iPatriot owner addresses council concerning firing range within city limits
Featured Stories, News February 5, 2020
BLAIRSVILLE, Ga – Tim Chambliss, owner of iPatriot, asked the council to consider allowing his business to open an indoor firing range. The current gun ordinance prevents Chambliss from building the facility.
He previously applied for a permit and was denied due to the law. However, he would like for his business to stay inside the city, and he is prepared to take on all regulations, but he first wants to know if it’s even possible.
“We work on guns, but we need to have the ability to test-fire the weapons on-premises, so we want to put sound muffling devices, ventilation devices, proper flooring inside the building. We also have room to accommodate several shooting lanes in there. We would like to be able to develop an indoor range for rent per hour, per lane for anyone who wants to shoot,” explained Chambliss.
Chambliss presented his case for an indoor firing facility to properly test prepared guns and potentially offer a range to the public.
Federal law prevents iPatriot from removing guns they have repaired from the premise to test fire, which is one of the reasons Chambliss wants the ordinance amended or perhaps an exception for his business.
Police Chief Michael “Bear” Baxter believed the current gun ordinance stated, “prohibits any discharge of a weapon inside the city limits.” He also asked if the range would be limited to handguns, which Chambliss confirmed it would be.
All agreed an indoor firing range isn’t something that could happen overnight, iPatriot would first need to meet all health and safety regulations, including lead exposure and noise, and pass insurance inspections.
“It’s an expensive and time-consuming process. It’s not like it will happen next week or even six months. It’s not something that you want to go into or even start without knowing you can go ahead and do it,” said Chambliss.
Open predominately to handguns, Chambliss would put a limit on the caliber of weapon allowed to shoot at the indoor firing range. The proposed range would be small and go in iPatriot’s new location, across the street from the current building on Young Harris street.
Councilmember Tony Dyer expressed concern with the location, “I don’t like that location for an indoor range. It’s too compact right there.” His main worry was the potential for parking hazards in the already tight area.
Chambliss reassured Dyer that the adjacent and Foodland parking would assuage that issue, and the firing range facility would only have around five lanes total.
“At some point, whether we do it there or somewhere else, we would like to have an indoor range,” concluded Chambliss. “We’re just looking for a little grace or permission.”
Mayor Conley offered a potential solution, “You tell us what you have to do in your process, put that in writing. Make sure the questions that Bear had and the questions our attorney had [are answered]. Cover all this and all the criteria the EPA and the state, and put [it] in writing sometime this month, and bring it to me, and we will discuss it with the council next month.”
https://youtu.be/WfuDT6IL7lw?t=341Regulations On Lead Exposure and Noise Pollution
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has published several papers pertaining to the regulation of lead exposure and noise levels in indoor and outdoor firing ranges.
To prevent occupational exposure, NIOSH recommended that businesses provide workers and shooters with the appropriate information, establish effective engineering and administrative controls, supply protective equipment and other measures, and offer health and medical monitoring to employees.
To reduce exposure, NIOSH stated workers and shooters should take training, follow safety practices, and participate in health monitoring programs. Everyone needs to wear protective equipment, such as earplugs and earmuffs, respirators and full protective outer clothing for maintenance activities that involve close contact with lead dust or spent bullets, and protective eyewear and gloves when cleaning weapons or fire range surface.
Also, employees and shooters should practice good hygiene, so washing hands, arms, and face after leaving a range, changing clothes and shoes before leaving, and washing those items separately from other apparel.
Finally, report potential lead poisoning symptoms to a doctor. These symptoms range from reproductive effects, nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, poor appetite, weight loss, anemia, fatigue or hyperactivity, headaches, stomach pain, and kidney problems
From NIOSH’s paper on Reducing Exposure to Lead and Noise at Indoor Firing Ranges:
OSHA has established limits for airborne exposure to lead (see 29 CFR 1910.1025*). The standard creates the action level and the permissible exposure limit (PEL). The action level for airborne lead exposure is 30 micrograms per cubic meter of air (µg/m3) as an 8-hour time-weighted average (TWA). The OSHA PEL for airborne exposure to lead is 50 µg/m3as an 8-hour TWA, which is reduced for shifts longer than 8 hours.
The NIOSH recommended exposure limit (REL) for airborne lead is 50 µg/m3 as an 8-hour TWA. A worker’s blood lead level (BLL) should remain below 60 µg lead/100g of whole blood.
For noise exposure, the OSHA limit is a maximum PEL of 90 decibels, A-weighted (dBA), averaged over 8 hours (see 29 CFR 1910.95).
The NIOSH REL for noise (8-hour TWA) is 85 dBA using a 3-dB exchange rate [see NIOSH 1998]. Exposure to impulse noise, such as that which comes from weapons, cannot exceed 140 dB sound pressure level (SPL).
1 Comment
If you build it we will come….up to 5 patrons at a time. I would even be willing to schedule and pre-pay in advance to secure a day & time on the indoor range.
This would provide those who work in or near town another locale to occupy our time and tax dollars during lunch and immediately after work.