Meet Mike Chalson

My interest in firearms started when I was 18, I was introduced to trap shooting by one of my friends. Not only was I taught about the fundamentals, I was also taught about firearms safety. When I turned 21, I applied for my New York State Pistol Permit. The day it came I picked up my first handgun, a S&W Model 66 stainless steel .357 Magnum. I taught myself to shoot it and used it for several years competing in PPC events. I also competed in IPSC shooting for many years. I feel any type of shooting is better than none at all. I had my heart set on becoming a Law Enforcement Officer and in 1980 I joined the Binghamton Police Department. In 1983, my Chief sent me to my first Firearms Instructor School. Over the next 20 years, I attended many firearms schools for the department and used the knowledge to train both seasoned as well as recruit officers. My philosophy always has been not only to survive the confrontation but to survive the mental stress that eventually sets in after. During my career, I worked in the Training Division part time with my friend that shared the same passion for good, solid training, whether it be firearms, defensive tactics, or officer survival, as I did. Together we introduced many new and innovative ideas to the Department and to other Broome County Law Enforcement Agencies. In 1986, I introduced reactionary steel targets and moving targets. This was unheard of in those days when most shooting was done on paper targets only. I brought each Agency together making firearms and other training a county wide task instead of each doing their own. Members of each Agency enjoyed this and looked forward to future training sessions. This style training works very effectively when there are high stress incidents which involve several agencies at one time. During my time with the Binghamton Police Training Division, I trained nearly 100 officers to become New York State Certified Firearms Instructors. In 2000, my duties changed to our Traffic Division. I remained committed to training and attended many seminars on my own time. In August 2008 after more than 28 years, I retired from the Binghamton Police Department but currently am employed as a part time officer with a local village police department. Also, I run my business installing emergency lights other equipment on police and fire vehicles, which I started in 1989.

Philosophy

I have one simple rule…survive. The simplest thing one can do is stay aware of his or her surroundings, make adjustments as the situations dictates, and avoid a dangerous event before it happens. If this does not work then you must have the best skills possible to survive a deadly encounter and deploy those skills without hesitation or reservation. Over the years, I have trained over 500 men and women of law enforcement, along with many civilians, to survive deadly encounters. Police must not retreat and are held to a higher standard but it is civilians who suffer in greater numbers at the hands of criminals. I bring nearly 30 years of survival/firearms training and experience to Rochester Personal Defense and for this reason I am committed to teaching both men and women the proper skills in the use of non-lethal and lethal force, thus making them more confident to survive