PERSONAL PROTECTION INSTITUTE
SAFE START CONCEALED HANDGUN PERMIT
TRAINING PROGRAMS
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A Word From Our Founder and CEO
R. Thomas Crawford
About Permit Courses
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So Where Do I Go Now For A Class?
I'm happy to be able to direct you to another teaching organization with the proper
skills and experience to provide you with a high quality firearms training class. That
organization is:
Proactive Shooters
Glen Allen, Virginia
804-307-8315
Proactive Shooters is a solid, reliable training organization with a proven track record.
Their founder, Mr. Jim Reynolds, has the essential law enforcement and protection
background to competently answer your questions and advise you on matters of
personal security, sadly lacking in most other area instructors. He has a convenient
schedule of courses in the Richmond area, and is a true gentleman as well.
I have no business connection with Proactive Shooters or Jim Reynolds whatsoever,
in fact, we were respectful competitors in the Richmond market. This is just where I
would send a close friend or family member who needed instruction at this time.
You can view Jim's website by clicking here:
www.ProactiveShooters.com
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The Personal Protection Institute has offered our Safe Start Concealed Handgun Permit
Training Programs in the Richmond area as well as other locations since even before the
landmark change in Virginia law over 15 years ago that provided for our current "shall issue"
handgun permit system. In fact, we offered the very first "permit course" in Virginia. We've
presented the Safe Start Program in hotel meeting rooms, private office space, college
classrooms, sporting goods stores, gun shows, churches, and even private homes for those
who could not conveniently travel. Since opening our doors in 1990, we have had the distinct
privilege of training over 25,000 of our friends and neighbors in the Safe Start system, as well
as associated firing range sessions, intermediate, and advanced courses. If you were one of
those students, thank you so much for your time and support!
Over time, the "gun course" taught by PPI became something of a Richmond institution, with
whole families, workplaces, clubs and fraternal organizations attending sessions. For me
personally, doing this work, introducing law-abiding citizens to self-protection and working
with dozens of PPI instructors and staff over the years has been some of the most rewarding
time spent in my professional career, especially when one of those citizens has used
something we taught them to protect themselves or their families.
Sadly however, things have changed, and I must announce that at this time, the Personal
Protection Institute will not be offering the Concealed Handgun Permit training program in the
Richmond area for the foreseeable future, although I will continue to service private clients for
customized training and specialty courses in the United States and abroad personally. This
change has been necessitated by my extended absence from the United States. I simply do
not feel that I can properly supervise and monitor the quality of our programs from overseas.
As of this writing, no organization in Virginia has been authorized to present our copyrighted
Safe Start Program or use our materials, although some organizations may be utilizing former
PPI staff members. Any claims to the contrary are false and misleading.
There are many so-called "permit courses" now being offered in the Richmond area, and
online alternatives as well, if what you desire is to simply get a certificate that will allow you to
apply for a permit to carry a concealed handgun. Each day it appears that a new "hobbyist
instructor" offers a class on "gun safety" and quality varies greatly. These "classes" will
suffice to meet the state's minimum requirements, but should not be confused with real
self-defense and protection training. For that, in my opinion, you need to get your instruction
from an organization led by current or former law enforcement and protection personnel who
are familiar and experienced with high-risk situations, not just guns, which are by far the least
important part of the equation. You should inquire as to whether the leadership of any
organization you are considering training with has such a background which they will reveal
in detail, and if not, in my opinion, you should look elsewhere. Also take a look at how long
they have been in operation. There are dozens of "fly by night" operations in the Richmond
area who are here today, and gone tomorrow.
Even though I won't be offering the permit classes six to eight times a month as we did for so
many years, I'm going to continue training students worldwide, and I'll keep this site open and
keep updating the information here to the best of my ability. You can also still order my book,
Safety Through Strength by dropping me a line, and get it in electronic form or even as a
hard copy. The textbook is an excellent reference on all aspects of citizen self-defense, and
can supplement whatever class you choose to take.
Also, at any time, if you have questions on any aspect of self-protection, whether you have
been a PPI client in the past or not, feel free to e-mail me and I will respond as quickly as I
can. As I have been saying for the last two decades, the last thing I want is for you to be out
there with a loaded gun and an unanswered question! Please be patient, I'm currently
working overseas in another time zone, so it may take a little while for me to respond to your
inquiry. Please feel free to e-mail me if you are interested in setting up private contractual
training as well. You can reach me at tcrawford@ppisafety.com or at any of the e-mail links
on this site. I look forward to hearing from you.