New Training Opportunities: The Shoot House and Force Option Simulator

We’re thrilled to announce some incredible new tools at our disposal as we prepare for another exciting year of training! As some of you already know, we now have a fully operational Shoot House at our range and a cutting-edge Force Option Simulator at our indoor facility. These resources provide unique and valuable learning opportunities for students, whether they’re seasoned shooters or just starting out. Here’s what you can expect:

The Shoot House: Realistic Training

Our shoot house introduces students to critical skills like shoot/no-shoot decision-making, hostage resolution techniques, and defending your home. This unique training environment will be offered in select advanced classes moving forward.

During my years with the LAPD, shoot houses were an essential part of our training, as they are for many of our instructors. Clearing a structure requires time, patience, and the ability to make life-or-death decisions in split seconds. This is a skill set that cannot be fully developed on a square range.

For most civilians, this type of training is entirely new. Navigating a shoot house teaches you how to handle corners and thresholds, target selection, and apply the fundamentals of deadly force in realistic scenarios. In our shoot house, you’ll take the skills you’ve learned on the square range and apply them to overcome obstacles in an indoor environment, gaining a tactical advantage at every opportunity.

The Force Option Simulator: Dynamic, Real-World Scenarios

Most civilians never have the opportunity to train with a Force Option Simulator—an advanced tool primarily used by law enforcement and military agencies. At ITTS, we’re proud to offer an updated version of the same simulator used by the LAPD to train their officers. Every police recruit who goes through the Academy trains on a similar simulator, and now, so can you!

The simulator immerses you in a variety of force-on-force scenarios that require split-second decision-making. You’ll need to evaluate whether to use deadly force or engage the target in negotiations and de-escalating the situation —all while responding to rapidly evolving circumstances.

What further enhances the training is the ability of the instructor to modify the scenario in real time, increasing the level of difficulty or changing the outcome based on your decisions. This unique tool also evaluates the accuracy of your shots, providing instant feedback on your performance. If you’re curious about how you might react in a high-stress situation, this experience will be an eye-opener!

Why This Training Matters

Whether you’re new to the shoot house or the simulator, these tools provide unparalleled opportunities to learn and grow. Working with seasoned law enforcement officers who have faced these scenarios in the real world gives you invaluable insights into the practical application of these skills.

These training environments offer more than just skill-building—they prepare you to think critically and act decisively under pressure. The shoot house hones your tactical movement and effective rapid execution of the basic mechanics, while the simulator sharpens your judgment, reaction times and articulation. Together, they provide a comprehensive approach to improving defensive tactics and decision-making in life-or-death situations.

If you’ve ever wondered how you’d respond to high-pressure, real-world scenarios, now is the time to find out. Join us this year for an unforgettable learning experience and take your skills to the next level.

— Scott Reitz, ITTS Lead Firearms and Tactics Instructor, LAPD SWAT (Ret.)