Six new firearms officers have completed training and are now on active patrol across the county.
The officers, who were awarded their certificates at a ceremony on Friday 10 July, have successfully completed an arduous 16-week training course.
The course, which culminated in a gruelling two-day exercise last week, is designed to teach officers the core skills and competencies required of an Authorised Firearms Officer (AFO).
Of the 12 officers who passed pre-selection for the course, six – five men and one woman – made it to the end and are now proficient in weapons handling, enhanced first aid, building searches, vehicle stops, and containment.
Each of the new AFOs will now be paired with a more experienced officer as they begin their armed policing careers.
Superintendent Louise Mayo, of Nottinghamshire Police, said:
“The initial firearms course is designed to develop and assess candidates against nationally recognised standards and operational requirements.
“As the public would expect, the standards we require of officers who safely carry firearms on our streets are extremely high.
“Consequently, this course is not just about marksmanship or tactics – it is about judgement, communication, de-escalation, and making the right decisions in the most extreme and pressurised situations.
“I know that every one of these officers has been tested to their physical and mental limits by the most rigorous training we can offer.
“As I presented these certificates on Friday evening, I was particularly pleased to see two successful candidates who didn’t quite meet the required standard last year.
“They have both gone away, worked on the areas they needed to improve, and shown admirable levels of determination to pass the course this time.
“As they begin a new and exciting chapter of their policing careers, I would like to thank the Firearms Training Team for all the hard work they put into finding the right candidates and guiding them through this process.”
Authorised Firearms Officers (AFO)
Police officers in the UK do not routinely carry firearms. Where firearms support is needed, it is provided by specially trained and accredited firearms officers known as Authorised Firearms Officers (AFOs).
In Nottinghamshire, officers work in tandem in marked and unmarked Armed Response Vehicles (ARVs) in order to deploy rapidly to high-risk incidents in any location in the city or county. Other responsibilities include providing public reassurance at events, supporting pre-planned operations, and providing advanced first aid to help save lives.
As their careers in armed policing develop, officers can undergo enhanced training in specialisms such as close protection.
