FAQ
Most frequent questions and answers
We formed the corporation and applied for non-profit status in 2021. We physically received our IRS Determination Letter in January of 2022.
Our primary focus is on improving law enforcement use-of-force decision making and de-escalation capability. We accomplish this through funding training and tools that help agencies implement improvements in both training and qualification methods.
Most people don’t know that the majority of law enforcement officers are not well trained, especially in use-of-force skills. In fact, the average officer will have less training and experience in these areas at the end of a 30 year career than a Jr. High School athlete has in his or her sport of choice.
Much of the training, especially in firearms skills, that law enforcement officers receive is also counter-productive when it comes to preparing them for the reality of the job. For example, virtually no training or qualification with firearms requires visual evaluation of a subject, decision-making, or de-escalation of force.
We help agencies realistically address these and other training deficiencies. We fund access to cutting edge training methods and tools. This includes matching training methods with how the human brain naturally learns information and integrating visual stimulus, decision-making, and de-escalation into all levels of training.
There are three active for-profit entities that are considered related organizations to Saving Lives USA Foundation. Two of these are, effectively, different parts of the same business where one is a parent entity that holds intellectual property and the other conducts operations and manufactures and sells products. Building Shooters Technology LLC is the company that primarily conducts activities. Innovative Services and Solutions LLC hold the intellectual property. As Building Shooters’ company focus is on training and products that are directly in the area of Saving Lives USA Foundations main charter, we do intend to conduct financial transactions with this organization, although we do not intend for them to be an exclusive vendor.
Our Member and President, Dustin Salomon, is the majority owner of this business structure.
We address this potential issue in four ways:
First, we have established minimum guidelines on pricing for any financial transactions that may occur to ensure that any financial transactions occur below current market rates. This established guidance is included as part of our IRS 1023 long-form application and ensures “arms length” transactions.
Second, any transactions with Building Shooters are first reviewed and approved by the Board, with Salomon being removed from the decision process. The other board members have no involvement with Building Shooters Technology LLC.
Third, Saving Lives USA Foundation will not provide any funding for Salomon’s time during any training events that occur utilizing Building Shooters Technology LLC personnel or resources. Any time contributed by Salomon to these events will be recorded as volunteer hours with Saving Lives USA Foundation.
Finally, we post our quarterly financial statements online for all to review. They can be access through our Transparency page. Any member of the public can see all income and expenses that have occurred since the formation of the company through that web page.
The other active business that is considered a related organization is Tactical Advantage. This is a commercial business in Minnesota owned by our Secretary Jason Falconer as his current primary occupation. We do not anticipate any financial transactions occurring with this business.
Please reach out to us using the contact form located on that web page with any additional questions.
The short answer is a resounding YES.
Our efforts are based on all of our board members possessing multiple decades of experience as members and leaders of armed workforces, combined with the latest in cutting-edge scientific research.
There is no solution that will prevent all mishaps in the real world; however, there is a TREMENDOUS amount of improvement that can be made to existing training methods and tools that will produce significant changes in police performance on the street.
For example, in 2022 we funded equipment and training for the Syracuse, New York police department, enabling them to integrate visual processing and de-escalation into 100% of their firearms and tactical training for both in-service training and recruit training.
Police use of force is one of the great issues of our time. Yet, very few people know very much about the underlying subject matter, including why substandard performance seems to be far more prevalent than many members of the public would expect.
This lack of in-depth public understanding has contributed to a popular public narrative that threatens to drive some aspects of our society farther apart while rates of violent crime continue to increase, disproportionately impacting historically disadvantaged communities.
We offer something more.
We offer real solutions, grounded in decades of research and real-world experience that are both game-changing and actionable.
Anybody who wants to improve the decision-making and de-escalation performance of their local police department or other law enforcement agencies should not only have the ability to speak his or her mind about this issue, he or she should also have the ability to actually help do something about it.
That’s where we come in.
We aren’t talking about police use-of-force performance. We are actively changing it, one agency at a time.
Do you want to talk about police reform, or do you want to join us in actually doing it?
Simple. We aren’t here to build out infrastructure, we’re here to reform police use of force and reduce the social harm that results from it.
Our basic operating costs are member funded. We don’t draw a salary and our volunteers participate because they, like us, care very deeply about reforming police use of force.
When we get funding, we turn around and use it to implement police reform.