Tim Tomich hopes to receive building permits for a clean, well lit and ventilated, state-of-the-art indoor shooting range later this week. Next week, Tomich wants to break ground on Tim’s Shooting Academy, 17777 Commerce Dr., and open later this year.Tomich, who is “semi-retired,” said the idea came from his son-in-law.
“At age 16, I was a shooter and hunter,” he said. “The one thing my father showed me was safety, safety, safety, safety.”
Safety of the public, customers and employees are Tomich’s first, second and third concerns when looking at creating an indoor shooting range.
“The most important part is educating the public on safer use of handguns and guns in general,” he said. “We want people to come here and experience the sport of shooting but more importantly, learn to be safe.”
To ensure safety, the building is following U.S. Navy specifications because they are the most stringent rules in the world, according to Tomich.
“We’re pouring reinforced concrete walls so we can keep everything inside the building,” he said. “Elvis isn’t going to leave the building. Everything is designed with safety first… and we are in an industrial park, not near any schools or residential areas.”
Noise outside the building will also not be an issue with 10-inch reinforced concrete walls.
“Every two inches of concrete reduces the decibel level by 50 percent,” Tomich said, adding a typical shotgun blast is 165 decibels. “A whisper in a library six feet away is six decibels. The sound of a shotgun blast through 10-inches of concrete is about two decibels. The noise issue will not be a concern outside.”
Tomich is working with Technical Firearms Training and will have NRA certified firing instructors at the range. He said the onsite classroom will have space to accommodate 20 students at a time.
“Classes are for those who have never held a handgun to experienced people who are looking to properly handle a gun safely on a conceal and carry basis,” Tomich said. “We will have classes regularly – at least once a month, up to two or three a month depending on interest.”
Tomich anticipates a lot of women coming to the academy seminars.
“The largest growing population of shooters is women between the ages of 50 and 60,” he said.
Everyone who comes to the academy will listen to a 20-minute safety presentation before being allowed to enter the shooting range.
“Even the police chief most go through a training seminar before he’s allowed to go to the shooting range,” Tomich said, adding a breach flag will be placed in the gun before entering and after leaving the shooting range. “The first time they can load the gun is in the bulletproof stalls.”
Tomich said the shooting academy will sell firearms – upper-end handguns, shotguns and rifles.
“We will have weapons there people can rent,” he added. “Before you go out and buy a gun, fire that gun… What’s the first thing you do when shopping for cars? You take it for a test drive.”