ARIZONA GAME AND FISH DEPARTMENT INTER-OFFICE MEMO TO: Larry Riley, Funds/Planning Manager FROM: Don Turner, Chief, Ben Avery Shooting Facility SUBJECT: FY 1997-98 Annual Report, Statewide Shooting Ranges, Jobs 1 through 5 DATE: August 11, 1998 Please find attached the original and two copies of the second Annual Report for the Statewide Shooting Ranges Project from July 1, 1997 to June 30, 1998. cc: Tom Spalding, Deputy Director Kerry Baldwin, Education Branch Chief Terry Allison, President ASRPA Bill Brandel, Rangemaster Larry Collins, Rangemaster Michele Widhalm, Rangemaster Ann Hayward, Office Manager BASF09:081198 ANNUAL REPORT State: Arizona Project Title: STATEWIDE SHOOTING RANGES Job Title: STATEWIDE SHOOTING RANGE ADMINISTRATION Job No: JOB NUMBER 1 Segment No: SEGMENT NUMBER 2 Project Period: From : July 1, 1997 To: June 30, 1998 I. Job Objective: To administer the statewide shooting range project on statewide shooting ranges by providing a focal point for assistance to the shooting range operators via providing a forum and contemporary information and advice on: range safety, operations, maintenance, and development; procurement of grants and funds; range planning; firearms training and education programs; and all other aspects relating to shooting range management and project goals. II. Accomplishments: In July of 1997, this project was transferred to the Information and Education Division, Education Branch from the Director's Office. Shooting Range Development grant files were sorted and organized. Mohave Sportsmen Club successfully completed a grant project at the 7-Mile Range which included installing a metal covered firing line and other additions to their pistol range. The Project Leader provided assistance to the Sierra Vista Range (1000 yard project), and the Usery Pass Range (procedures and signs). Three new range locations were visited (Yavapai County, Pima County, and Coconino County). Numerous correspondence and phone calls occurred between project personnel and various shooting ranges and clubs regarding range development, range safety, and range administration. The project provided Line Safety Officer training to the Rio Salado Sportsmen Club. Project Leader attended the IALEFI conference in Missouri and obtained the bid for their national convention in October 1999. He also attended the National Shooting Sports Foundation Summit meeting and represented the Department and project. A vision statement and related objectives were completed. ANNUAL REPORT State: Arizona Project Title: STATEWIDE SHOOTING RANGES Job Title: BEN AVERY SHOOTING FACILITY ADMINISTRATION Job No: JOB NUMBER 2 Segment No: SEGMENT NUMBER 2 Project Period: From : July 1, 1997 To: June 30, 1998 I. Job Objective: To administer the Ben Avery Shooting Facility as a focal point of a statewide range program. To operate and manage the facility (including the trap and skeet ranges "Clay Target Center") with an emphasis on range safety, facility security, fire protection, facility sanitation, facility maintenance, facility operations including public user groups and volunteer coordination, scheduling, cooperative agreements, public firearms education, development of long range plans, and public use. BASF management priorities have been established as: SAFETY, SECURITY, OPERATIONS, SANITATION, PUBLIC RELATIONS. II. Accomplishments: The maintenance specialist retired and the grounds keeper was promoted. Staff continued to receive training in firearms instructor courses. Safety videos were purchased and staff and volunteers were required to attend work site safety training. Inservice training of personnel in office management, officer skills, and instructor skills continued. Lead testing of a dirt moving project was conducted with negative results. Several in-house staff/training meetings were conducted. Work continues on the developing procedures manual and its companion standards manual. All project reports, budget processes, etc. were completed on time. Developed comprehensive list of redevelopment projects; improved signage of safety areas; oversight of operation, maintenance, and redevelopment projects; met with various user groups; worked with Ben Avery Fund; provided supervisory oversight of BASF employees, temporary personnel and volunteers. Met with City and State officials regarding health and safety regulations. Provided for state disposal of recyclable brass casings. Another new phone system was installed to fix the problems with the OPX system and its relationship with the emergency 911 system A vision statement for Ben Avery