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Training Our Finest
Law enforcement and military both have a difficult task when it comes to using firearms - shoot the bad guy and don’t shoot the good guy. That task is not easy because the events that require those kinds of decisions are high stress and usually have a limited amount of time in which to react. Learning to shoot at a target range may help someone with the basics of handling a gun, but it comes nowhere near replicating the circumstances facing police and soldiers in the real world. Mike McFadyen of Fairfield retired several years ago and intended to enjoy a slower paced life. Unfortunately, his spare time got him into trouble when he inventing a brand new targeting system that helps recreate the conditions described above. Mike started out just giving his system away
to various law enforcement agencies to help with training, but the demand soon grew out of the realm of a part-time hobby. Today, Fairfield is now home to a new business called Highland Target Systems (HTS). HTS makes two basic units - a ro- Mike McFadyen presenting his new tating target and a business at the Camas Senior Center pop-up target. The rotat- ternal 24v power supply and ing unit can slide a paper can be remotely controlled target out from behind a from 1000 feet away. stationary object. The pop- What really makes the up unit can be buried with system unique is the ability up to 250 pound of dirt or to switch out controls modsand and still operate. Just ules that allow automation. imagine one of these units With the right module these jumping up while you are units can see you coming and react independent of exwalking in the desert. Housed in a bullet-resis- ternal controls. These units tant steel casing manufac- can even be set up to shoot tured by Hatfield Manufac- back (blanks of course). turing in Gooding, Idaho, To understand how well the units operate on an in- these targets work, a group of local law enforcement officers recently used these units to improve reaction times. It took a little work, but they were able to get to the point where they could draw, aim, choose the proper target, shoot, and put their guns back in a holster, all in just one second.
September 2
,2015
Volume 39 ~ Number 35 News from the Heart of Idaho Camas • Lincoln • Gooding
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Lightning Causes Fires
Fairfield Ranger District Last Thursday, August 27th, a lightning storm passed through Camas County with over a thousand recorded lightning strikes in the mountains north of Fairfield. The Muley Creek Trail #198 (closed due to the Royal Fire) was due to open on Saturday, but a new wildfire burning in the West Fork of Big Smoky Creek kept that trail closed over the weekend. Muley Creek trail should be open today, September 2nd. The Big Smoky Fire is located seven miles north of Big Peak and is less than one quarter acre in size. It was declared controlled Monday morning. According to Fire Management Officer Devin Hulme, another small fire was started by that same lightning storm in the Rough Creek area near Smoky Dome. The initial attack contained the Rough Creek fire to 1/10 acre in size and it is out. Please note while the Big continued on page 6.....