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Safety is the 2015 Texas Firearms Festival’s number one priority. On November 14 and 15, when ticket holders leave Best of the West Shooting Sports with the same number of holes they arrived with, when their worst after-effect is an ongoing endorphin rush (if it lasts more than four hours, call your gun dealer), the 2015 Festival will be a success. Everything else is icing on the cake. I repeat: we will not compromise our ticket holders’ safety for any reason, practical or financial. Here are some of the measures we take to safeguard our ticket holders . . .
Gate security – We’ll have security guards posted at the entrance to the 2015 Texas Firearms Festival. No one may enter the Festival without a Shooter, Non-Shooter or Exhibitor wristband. Security reserves the right to inspect any bags or packages entering or leaving the Festival. They can and will refuse admission to anyone who’s alcohol- or otherwise impaired.
Police – A team of armed, bicycle-riding Williamson County police officers will patrol the Texas Firearms Festival at all times. All Festival police are in direct radio communication with the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office central command vehicle.
Range Safety Officers – Every Texas Firearms Festival shooting bay and rifle and shotgun position is under the direct control and supervision of at least one Texas Firearms Festival Range Safety Officer (orange shirt). Our RSOs will warn shooters about unsafe firearms handling, but they can also call security to remove unsafe shooters from the Festival or shut down a live-fire exhibition area. We feed, water and rotate our RSOs to maintain operational efficiency. All Festival RSO’s are in direct radio communication with the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office central command vehicle.
Line Managers – Every Texas Firearms Festival shooting bay and rifle and shotgun position is manned by a High Beam Events Line Manager (red shirt). They make sure that lines run fairly and efficiently, offer directions as needed, and serve as a point of contact for ticket holders seeking assistance of any kind. All Texas Firearms Festival Line Managers are in direct radio communication with the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office central command vehicle.
Williamson County – The Texas Firearms Festival is licensed by Williamson County. We’ve worked with the County’s police, fire, medical and food safety departments to meet their safety requirements (e.g., a set distance between tents in The Range at Austin Retail Village). We’ve got specific plans for a wide range of potential emergencies: ill health, negligent discharge, severe weather, lost child, etc. WillCo’s central command vehicle coordinates all County emergency resources – both on and off-site – and communicates with event management, RSOs and line managers.
Emergency Access – To accommodate Williamson County’s emergency vehicles, we’ve constructed a new dedicated road at our venue (Best of the West Shooting Sports in Liberty Hill) and set aside a helicopter landing area.
PA System – The Texas Firearms Festival maintains a public address system throughout Best of the West Shooting Sports. Any and all emergency announcements will be made through the PA.
Everyone working at the Texas Firearms Festival – exhibitors, RSOs, line managers, event organizers, paid security, WillCo personnel – understand that visitor safety depends on preparation, vigilance, coordination, communication and prompt, appropriate reaction. At the same time, we ask our ticket holders to do their part to keep themselves and others safe.
Please observe gun safety rules at all times; keep the muzzle of any and all exhibitors’ firearms pointed downrange at all times. Do not unholster any openly carried or concealed handgun, or unsling any openly carried long gun. If you hear an emergency announcement, remain calm and follow instructions. See something dangerous? Say something! Tell any member of our staff and we’ll get right on it. As they say, safety is no accident.
Thanks, and enjoy the 2015 Texas Firearms Festival! [Click here to buy tickets.]
You forgot to mention, for all visitors to bring their own ear/eye protection.
We prefer that they do. But we’ll have both on hand if needed.
Good to know.
My brother in law is still trying to work a business trip out here, and if he can make it, we’ll buy tickets. But, I don’t think he’ll remember to bring eyes and ears.
Last year I saw people turned away from the firing line because they lacked ear/eye pro, so I thought I’d mention it.
I missed last year, but have already bought tickets for this year.
Do I pick my tickets up at the gate?
We can’t wait to be out there again, paired up with the Silencer Shop.
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