The Lake Today

Before citizens can even ask Capt. Tony Helms and his fellow firearms instructors at the Camden County Sheriff’s Department one of the most common questions in firearms use and safety, the law enforcement officials deliver an important piece of advice for those who have a concealed carry weapon permit.

“Most people are afraid to ask the most asked question, so I tell them when I give training or when I am speaking to citizens of our community. ‘You will never have to make the decision to shoot somebody; they will make it for you,’” he said. “Even though I do teach (deputies and concealed carry weapon class students) about how to use it, that bit of advice is the one of the most important for a deputy or citizen in our community. We’ll show you how to shoot the weapon properly, but we want you to know when to shoot the weapon.”

As principal firearms instructor, range master and jail administrator for the Camden County Sheriff’s Department and licensed generalist instructor for the Missouri Sheriff’s Training Academy, Helms has more than 20 years in law enforcement and 15-plus years teaching deputies the proper ways to handle, maintain and fire a weapon. Helms and his highly trained staff continue to utilize that knowledge in promoting firearms safety for those with a badge, with a concealed carry permit or with a good conscience that want to know what their rights truly are.

Getting equipped

The majority of Helms’ 24-plus years in law enforcement has been serving the Camden County Sheriff’s Department. However, he did work as a police officer in Richland, Mo. for about four years before making the career move to the Lake Area.

Starting out as a road officer, then promoted to deputy sheriff, Helms also held a corporal and patrol sergeant titles before being asked to run the Camden County Jail.

“I was working security one day and the former sheriff asked me if I wanted to run the jail. I asked him if he was nuts,” he said jokingly. “I took the job (being promoted to lieutenant) on a year’s probation and planned to go back to the patrol division.”

However, with the added bonus of getting more firearms instruction, S.W.A.T. and training and teaching time under his belt, Helms stuck with the jail administrator, one he has held for 10 years, according to the Missouri Deputy Sheriff’s Association. Yet, it was before he was assigned that title, that Helms also learned the ropes in firearms instruction within the sheriff’s department from reputable law enforcement officials. Eventually they had stepped down from their posts in firearms teaching and Helms jumped at the chance to keep the well-oiled machine running at full steam.

“I put a lot of time and effort into firearms instruction, and the county has put a lot of time and money into my training, as well. I am very appreciative of this, as is my counterpart, Sgt. Jimmy Brashear,” he added.

As noted, Helms is a licensed generalist instructor for the Missouri Sheriff’s Training Academy, which has aided in his teaching and overall knowledge of firearms. He has also served as Region #3 representative, as well as vice president and currently president of the Missouri Deputy Sheriff’s Association. For some time Helms served as the S.W.A.T. unit coordinator for the Camden County Sheriff’s Department, but now acts in an administrative liaison role to that division.

Sgt. Jimmy Brashear has worked in several fields of law enforcement since 1989 including dispatch, corrections, patrol, crime scene, S.W.A.T., along with firearms instruction and being an armorer. He also is a site coordinator and instructor for the Missouri Sheriff’s Training Academy, and has worked alongside Helms for 12 years in firearms instruction at the county level.

Now, Helms, along with Brashear, has a full staff of deputies who help in firearms instruction within the department including Brett Scott, Bill Mullins, Chris Moehle and others who assist both in house and out in the field during community firearms safety presentations and concealed carry weapon (CCW) classes. Like Helms, these instructors utilize real life situations and personal stories to help exemplify specific situations for officers and civilians in using weapons.

Helms has not shot anybody despite being involved in weapon-relation situations on duty. However, a gunfight at the old Camden County Jail with a man who came back after being detained at the facility resulted in Brashear making a decision to shoot the suspect, lose a finger and ultimately save deputies’ lives in process, according to Helms. In fact, Brashear was a recipient of the National Sheriffs Medal of Valor, Purple Heart and the Missouri Deputy Sheriff of the Year award for his heroic actions that occurred on that day in September 1994.

“I am technically over him but I consider Jimmy an equal; he’s my right and my left hand,” Helms said. “He is one of my best friends, as well as my co-worker. He is truly a hero within our department and our field.”

A ‘range’ of skills

Helms taught his first firearms instruction course 15 years ago, and continues to put forth knowledge of what he and his staff have learned to good use among the deputies.

