Everything You Need to Know Before Your Training Day
Free State Tactical Range's (FST) goal is to provide a professional, structured, safety-focused training environment for every student, regardless of experience level.
A general training-day process. Note: Maryland-regulated courses (HQL, Wear & Carry) follow the official MSP curriculum sequence, which may differ from the general flow below.
Confirm your course date, time, and location details from your booking confirmation. Complete any pre-course paperwork FST provides in advance.
Course-specific requirements will be confirmed at booking.
Course-specific provided items (loaner firearms, ammunition, eye/ear protection) are listed on each course's description on the Programs page.
These principles apply to every student, every visit, without exception.
Common commands used on the FST range. Respond to all commands immediately.
Treat every firearm as if it is loaded. Muzzle discipline and trigger discipline are enforced at all times. Firearms remain holstered, cased, or on the bench with actions open until the range is called hot and you are directed to begin.
Only ammunition approved by FST for the specific course and firearm in use may be brought onto the range. Ask your instructor if you are unsure whether your ammunition is permitted.
Eye and hearing protection are required for all students, staff, and observers in the range area at all times, without exception. FST-provided protection is available for students who need it.
Students must immediately notify FST staff or their instructor of any injury, medical emergency, unsafe condition, or other urgent situation. Staff will direct next steps.
FST training involves live fire and, at times, outdoor range activity, so it's weather-dependent. If conditions on your course date are unsafe (severe storms, lightning, extreme heat/cold, or hazardous road conditions), FST may delay, shorten, or reschedule the course. We'll notify affected students by phone or email as soon as a call is made, typically the morning of class. If FST cancels or reschedules a course for weather, you'll be offered a seat in the next available equivalent course at no extra charge, or a full refund — your choice. If FST determines the course will proceed safely, standard cancellation terms apply (see Cancellation / Rescheduling below).
Full attendance for the duration of the course is required to receive credit for completion, unless otherwise noted for a specific course.
Classroom instruction and the safety briefing cover material every student needs before live fire begins, so arriving late can mean missing information required to participate safely. Students arriving more than 15 minutes after the scheduled start time may be asked to reschedule to the next available course date, at instructor discretion — this is more likely for courses with a live-fire qualification component (HQL, Wear & Carry, renewal). If you know you'll be running late, call or text us as soon as possible at (240) 983-7625 so we can let you know whether joining in progress is possible for your specific course.
Plans change — here's how rescheduling, cancellations, and no-shows are handled.
Students are expected to conduct themselves professionally and respectfully toward instructors, staff, and other students at all times. Conduct that compromises safety or disrupts training may result in removal from the course at instructor discretion, per Instructor Authority above.
Photography and video may be restricted during training or range operations for safety, privacy, or operational reasons. Ask your instructor before photographing or recording.
Minors may participate only in programs where FST permits minor participation and where all required parent/guardian permissions and applicable legal requirements are satisfied. See the FST Youth Firearms Safety/Education program for details.
If you require an accommodation to participate in training, please contact FST in advance of your course date so arrangements can be discussed.
Questions are welcome at any point before, during, and after training. If you are ever uncertain about a procedure, a firearm, or a safety concern, stop and ask your instructor.
Completion requirements vary by course and are described on the Programs page. For Maryland-regulated courses, completion documentation follows current MSP requirements.
Reach out before your training day — we're happy to help.
