FS540 Course Description

Wound Ballistics Fundamentals

Note: Peter Alan Kasler, JD is a guest instructor of Knowledge Solutions LLC.
He can be reached for comment and consultation by contacting:
Cottonwood Creek Group, 2521 Hilltop Drive #103, Redding, CA 96002; Phone 530-347-9313; E-mail: pak@tmi.org

For administrative information regarding this course please contact:
Knowledge Solutions; 1961 Main Street; PMB 221; Watsonville, CA; 95076;
Phone (831) 786-9238; Email: director@forensic-science.com

Overview:

This course is intended to be a primer for students and professionals in various fields seeking to obtain a basic understanding of wound ballistics. Wound Ballistics Fundamentals provides an online learning opportunity for people with an interest or a need to understand the often arcane field of wound ballistics.

Purposes and Objectives:

Students and professionals successfully completing this course will have a fundamental understanding of wound ballistics research and reporting methodology. Also, they will have the basic tools with which to understand the physiological and psychological factors of gunshot wounds.

In addition to the above, this course will also introduce students and professionals to the basic wound ballistics elements and the mechanisms of wounding in the human body, as caused by handgun ammunition. Those successfully completing this course will also have acquired the necessary knowledge to discriminate among various handgun ammunition types, and to select the best ones for law enforcement and civilian defense applications.

This course will also debunk dangerous and widespread misconceptions in the field of wound ballistics, and the emotionally-charged dichotomy between the popular gun press and firearms and wound ballistics research scientists.

Starting Date: Oct 28, 2000

Ending Date: Dec 1, 2000

Please note the Saturday start date for this course.

Maximum course size: 50 students

Time Commitment: 5 + hours / week

Please note: Due to the nature of our online courses, course materials and the discussion forum are available 24 hours a day and can be accessed at the student's convenience. The time commitment is merely an estimate, and will vary among students.

Instructor:

Peter Alan Kasler has been working in the fields of firearms, law enforcement, threat management, and wound ballistics for more than thirty years. In the mid-1980s, he worked with Dr. Martin L. Fackler, Col., US Army (Ret.), founder of the Army’s Wound Ballistics Laboratory, at the Letterman Army Institute of Research, located at the Presidio of San Francisco. He has authored a book and numerous papers, reports, and training manuals on the subject of wound ballistics. He is an experienced firearms and tactical trainer, a former Deputy Sheriff for a Northern California Sheriff's Department, and a member of the International Wound Ballistics Association.

To learn more about Peter, please click on his name above to be taken to the Instructors page.

Textbook:

We recommend that students registering for this course purchase Gunshot Wounds: Practical Aspects of Firearms, Ballistics, and Forensic Techniques, by Vincent J. M. Di Maio. Although we do not use it directly as a text, the material complements that which we present in class. It is a good general reference that anyone with an interest in wound ballistics should have on their bookshelf.

This book can be easily purchased from our online Forensic Science Bookstore. Just click on the book link above. For more books on this topic, visit the Pathology & Death Investigation bookshelf.

Prerequisites:

This course is specifically designed as an introductory course, and as such, has no prerequisites. However, it is designed to be instructed at the college or graduate school level.

People who will directly benefit from this course are:

University professors and others who teach ballistics-related courses, firearms-related courses, criminal justice and/or forensic science

Students of ballistics, firearms, criminal justice, forensic science, and others

Sheriffs and police chiefs, peace officers, crime scene technicians, and investigators, etc.

Law enforcement firearms trainers, armorers, rangemasters, administrators and others charged with selecting and acquiring department or agency ammunition

Civilians who wish to determine which ammunition types are best for personal defense use

Private investigators

Security personnel

Doctors, nurses, paramedics, emergency room and medical clinic staff, and hospital administrators

State Legislators and local lawmakers, and their staffs

Lawyers and law firm staff members

Requirements:

The following are required for successful completion of this course:

A basic understanding of computers and their operation.

A basic understanding of the Internet and how to access its resources.

Competency with and access to Netscape Navigator, Internet Explorer or another forms capable browser, with the ability to view both text and images.

A valid email address and familiarity with sending and receiving email.

Certificate of Completion. Students are evaluated based on their weekly assignments, participation in the discussions, and the final exam. Weekly assignments, reading, and discussions require a familiarity with computers and a significant time commitment. A final examination will be administered at the end of the course, which will require students to demonstrate basic knowledge of wound ballistics, as appropriate to the course content.

Cost:

Total registration fee per student is $75.00. This does not include the price of the textbook. A 6% sales tax applies to all Connecticut residents.

Registration:

To register, please click on the registration link at the top of this page.

The deadline for registrations & payments is:

Saturday, October 21, 2000

Please note: Payment by check or money order must arrive at our office no later than the Registration & Payment deadline in order to ensure enrollment and to avoid a $10 late charge. Credit card payment must be authorized by the Registration & Payment deadline in order to ensure enrollment and to avoid a $10 late charge. We won't be able to issue you password information until we have confirmed your registration with payment. Refund policy - We regret that we cannot refund enrollment fees if you choose to withdraw from a course once you have confirmed your registration with payment. Please see the Student FAQ for more details or write the Director of Forensic Services with any questions.

Lesson Plan:

The course consists of weekly online lesson plans in the form of web pages. Discussion topics for the web-based forum will be posted in each lesson.

The instructor is always available by email.

For more information about how a Knowledge Solutions course works, please consult the FAQ. Or, contact us.