officers to turn in their bullets in ammunition recall

January 7, 2023

The NYPD issued a department-wide recall of its 9 mm ammunition (SPEER Gold Dot 9 mm 124-gr. +P) this week after it was discovered that a bad batch of bullets was failing to fire properly, the Daily News has learned.

The recall was issued on Jan. 5 and all officers who received 9 mm ammo from the department between Dec. 19 and Wednesday were ordered to report to the outdoor range on Rodman’s Neck and return them for a new cache of bullets..

https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/nyc-crime/ny-nypd-ammunition-recall-department-wide-20230107-7b6vlpdpxrbnvmqytxygckliam-story.html

Kidnapping Attempt Stopped By Armed Good Samaritan

The suspects were confronted by a bystander and then released the victim, according to police.

December 30, 2022

https://www.localmemphis.com/article/news/crime/germantown-police-looking-for-suspects-of-attempted-kidnapping-west-farmington-boulevard-kidnap-danger-safety-bystander-approach-tennessee/522-f762cb56-e7ae-4ad2-9ca7-225e6b87a8fb

FLORIDA: Permitless / Constitutional Carry, Be careful what you wish for

Gov. DeSantis wants to see constitutional carry implemented in Florida

Convictions For Unlawfully Carrying Guns Skyrocket After Texas Passed Constitutional Carry

December 20, 2022

On September 1, 2021, Texas’ “permitless carry” law took effect. Since then, there have been a 550% increase in unlawful carrying of a weapon convictions. That is “convictions” not arrests.

Gov. DeSantis wants to see constitutional carry implemented in Florida

AUSTIN, Texas ― Few people are more enthusiastic about carrying handguns than Mike Cargill. The owner of Central Texas Gun Works often carries three ― two concealed, plus one holstered outside his belt.

He’s also enthusiastic about handgun education. Even after the Republican-dominated state legislature passed a “constitutional carry” law, which allows Texans to carry handguns both openly and concealed without getting a license, Cargill kept teaching classes and range qualifications for the now-optional License to Carry Program (LTC). Cargill says a license offers a lot of benefits, not least of which is helping people navigate the state’s complicated gun laws.

And since Texas became one of about half of the states in the country that view carrying a gun as a constitutional right, it looks like people are getting confused by those complicated laws. Several of Cargill’s students over the last year and a half signed up for an LTC class hoping to avoid conviction for unlawfully carrying a weapon ― usually after taking a gun somewhere they shouldn’t have.

When Cargill checked the Texas Department of Public Safety’s website, he found that his experience wasn’t an anomaly. Convictions for unlawfully carrying weapons skyrocketed in the state, from 1,049 in 2020 to nearly 7,000 last yeara spike of 550% and the highest number by far since 2016, the last year of complete data. The state adopted the constitutional carry law in September 2021.

“Yes, it’s your right to carry a gun,” Cargill said. “But you have to know how to carry that gun. If not, that’s a problem.”

No Obvious Explanation

It’s not clear why convictions for unlawfully carrying a weapon have risen so sharply. HuffPost reached out to several local law enforcement agencies asking for an answer. Few responded. Those that did hadn’t noticed the trend, though some agreed with Cargill that confusion might help account for it.

The “apparent rise in unlawful carrying cases across the state is alarming,” Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg wrote in an email to HuffPost.

“In Harris County, we seem to have filed more than one charge against some suspects which indicates that defendants freed on bond have been charged with the same crime more than once,” Ogg wrote. “Around the rest of the state, they may have the same problem or it could be something else, such as a lack of education about the constitutional carry laws or other laws regarding the possession of firearms.”

Although permitless carry sounds simple, gun laws are complicated. Even under the new law, places like airports, courthouses, hospitals and schools generally don’t allow weapons. Private businesses can also prohibit people from bringing in guns, either by displaying a sign or warning people verbally.

In theory, you can’t bring a gun into a place that earns more than 51% of its revenue from alcohol. But in practice, you can take a gun into a bar if the bar’s liquor license classifies it as a restaurant, which requires checking the Texas Alcohol Beverage Control’s website.

Permitless carry added a new layer of complexity by creating two classes of people allowed to carry handguns ― those with licenses and those relying on the constitution.

The most commonly cited perks of getting a license are that it allows the holder to concealed carry in most other states, and license holders only have to submit federal background checks for application and renewal, instead of every time they buy a gun.

But the law favors LTC holders in many other ways. Carrying a gun with a blood alcohol content of up to 0.08 is legal for license holders. Without one, drinking any alcohol at all while carrying a gun is illegal. An LTC exempts the license holder from the restriction on carrying a gun within 1,000 feet of a school under federal law (though bringing one inside a school building generally remains illegal).

The once-required classes explain all these details. Those carrying a gun because they read a news article saying they can, might not know, for example, unholstering a handgun while inside a car and leaving it in plain view is a crime.

Still, it’s not clear how confusion alone would translate into more gun charges. If someone’s doing a decent job concealing the handgun, they’re not likely to get caught with it.

