ATTENTION HANDGUN SAFETY COURSE INSTRUCTORS! EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1, 2015 Only Instructors certified by the Orange County Sheriff's Office will be authorized to teach the 3 Hour Handgun Safety Course required for a Pistol Permit Application in Orange County. If you are interested in becoming a Certified Instructor you must submit an application consisting of an applicant cover page and resume'. Applications must be submitted no later than 5:00PM December 1, 2014 to the Orange County Sheriff's Office, 110 Wells farm Road, Goshen, NY 10924 in order to be eligible to teach commencing January 1, 2015. Applications may be obtained on-line (orangecountygov.com), go to Sheriff's Office page, in person at the Sheriff's Office or from any club that is a member of the Orange County Federation of Sportsmen Clubs. Requirements: 1. Applicants are required to be residents of Orange, Sullivan or Ulster counties. 2. All applicants must be NRA approved instructors, Basic Pistol Course Instructors preferred. 3. Applicants must document their training experience for the years 2013 and 2014. Preferred applicants will have extensive experience training students in the Basic Pistol Course. 4. 50 applicants will be selected and are required to attend free training at Sheriff 's Office on the syllabus authorized for the 3 Hour Handgun Safety Class. TO: Media Outlets FROM: Captain Scott K Hamill, Public Information Officer DATE: November 4, 2014 SUBJECT: Orange County Sheriff’s Office; new requirements for pistol permit applicants and handgun safety course instructors. After months of review and consultation with the Orange County Clerk and the sporting community, represented by the Orange County Federation of Sportsmen Clubs, a new single syllabus that meets the Orange County 3 hour Handgun Safety Course training requirement for all pistol permit applicants has been agreed upon and will be implemented in Orange County. In addition to the Sheriff’s Office that conducts the training currently, 50 instructors will be selected countywide who will be trained and certified by the Sheriff’s Office to conduct the 3 Hour Handgun Safety Course. This change sprang from a review of the current process that revealed issues regarding training regimens that were being utilized. The Orange County Sheriff’s Office and its partners in this effort realized that pistol permit applicants were not all receiving the same training and this new policy ensures that all pistol permit applicants will be given the same training and that the rates charged by the trainers will be published. The policy does not establish set rates. The Sheriff’s Office will hold familiarization training for the instructors selected and issue appropriate identification documents to allow pistol permit applicants to choose from the certified instructors. Effective January 1, 2015, only certificates from certified instructors will be accepted by the Sheriff’s Office as part of a pistol permit applicant’s background investigation. Current firearms instructors that meet specific criteria can apply with an application to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office for this certification. The application along with requirements can be found on the Orange County website at www.orangecountygov.com and then clicking on Sheriff’s link. Applications for instructors are also available at the Sheriff’s Office or through any of the 34 members clubs of the Orange County Federation of Sportsmen Clubs. Firearms Instructors with questions on the new requirements can call Undersheriff Kenneth T. Jones at 845-291-7693