An Cosantóir

An Cosantóir May 2014 www.dfmagazine.ie 12 | The LFTT course, of which this is the seventh, is con- ducted every two years and is of seven weeks duration. To qualify for the course as an NCO candidates must be a sergeant (substantive) or higher. For officers the minimum qualification is first lieutenant with two years in the rank. The highest award on the course is an 'A' qualification ('A Qual'), which gives the NCO or officer the authority to prepare, plan and run an LFTT exercise. A 'B' qualification limits the holder to a supervisory role as an assistant to an 'A Qual', and a 'C' qualification only allows the holder to run a gallery range. One of the many tests the students face is cutting out a 7.62mm safety template, which marks out the dimen- sions of the danger area for a 7.62mm weapon based on a 1:25,000 map. While a 5.56mm template could be cut it would only cover the Steyr, whereas the larger 7.62mm template covers the GPMG and allows for section-level exercises; the largest that the students will have to plan and execute on the course. The templates are used in con- junction with traces (overlays of the training area on the selected map) to decide exact areas to be marked out on the ground to ensure safe use of the weapons. Students must pass the template cutting test before us- ing it to pass at least six out of ten test traces, with each trace getting progressively harder. After passing these tests, students must then write up an exercise action safety plan (EASP) for a live-fire exercise. (Only blank ammunition is actually used on this initial exercise instead of live rounds.) In addition, a range action safety plan (RASP) is written up for a live- fire, buddy-pair, shoot, and then a RASP for a section- level live-fire shoot. (These can be for either a day- or night-shoot.) EASPs and RASPs contain vital information on the safety aspects and limitations of the exercise and include a wide range of things such as care-of-hearing regulations, the manuals used to write them up, risk assessments, medical precautions, 'actions on...'; and the list goes on. They include a lot of essential information for all personnel involved in the shoot. Exercise soldier firing his Steyr at the enemy. Firing zone sign; only permitted people are allowed beyond this point while live firing is being conducted.

• Cover