So what will I have to do as a “Range Attendant”?
The Range Attendant is not intended to act as a security guard, just a set of eyes to watch what’s going on, detect unsafe conditions, answer the phone, report violations or damage, and handle emergencies.
The first responsibility is simply to show up on time. If you’re starting in the morning, you should try to get there a little early enough to see if anyone has started shooting before the approved time (8 AM Monday-Saturday, 9 AM Sunday). 7:45 or 8:45 AM should be plenty of time. If you are on the second shift of a two-shift day, then don’t keep the morning shift waiting – Please arrive a little before 2:30 PM.
You will sign in, get aRange Attendant lanyard, and greet other members as they arrive and sign in at the clubhouse. You’ll also remind them to sign out when they’re ready to leave – and record their rounds for our ‘lead abatement’ records.
At the beginning of your shift, and as time permits during any shift, you will drive the ranges to look for damage to the property, downed trees blocking the roads and the like.
You will also watch for violations of the rules of firearm safety as well as club rules, and advise anyone in violation of the correct procedures.
You’ll keep a log of your activities –time in and out, patrols, etc. – which you’ll leave behind at the end of the day. You’ll drive the range one final time at the end of the day to make sure everyone has stopped shooting. (Members and their guests can shoot archery any time, day or night, as the noise won’t disturb the neighbors.)
There’s a 3-ring binder with instructions and procedures for the RA’s to use. The ‘meat and potatoes’ of those instructions are only 5 pages long, and take about 8 minutes to read.
There are also more specific instructions on how to deal with problems such as trespassers, safety violations, gate malfunctions, rule violations, safety violations, accidents, and so on.
If any member or guest is injured or has medical problems, you will call 911, then let the responding officers or EMT’s in the gate. This is one of the primary reasons we schedule two RA’s for each shift – so one can stay at the scene and deal with the situation as best he can while the other opens the gate and leads the police and/or medics to the scene.
There are a few things you may want to bring from home for your shift: Lunch, snacks and drinks; insect repellant and/or sunscreen; your cell phone; and your membership and gate cards. There’s a refrigerator and freezer, a small pizza oven, a microwave oven, pop and candy machines,and a coffee maker.
The TV picks up at least two dozen digital broadcast channels very well, including 2, 4, 5, 9,11, 29 and 45. Sorry, no cable or Direct TV. A DVD player is also set up for member use, and members have contributed a small library of movies and a large selection of hunting videos.
There is also free internet access inside the clubhouse, so you can surf or perhaps even get some work done.
Some RA’s have brought their reloading stuff, guns to clean, their bows and airguns (which can be shot in the clubhouse), books, and crossword puzzles to pass the time.If it’s not a busy day, you can take some time to do a little shooting on the ranges.
RA’s can invite guests to meet them at the range. However, the Board of Directors has decided that guests of a Range Attendant should not expect to shoot on any of the ranges, as the RA has to be with them, and their RA duties are ignored during that time. Archery or airgun shooting in the clubhouse do not interfere with RA duties, and are pleasant waysfor you and your guestto pass the time on slow days.
Revised 1-24-14, 1-17-15, 9-9-15