Las Vegas Security Chief on Front Sight Firearms Training

Video Transcription:

I am a Director of Security for a major hotel casino on the Las Vegas Strip. For security and counter-terrorism reasons my identity must remain anonymous for this interview.

I’ve been in the security field for over thirty years. Back in the mid to late eighties there was a shooting incident at the Caesar’s Palace hotel, the hotel security versus an armed suspect. Not one bullet went where it was intended. So, after this incident was reviewed, it was decided that for most properties on the Strip they would just simply take the guns away. We felt that was not the answer but that’s what happened. For about a decade we went unarmed.

I became aware of a training facility coming into the Las Vegas area by the name of Front Sight. I decided to go out there and check this facility out so I took a two day course.

I was very impressed at Front Sight on the facility and the training instruction they provided. I felt safe. They trained me in tactics which I didn’t know before. Not only does Front Sight teach you how to shoot; most importantly they teach you when not to shoot.

So at this point I went back to my management. I said, Look, I feel that my officers and plain-clothed people need to be armed. I just attended a two day class at Front Sight and they have the best training I’ve ever been to. And I said, If I can give my people this training I feel we’d be a much safer property. Management agreed. Now my people are trained and I have numerous plain-clothed people that are now armed and walking the property. Front Sight training, I feel, has changed the face of training in Las Vegas. Without their influence, without their guidance, without the quality personnel and facilities, to this day we would not be armed.