PAL & RPAL Course - Safety First!
PAL & RPAL Course - Safety First!
Instructor - Joe Chu
Joe has a passion for working with the community, teaching and firearms training. He is a certified instructor for the RCMP Canadian Firearms Program.
Joe has taught international policing students at the Justice Institute of British Columbia in English, Mandarin and Cantonese.
Joe being congratulated on his retirement by Vancouver Police Chief Constable Adam Palmer and Deputy Chief Constable Howard Chow.
Joe joined the Vancouver Police as a volunteer Reserve Constable in 1987. In 1990 he became a full time police officer until 2019 when he took retirement after being recruited to lead the security division of a post secondary institution.
Joe has served in Operations, Administration and Investigations. Special assignments include Emergency Response Team Crisis Negotiator, VPD Military Liaison Unit, VIP Site Security and Tactical Support Team Leader for the Public Safety Unit.
Training Aids
Non Restricted Firearms
Restricted Firearms
All of the training aids used in the course are dummy ammunition and deactivated firearms as per RCMP regulations. They will not fire.
At the beginning of class each day, a check is made to ensure no students have brought live ammunition to the class.
Restricted Firearms
Non Restricted Firearms
Restricted Firearms
There is a wide selection of restricted firearms for everyone from history buffs to those interested in pursuing a law enforcement career. Joe's retired duty pistol is part of the training aids collection.
Non Restricted Firearms
Non Restricted Firearms
Non Restricted Firearms
There is a wide selection of non-restricted firearms from modern day rifles and shotguns for those looking to hunt or target shoot to several vintage firearms from the WWII and Cold War era for history buffs.
What to Bring
The course is 80% theory and 20% practical. Bring pen and paper to take notes and wear something comfortable for the class as you will be handling a variety of deactivated firearms. Do bring reading glasses if you require them as you will need to be able to read small print.
The student course manual can be downloaded at:
http://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2015/grc-rcmp/PS99-2-2-1-2014-eng.pdf
You do not need to print nor bring the student manual with you. If you want to read the materials prior to the course, read and memorize the Vital Four ACTS of Firearms Safety and PROVE it Safe. Page 21 and Page 22.
Please pack a lunch as this will provide you an opportunity to spend more time handling the deactivated firearms during the lunch break.
Reviews
Really enjoyed taking the courses with Tai & Joe. Their collective wealth of knowledge and experience really made the difference in regards learning to the subject matter at hand. If you are interested in getting your PAL then don't hesitate to book with MetroVan Firearms Training & S2 Firearms Training, true experts! (Dylan Jackson, Feb 2020)
I enjoyed the training tremendously! The trainer did an excellent job facilitating this program. His knowledge added much I truly appreciate it! (Anthony Z, Feb 2020)
Thank you Joe and Tai for the awesome training. They make everything very easy to understand and they will keep helping you until you really understand. They point out what the really important things are in the book and what they say all really make sense. They not only teach the safe handling of the firearms but also address the mentality and the social responsibilities one shall have as a possible future firearm owner which convinced me that this course could be very meaningful not only for gun-using people in the tough world but also for any people of any age group in our society. Real experienced people, real examples, handled everything with respect. Most importantly, They are fun people. Definitely recommend it. (Kiyeon Kang, Feb 2020)
I highly recommend taking this 2-day training course that is very informative and practical. I learned a lot with firearms safe handling from these two very experienced instructors. I found the practical “real life” examples applied in the course very helpful as they complement and reinforce the ACTS & PROVE it Safe fundamental principles. Overall these instructors score A+++++ feedback in my book! I’ll be recommending the course to others who want to get their PAL. (R. Sturrock, Jan 2020)
I am so glad for having chosen MetroVan Firearms among several choices. Their professionalism and knowledge are exceptional. Joe is very experienced having worked for the force for so many years, so he has both knowledge and experience with all kinds of guns. (Tais Imanari, Jan 2020)
Got my RPAL with Tai and Joe this past weekend. They managed to take a long, dry course, and make it fun and entertaining. I would highly recommend this course! (Mike Kleinberg-Bassel, Jan 2020)
