ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – A gun range owner in Volusia County is hoping to make a difference by teaching people about firearm safety.
Chris Louissaint owns and operates FTAC Security Solutions and Training in Orange City.
He’s a certified expert -- working to help certify other people to own a firearm for the past 5 years. In 2019, he even opened his own weapons range.
[BLACK BUSINESS MONTH: Apopka coffee shop serving up family recipes | Black-owned fitness studio empowers women with pole dancing, workouts]
Louissaint said he has worked with Sanford Police but apart from his work with law enforcement, he also teaches youth and adult firearm safety and training classes.
“A lot of instructors just talk give the person a gun have them fire one round and send them on their way,” said Louissaint, “No I’m going to teach you fundamentals. We are going to test your decision-making because it’s very important, this is a high-liability, I take this seriously.”
Louissaint says while spreading his message of firearm safety is important, being an example for people of color in his field is also a priority.
“Every class that I took, every gun show, everything has been we didn’t have any Black owners so that’s when I was like ‘let me get involved’ as far as representation to represent not only for the community but also to provide effective and consistent firearms training,” said Louissaint.
Outside of firearm safety, Louissaint makes sure to give back and mentor young people.
“If I can create a leader in one child of every group, that’s a mission and that’s a success,” Louissaint said.
FTAC Security Solutions and Training also tries to serve as a bridge between law enforcement and the Black community as Louissaint says more understanding between the two is needed.
“I teach not only the use of deadly force from the civilian standpoint but they get to understand the decision-making law enforcement gets to make as well,” he said. When you are unfortunately involved in a deadly force encounter you have seconds and you have to process everything whether you are a civilian or law enforcement.
FTAC Security Solutions and training does plan on expanding in the coming years and says going forward they will continue to mentor young people in hopes of teaching the next generation more about gun safety.
For more information on firearm safety training or to book a class, click here.