“My goal is to see that everybody I teach go home at the end of their shift. I want to teach them tactics that will save their life or keep them safe. I want them to be the best they can be,” he said.

In the past, deputies had to go through two qualifications a year in firearms safety and proficiency. However, Helms said now they only train once a year, but qualify four times a year. Helms said they incorporate real situations into the 20-25 rounds they shoot on paper, which gives them their pass or fail for the qualification. However, training comes paired into these quarterly tests with complete hands-on runs through the department’s combat course.

“We make them move, shoot, hide under things, put good guys in front of bad guys. It is a very labor intensive program, and we use marker rounds that simulate a deputy at a car stop or inside the live fire house at the range,” he explained. “They go through scenarios that are shoot or no shoot situations.”

“It takes them about five minutes to go through the course, with about 50 minutes of prep time per officer. When you are shot at with marker rounds that sting like crazy, you don’t stand out in the open; you utilize cover, you evade, like you should. Force on force training is the best,” he added.

Aside from qualifications, Helms and his team of instructors also have embarked on more classroom training with weapons. This teaches the deputies safety, as well as maintenance of their weapons, which include a variety of pistols, rifles, shotguns and even some submachine guns and fully automatic rifles for those involved in S.W.A.T.

Safety in numbers

In 2003, the Camden County Sheriff’s Department began teaching civilians CCW courses, with 2,100 permits currently issued out of their office. Around that same time, Helms and his fellow instructors also began delving past private firearms safety courses to giving more public presentations to civic and community-based organizations.

Over the years, the team has talked about firearms safety and use to a variety of groups including many at the state level such as the Missouri Sheriff’s Association, Missouri Deputy Sheriff’s Associations and Police Chief’s Association.

Now, Helms and his team are preparing to expand out beyond churches, community assemblies and civic organizations, hoping to promote the Eddie Eagle firearms awareness program to school children and preschools throughout the county after the first of the year.

Even though Helms and his instructors give a similar generic 17-20-slide PowerPoint presentation to citizens throughout the year, he finds that no two meetings or CCW classes are alike.

“I always foster safety first. If I am allotted four hours, I will always have three hours of Q&A. Everybody wants to put themselves in a situation, which many have been in even if they won’t admit it, wanting to know if (what they did or suggesting to do) was right,” Helms said.

He used a Nov. 16 firearms safety presentation given to Horseshoe Bend area residents at the Four Seasons Activity Center as an example of how detailed inquiries about firearms use and safety can be during these meetings. He said many of the residents wanted to know more about firearms safety and laws in their car, versus their home.

However, one consistent theme Helms and his instructors see in their community education presentations and CCW courses is when to use their firearm.

“The No. 1 thing civilians want to know is when and if it’s OK for them to use their weapon against a person. Everybody is different and some people think that if a person walks in their house and they aren’t supposed to be there, they can shoot them,” he explained. “I have had people tell me that is what they are going to do, and I tell them, ‘Well, then you are going to jail. You are not a police officer; you are a citizen and guess what, you are a good citizen.’ I tell all my classes, you are good people or you would not be here doing it the right way. Just because somebody has violated your privacy doesn’t give you the right to kill them.”

Locking your sights

Overall, Helms has not seen an increase in gun-related violence in Camden County, but believes it is still an issue.

“The crimes are still there,” he said. “Bad guys still have the guns, but the difference is now a few more citizens have guns, too.”

Helms and his team of firearms instructors and experts encourage any citizens’ group or civic organization to contact the sheriff’s department to request a firearms safety presentation. In the meantime, they continue to promote firearms safety and education both in the community, in schools and within their own department.

“People need to know this, we train for the worst and ask for the best. You can train for the best every day, but you got to train for the worst,” he said. “I hope and pray we never have to use (our guns). But if we do, I want to be the one on top. There is no second place in a gunfight.”

“I always take time to talk with our community about firearms safety, and the citizens people pay me to do so,” he added. “We have no problem going off to anywhere in this county to share our knowledge with them. If it benefits the citizens, it’s part of our jobs.”

For more information about CCW courses or firearms safety presentations, contact Carrie McCorkle at 573-346-2243, ext. 273.