Really awesome course, Tai and Joe are great instructors that give relevant, real-world examples to the course material. The both of them rack up a combined 50+ years of firearms experience. They made it easy to understand all concepts and answered every question thrown at them. Great prices, and great locations. This course makes firearms training fun! Strongly recommended! (Daniel Dabiri, Jan 2020)
Amazing class, awesome instructors. A lot to learn. Class is supported with real life examples. If you want to take PAL, go with MetroVan. (Abhiraj Singh, Dec 2019)
When it comes to firearms safety these guys are as good as it gets. Extremely knowledgeable and just great people overall. The experience they provide is incredible. I just finished the non-restricted and restricted safety course with them last weekend (December 14 & 15th, 2019). It was a very enjoyable experience. They made sure to highlight the important details in the course. I was in Joe's group. He took his time answering all my questions and ensuring that I am comfortable with all different aspects of handling a firearm safely. If you are interested in doing your CFSC and CRFSC definitely do it with MetroVan Firearm Training. (Orel Ben Neriah, Dec 2019)
Took both the CFSC and CRFSC with Joe and Tai over the weekend and had a great experience! The website was very informative and made the sign-up process a breeze. Joe and Tai were very professional and knowledgeable; they made course very enjoyable. TRUE EXPERTS in firearm! I highly recommend them to anyone interested in learning more about firearms. (Nguyen Aniki, Dec 2019)
5 out of 5 stars. What a great session. My wife and I have always been interested in the sport and have zero experience with them. We decided to take the PAL and RPAL courses and found Joe and his partner Tai to put on a great course. They emphasized the right info, at the right pace, and answered all our questions throughout the sessions. You know safety is incredibly important to them and this lesson was constantly drilled into us - in a fun, educational and safe environment. I would highly recommend anyone who is wanting to take the PAL course to consider signing up with Joe! (Brian Yam, Nov 2019)
Class was informative and instructors have extensive knowledge to what they are teaching. Highly recommended! (Marc Maceren, Oct 2019)
Excellent class. Joe was really knowledgeable, and I enjoyed the training. I wasn't sure what to expect since I've never picked up a firearm before, but the class style was relaxed, and the instruction was presented in a way that was quick to absorb. Great hands-on training with different types of firearms made it easy to get some confidence without feeling like a total newbie. Really helpful to get real world stories from experienced professionals. Highly recommended. (Sorrel, Oct 2019)
Very Informative class and the instructor was very knowledgeable. Strongly recommended to those who interested in law enforcement and had a passion for firearms. (Seabook Ng, Oct 2019)
Joe and Tai are amazing instructors. This class is highly recommended for anyone who is interested in getting their PAL. (Peter Haile, Oct 2019)
I recently completed the non-restricted and restricted courses with MetroVan Firearms Training. I had wanted to get my PAL for some time but put off the process because I had not been in a classroom for many years and I was not sure I could handle the technical content in a classroom environment. I have to say that the instructors were awesome, and I truly appreciate the time they took to help me learn. The instructors shared from decades of real-life experiences which were not only relatable, but also helped ease my nerves about being in a classroom. Classroom time went by fast and I really enjoyed the hands-on practical time. I would not hesitate to recommend MetroVan to anybody, especially if you are not usually comfortable in a classroom environment. If school was this enjoyable, I could have been a doctor. (Paul Hsu, Sept 2019)
I enjoyed this course so very much, it was a small class with 2 instructors, the student / instructor ratio was certainly beneficial to the learners. They did not just go through the textbook material in a hurry but spent extra time to answer all questions from the students until they are fully understood. The instructor Joe was very friendly and knowledge with firearms, that possibly due to his former profession as a law enforcement officer, but I was so impressed he managed to use a different analogy to explain certain complex firearm operation system in a simplified manner. If they offer any advance classes in future, I will have no hesitation to enroll again. (Albert Chey, Aug 2019)
RPAL Course - Double Action Revolver
Community Engagement
Empowering our youth to make informed decisions about drugs
Dec. 7, 2019. Attended Richmond RCMP Detachment to celebrate another year of D.A.R.E. working with youth in various BC communities. Was a double celebration as this date was also my Justice Institute of B.C. police academy graduation date back in 1990.
For more information on D.A.R.E. please visit their website at
