U.S. Concealed Carry Instructor Toolkit will make you a better instructor!

USCCA Curriculum Approved by Illinois State Police For CCW Training

1.5 million.  That’s the number of people who held an Illinois Firearms Owner’s Identification card (FOID) by the end of 2013. According to the Illinois State Police, those numbers qualify as the highest in the 45-year history of the FOID card law, and don’t include the record backlog of applications for cards.

Of course, this influx was directly related to Illinois’ Firearms Concealed Carry Act—the long awaited legislation that made the state the last in the nation to allow carrying firearms in public. An Illinois resident must possess a valid FOID card—one of several requirements—before he or she may apply for and obtain a concealed carry license (CCL).

On February 28th of 2014—less than two months after applications were made available—the first batch of 5,000 concealed carry permits were mailed out—and over 50,000 applications had already been submitted.

Illinois lawmakers initially projected that over 400,000 people will apply for their IL permit to carry in 2014, while the Illinois State Rifle Association (ISRA) estimates that the total number of applications could approach 800,000.  This means demand should be high in the state of Illinois for residents who need to complete the requisite 16-hour training. It also translates into a unique, budding opportunity for Firearms Instructors—perhaps more than any other place in the country’s concealed carry landscape.

Firearms Instructors: A Growing Group in Illinois

According to the ISP website:

Any person seeking to become a certified Illinois Concealed Carry Firearms Instructor shall:

• Be at least 21 years of age

• Be a legal resident of the United States and qualified for a Concealed Carry License in Illinois

• Possess a high school diploma or GED certificate

• Have at least one of the following valid firearms instructor certifications:

  • Certification from a law enforcement agency

  • Certification from a firearm instructor course offered by a state or federal governmental agency

  • Certification from a firearm instructor course offered by the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board

  • Certification from an entity approved by the Illinois State Police that offers firearm instructor education and training in the use and safety of firearms

There are close to 3,000 Concealed Carry Firearms Instructors currently approved by the Illinois State Police, and this number will continue to grow. It becomes difficult to regulate individual performance and curriculum, and unfortunately there exists noticeable and recognizable differences when it comes to Instructor quality and professionalism. Case in point: 136 concealed carry firearms instructors have already had their instructor certification revoked by the Illinois State Police (ISP).

The USCCA Instructor Toolkit

A solution to the poor quality and unprofessional classroom presentation problem was developed recently by the United States Concealed Carry Association (USCCA). It’s called the USCCA Instructor Toolkit, and it provides the curriculum, resources, and support to Firearms Instructors looking to differentiate themselves from the pack.

The USCCA’s curriculum has been approved by the Illinois State Police and is listed on the ISP website.

Over 130 Instructors in Illinois are currently utilizing the USCCA Instructor Toolkit in their classrooms—enjoying the benefit of using the most up-to-date, highest quality, professionally produced materials found therein. Instructors enjoy the convenience of a comprehensive PowerPoint presentation that includes lessons on Illinois Law, Self-Defense Firearms Basics, The Legal Use of Force, and more. This PowerPoint is supplemented by 14 short presentation videos that can be imbedded in each lesson, and Michael Martin’s award winning textbook — Concealed Carry and Home Defense Fundamentals — allows students who take home a copy to keep learning even after class.

How Can This Help ME?

The Instructors in Illinois that are using USCCA materials have effectively ensured that they are offering the best concealed carry training in their area, and they also have dramatically differentiated themselves from their competition by aligning themselves with the nation’s fastest growing organization that is solely committed to the concealed carry lifestyle.

If you’re an experienced Instructor who is interested in augmenting or supplementing your current curriculum, or if you’re a brand new Instructor who would like to benefit from a high-quality classroom presentation that has already been created for you, you’re going to want to check out what the USCCA has to offer in their USCCA Instructor Toolkit.

Visit www.USCCAToolkit.com to learn more about this exceptional resource and to claim your FREE 10-page Illinois CCW guide, Concealed Carry In The Land Of Lincoln.