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ADVANCING THE KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS OF PROFESSIONAL FIREARMS INSTRUCTORS

Firearms Instructor SME

(online course)

$99

The natural progression for law enforcement firearms instructors is to first start off training recruits and/or in-service personnel. Later they may progress to providing specific firearms training for specialized units such as fugitive apprehension, search warrant units, or SWAT. The firearms instructor may later provide continuing training to other firearms instructors at local or national conferences.  They may also get an opportunity to train local military units as well.  Eventually, if they stay in the career field long enough, firearms instructors will reach the final level of progression...which is to train and certify the next generation of firearms instructors.

A Firearms Instructor SME (subject matter expert) is a certified law enforcement firearms instructor with the knowledge and experience necessary to develop and/or conduct law enforcement firearms instructor certification courses as the lead instructor, for the purposes of certifying others as law enforcement firearms instructors, for the weapon system(s) in which the SME is certified and experienced in.  In other words, a Firearms Instructor SME is a subject matter expert in being a firearms instructor and therefore qualified to train others to become a certified L.E. firearms instructor.  While some states have their own process for qualifying firearms instructors to conduct FI certification courses (often called Master Firearms Instructors), many states do not.

This one hour online course is designed to prepare the experienced firearms instructor to become a Subject Matter Expert (SME), which qualifies them to conduct FI certification courses to certify others as a law enforcement firearms instructor. There is no time limit to complete this online course...and there is no time limit to submit the required documents necessary to receive this certification.  There is NO EXPIRATION DATE for this certification.

You must be current NLEFIA members to take this online course and receive the certification.

To register for this online course, click on the registration link below. After completing the payment process the link for the online course will be emailed to the member. Ensure your email address is current on your account before purchasing.

Upon completion of the online course, candidates will have to submit the following documents to receive the NLEFIA Firearms Instructor SME certificate...

  • NLEFIA SME documents checklist
  • NLEFIA FI SME online course completion certificate
  • LE pistol instructor certificate from reputable organization (5 years of certification minimum required)
  • NLEFIA Advanced Firearms Instructor certificate
  • Pistol armorer certificate (any make/model, expired is OK)
  • NLEFIA FI SME Affidavit of Experience (and supporting documents)
  • Letter of Recommendation by a supervisor within the candidate's organization, or by another NLEFIA member, who has first-hand knowledge of the candidate's firearms instructor experience
These documents must be submitted as one packet.  The packet can be submitted anytime after completing the online course...no time limit or deadline for submission.  Submit the complete packet to training@nlefia.org.


NOTE: If a candidate needs to shadow a 40-hour FI certification course as an adjunct instructor to complete their SME packet, contact the Executive Director for information and guidelines to shadow a NLEFIA hybrid 40-hr Pistol Instructor certification course... director@nlefia.org

Phone: 800-930-2953

Email: office@nlefia.org

NLEFIA

6635 W. Happy Valley Road

Suite A104-108

Glendale, AZ 85310

Hours of Operation: (AZ time)

Monday - Friday | 9am - 3pm

Closed: Weekends & Holidays


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