Shooting Facility was completed and distributed to user groups. A new scheduling procedure was enacted, and all five project jobs were evaluated per the Department's Job Summary process. ANNUAL REPORT State: Arizona Project Title: STATEWIDE SHOOTING RANGES Job Title: BEN AVERY SHOOTING FACILITY OPERATION Job No: JOB NUMBER 3 Segment No: SEGMENT NUMBER 2 Project Period: From : July 1, 1997 To: June 30, 1998 I. Job Objective: To operate the Ben Avery Shooting Facility as a safe complex for shooting oriented programs including: scheduling of competitive events, training, hunter education, sight in services, buildings, and campsites; oversight of safe shooting programs; community outreach and spectator services; community involvement via donations and volunteer efforts; coordination with approximately 100 user groups; public information and relations; wildlife information programs. II. Accomplishments: SERVICES: During the project year, BASF provided recreational and shooting services to 121 user groups plus public shooting. User Groups conduct their own events and they are monitored by Facility Staff. BASF provided the following shooter days: 35,914 main range, 15,925 match, 1,401 police, 1,871 commercial, 139 military, 4,166 archers for a total of 78,933 shooter days. This is an increase of 21,918 shooter days over the previous year for all categories. Of these shooters 3,481 were women shooters and 5,584 junior shooters represented in all categories. The growth of shooter days is the outcome of this project's success. The following inserts provide detailed figures and visual charts showing use data. The first insert displays shooter days by category for the project year, its companion graphic, insert two is a bar chart showing the relative percentages of this use. The Main Range where a majority of the public shoots provided 41.41% of the overall facility recreation. For trend purposes only, women and juniors are tracked separately. There were increases in all categories except vendors which showed a slight decline. INSERT ONE AND TWO, SHOOTER DAYS Services were also provided to 625 vendors, 3,404 shooters stayed in the campground and approximately 4,500 spectators visited the facility. Some of the operational accomplishments included the completion of a safety video which is now required viewing for all new Main Range shooters. The completion of Staff Reports for Junior's Program, Women's Program, Line Safety Officer Volunteer Training Program. These approved reports were operationalized during this project year. Rangemaster hours were rescheduled, the Ben Avery Fund provided for night lights at the Smallbore and Main Ranges and a Thursday night shooting league was begun. On thursday nights from closing to 10 PM we now have: an NRA junior rifle program on the Smallbore Range (82 juniors have signed up for this program); a women's league on the Main Range; bullseye pistol on the Conventional Pistol Range, and combat pistol on the Practical Pistol Range. Through our Community Outreach Program, NRA "First Steps" classes are being offered by the Az State Rifle and Pistol Association once a month. In addition, the Department's AV section completed a PBS presentation on the Facility. As another customer service and through lengthy discussions, permission was obtained through the Department of Administration to allow purchase of scrap brass at the facility. RECEIPTS: Inserts three and four display facility receipts by user type. Because of the varied fee schedule, the Main Range provided 41% of the use, but 52% of the income. Match fees are one-half that of the daily fee so Match shooters provided 18.36% of the use and paid 11.5% of the fees. At the end of this project narrative, the fee schedule should be reviewed so that fees and use are equitable. This was the first full year of Clay Target Center operation. The income reported is 3% of their gross and is their lease payment. Project income is deposited with the State Treasurer and is used by the project. INSERT THREE AND FOUR, ANNUAL RECEIPTS BY USER TYPE PUBLIC SUPPORT: A tremendous amount of public support continues to be given to the project. The Ben Avery Range Fund continues to donate support for features of the facility. The volunteer program is a high mark of citizen involvement. The Facility had 21 Range Hosts through the winter months and another 21 citizens volunteered their time for various activities. This report does not record the Hunter Education Volunteer hours. During the project year volunteers donated 4,326 hours for firing line duty, 533 hours for repairing