Instead, many people are charged with unlawfully carrying a weapon only after police arrest them for something else, according to attorney Shane Phelps ― usually drinking and driving, or possession of marijuana.

The only people Phelps regularly sees with unlawfully carrying a weapon as their only charge are felons caught with guns. But Texas tallies the crime of possessing a gun despite a felony conviction separately from unlawfully carrying a weapon.

“That’s kind of a shocking statistic to me ― I don’t have an explanation for it,” Phelps said, referring to the increase in charges. “It’s really hard right now in Texas to get arrested for just carrying a weapon.”

The introduction of permitless carry may not account for the shift, given that it can take several months to cycle defendants from charging to conviction. The data increase could also be due to a historic and sustained spike in gun sales that started during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Harris County, for example, showed a clear rise in unlawfully carrying a weapon dating back to 2019, with the number of people charged more than doubling in two years to 4,454. Incomplete numbers for this year were on track to slightly exceed last year.

For the complete story, go to: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2022/12/28/states-try-curb-mass-shootings-bullets-ammo-laws/10760437002/

CONSUMER ALERT – Florida Concealed Carry Classes Conducted At Local Hotels

Information provided as a community service.

Beware of CONCEALED CARRY CLASSES conducted in rented hotel rooms!

What those who conduct such classes at local hotels do not want you to know:

  • They are NOT local providers or instructors.  They are from out of town and in most instances, from out of state.
  • They do NOT provide any handgun instruction or training.
  • There is NO live-fire range time or training.  If the class is conducted in a rented hotel room, you fire one paint cartridge at a paper target taped to a cardboard box.  No hotel is going to allow you or anyone to fire a real gun inside the hotel.
  • They may not be licensed to conduct business where they are conducting classes.

Before registering for a concealed carry class and paying your money, do your homework, ask questions.

  • What firearm training is provided in the class?  Will you be taught how to correctly use and fire a firearm?
  • What range does the provider use for the training?
  • How many rounds of ammunition will you fire during your training?
  • What are the instructor’s credentials?
  • Is the certificate of training issued recognized by the State of Florida for applying for a Florida concealed carry weapons license?
  • Is the class provider licensed to conduct business in the city and county where the class is conducted?
  • What is the class provider’s business address?  Who do you contact if there is a problem with your paperwork after you complete the class?
  • Is there a local phone number to call?
  • Is the class provider licensed and insured?
  • Will the class instructor or provider attempt to sell you insurance?  Ever been to a timeshare presentation?
  • Will the class instructor or provider attempt to sell you books or other materials?

If you do not ask the questions above, you have little to no regard for the training you receive and your hard earned money.  

You can ask the questions above and get the concealed carry/firearms training you want or pay the out-of-town providers once and pay again to get a class and training that provides you necessary training to make you confident and proficient in the use of a firearm to defend your life and the lives of your loved ones.

Not all concealed carry classes are alike.  There is a definite difference.  Do your homework, ask questions and shop around.

BREAKING NEWS: Do you own a Sig Sauer P320 ?

If you own a Sig Sauer P320, you are advised to contact Sig Sauer immediately!

If you own a Sig Sauer P320, you are advised to contact Sig Sauer immediately!

Sig Sauer P320 Handguns Accidentally Discharge, Lawsuits Pending


Wounded officers sue Sig Sauer, say gun goes off by itself

December 2, 2022

https://apnews.com/article/business-lawsuits-gun-politics-new-hampshire-concord-7d4859f8c157b88253ff0cd0401c536d


20 Gunshot Victims Wounded By Their Defective SIG SAUER P320 Pistols, File An Unprecidented Lawsuit Against The Gunmaker

People have been injured by accidental fires from SIG Sauer guns, and they’re people who know how to use them properly—police officers and Army veterans. But when the gun is defective, even the most skilled user can have an accident.


Florida officer’s SIG Sauer lawsuit

Bob Northrop is a decorated veteran and was a Tampa, Florida police officer for 30 years. After returning, he was a reserve officer for 19 years. He was about to become the longest-serving officer for the city of Tampa.

But then his career came to an abrupt halt on February 27, 2020.

Northrop was working an extra-duty job at a high school, patrolling school sporting events. He was walking the ball fields at Jefferson High School and began to attach a set of keys to his service belt. When his hand brushed his holster to attach the keys, his SIG Sauer P320 pistol fired by itself. There were dozens of students just feet away.

The bullet blew apart the bones in his leg and ankle and he required surgery, screws, rods and lengthy rehabilitation. Northrop remained in the hospital for weeks after the accidental shooting.


20 GUNSHOT VICTIMS WOUNDED BY THEIR DEFECTIVE SIG SAUER P320 PISTOLS, FILE AN UNPRECEDENTED LAWSUIT AGAINST THE GUNMAKER

The law firm of to Saltz Mongeluzzi & Bendesky now represents more than 50 victims injured by Sig Sauer’s P320 pistol that features a spring-loaded striker firing mechanism.