Engage Virtual Range provides serious gun training or adrenaline rushing entertainment

[A new virtual gun range in Medina, Ohio offers valuable training for law enforcement and the public, as well as entertainment and friendly competition – all without the danger of real firearms. This story from Cleveland.com provides the details. –Matthew]

[Image: Credit: Mary Jane Brewer]

Engage Virtual Range provides serious gun training or adrenaline rushing entertainment — you choose

By Mary Jane Brewer, special to cleveland.com
Posted October 24, 2019

MEDINA, Ohio — Engage Virtual Range — a virtual gun range for building skills, accuracy and confidence — opened in August at 5035 Beach Road in Medina. The three simulators offer a fun, safe and judgment-free environment for both novice and expert shooters.

If you’re looking for an adrenaline rush while learning to safely handle handguns, this is the place. But don’t worry — no real guns are permitted on the premises.

Entrepreneurs Chad Wilson and Cal Davis want to educate people on the safe use of firearms. When searching for a venue to teach their wives about the safe use of guns, they discovered that there were only a few dozen virtual ranges in the country.

With Davis’ background in firearms and Wilson’s background in the technical side of the business, they decided to start their own company here in Medina.

Their primary purpose at this point is law enforcement training. They have developed 865 scenarios to help train officers in the shoot-don’t shoot reaction to stressful situations such as a traffic stop, an active shooter, a situation involving a person with a mental health issue or a hostage situation. In each situation, Engage Virtual Range supplies the facility and the technology, and a departmental range officer does the training.

The company encourages law enforcement units to contract for four training sessions a year, believing that frequency and recency are part of the responsible delivery of training. A customer cannot walk in and access the police training scenarios; he or she must be part of a law enforcement unit.

The second purpose of the virtual range is to introduce shooting in a safe environment. Parents who are concerned about their children’s access to firearms (ages 12 and older) can bring them to the range for training and practice with simulated handguns.

The range also offers situational training for civilians who have concealed carry permits. The intention of the training is to teach the gun owner how to get out of a situation without using force. When designing their scenarios, Wilson and Davis ask themselves, “How do we make people more responsible?”

The third purpose of the range is entertainment and training for competitions. Wilson has devised dozens of simulated games and target situations for friendly competition between shooters or for competition with oneself — the “realistic” scenario, for example, of zombie hunting records the timing and accuracy of the shooter.

The simulated handguns appear to be “real,” are weighted like an actual firearm and recoil realistically. On a simulated target shoot in a desert setting, puffs of sand ricocheted off a cliff behind the target to indicate where the virtual bullet had missed the target. Surround sound in the shooting rooms adds a realistic touch to the experience.

To experience this virtual shooting range, reservations are required. To learn more or to sign up, log on to www.EngageVirtualRange.com, email reservations@EngageVirtualRange.com or call 800-784-6049.

The range is hosting a free event for veterans on from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 11. To thank them for their service, veterans can enjoy friendly competitions, giveaways, food, drinks and fun. Access events@EngageVirtualRange.com for more information.

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