targets, 138 hours for assisting with sight-ins, 2,274 hours with archery range maintenance, 9,616 hours for facility maintenance, and 359 hours with instruction for a total of 17,266 hours. We cannot thank our volunteers enough for their hard work and dedication. INSERT FIVE, VOLUNTEER HOURS USE INDICATORS/TRENDS: Insert six displays a summary of various trend indicators. This is the second year of this project, so FY 95-96 was before this project cycle which began in FY 96-97. The insert, however, demonstrates the increasing trends in use of the Facility. If this trend continues, our goal of safely providing 100,000 shooter days may be achievable. Additional personnel are needed to ensure safe conditions prevail through out the Facility. INSERT SIX, THREE YEAR SUMMARY ANNUAL REPORT State: Arizona Project Title: STATEWIDE SHOOTING RANGES Job Title: BEN AVERY SHOOTING FACILITY MAINTENANCE Job No: JOB NUMBER 4 Segment No: SEGMENT NUMBER 2 Project Period: From : July 1, 1997 To: June 30, 1998 I. Job Objective: To maintain the Ben Avery Shooting Facility as a safe complex for shooting oriented programs, and provide acceptable standards for facility safety, facility security, and safe public use. II. Accomplishments: Many maintenance projects were completed. In order to overcome past grounds and trash buildup problems a temporary work crew was hired to help permanent personnel "catch up" on clean up duties. Due to the volume of work accomplished and maintenance needed, maintenance projects are not listed. It is also noted that besides range personnel, temporary employees and volunteers, many user groups performed maintenance at their respective ranges in preparation or clean up for events as well has having "range work parties" for their membership. Nine water leaks were repaired and four new control valves installed. Tables and benches were repaired. A Hunter Education armory was set up. Roads were swept and asphalt patching completed. New highway signs were installed. ANNUAL REPORT State: Arizona Project Title: STATEWIDE SHOOTING RANGES Job Title: BEN AVERY SHOOTING FACILITY REDEVELOPMENT Job No: JOB NUMBER 5 Segment No: SEGMENT NUMBER 2 Project Period: From : July 1, 1997 To: June 30, 1998 I. Job Objective: To redevelop the Ben Avery Shooting Facility with on site projects designed to reduce maintenance costs, improve safety of the users and security of the facility, increase numbers of concurrent users, increase efficiency, and improve safe firearms, archery, and outdoor public education and recreation. II. Accomplishments: During this project segment, the Development Branch hired an engineer to be assigned to BASF for redevelopment. Due to the available redevelopment funds, this was an extremely busy and productive project year. Projects completed include: * Completed shade cover and concrete pad on east side of airgun building. * Installed nine gates for main entrance, two electronic passages with key pad, one dusk to dawn security light and related electricity. * Reroofed nine buildings: maintenance, smallbore, office, rifle silhouette, bench rest, practical pistol, archery, activity center, running boar. * Painted 30 buildings * Painted 16 shade canopies * Completed water survey * Completed electrical survey * Regraded Main Range, set 385 new target frame holders, improved berms, set up 17 positions to be able to shoot out to 200 yards, installed drainage basin. * Increased height of high power impact berm. * Repaired fencing at maintenance compound, two wells, installed security fences at west entrance and clay target entrance. * Sealed and repainted Clay Target Center driveway and parking lot. * Extended shade canopy to cover tables 50-53 at Main Range. * Completed concrete grass edging on east side of Activity Center lawn. * Installed air conditioning on two buildings. * Installed new acoustical tile at Main Range. * Completed $24,000 of insurance projects which were a result of a July storm (funds were incorporated into the redevelopment projects as appropriate.) * Install new numbers on high power. New design using sunscreen rather than metal. * Activity Center Redevelopment: new roof, install air conditioning (four units), patio cover, storage room, ADA bathrooms, sound system, acoustical tile ceiling replacement, replace five windows with double sound barrier windows, sand and restain internal rafters, ADA ramps. * Graded and decomposed granite cover on two new large parking lots. * Installed 1,000 new parking bumpers. * Set up Bench rest building as new classroom. * Installed eight sets of speed control devices.