Empowering Communities Through Firearms Education
At Equality In Arms Defensive Training, we believe that the Second Amendment belongs to everyone. Many in the gun community say those words, but fail to live them. One only need to visit the average gun page on social media, or read the comments section of a video to get the sense that “everyone” wasn’t meant to include you!
Equality In Arms was founded to create an inviting and uplifting environment for anyone and everyone who genuinely believes that self-defense is a fundamental right of all Americans.
Our mission is to provide high-quality, inclusive firearms training to individuals from all walks of life, with a special focus on minority and marginalized communities. We welcome all allies who share our commitment to safety, responsibility, and personal empowerment.
Who do we work with?
Equality In Arms is a firearms and armed self-defense education organization that is run by civilian instructors and designed for regular people with the safety concerns of every day citizens. While there are plenty of great tactical, law enforcement, and competitive trainers out there, we choose to focus on beginner shooters interested in learning the principles of legal and ethical self defense.
Our training focuses on using true to life stories, including real life cases from local and national news, as well as hypothetical situations to help our learners think through possible scenarios they could face as a self defender.
Many of our customers are people who do not feel welcome in traditional spaces related to guns. At Equality In Arms, we welcome everyone regardless of their skill level, race, religion, political ideology, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender expression, or any other factor, as long as they thrive in a diverse, inclusive learning environment where others can be free to be themselves.
If that describes you, take you next step with us.
MEET YOUR
Instructor
Christopher Fernandez
Owner, Equality In Arms Defensive Training LLC.
Certified Pistol Instructor * certified mental health advocate **
In 2008, at 23 and newly moved from New York City, I nervously walked into my first gun store. I had never seen a gun in person, and I was overwhelmed with anxiety. I felt completely out of place. The experience was so intimidating that I avoided guns for another 11 years. This reflects the fear and insecurity many feel around firearms, a fear I remember well and that many firearms trainers have never felt, or maybe even more sadly, have forgotten. I have not!
But by 2020, I remembered a feeling I hated more, the feeling of being helpless. By the time I was 18, I had been a victim of two robberies in NYC, one at knifepoint on a public bus. Feeling helpless in those moments left a lasting impression. Watching the effect of the Pulse Nightclub shooting and the effect on the community I love, and later the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the social unrest that followed, that feeling of helplessness made a comeback. When coupled with the sudden rise in the targeting of already marginalized communities, I knew I did not want to be a victim again. Many of you know the feeling!
That's why I started Equality in Arms—to help fellow Floridians become responsibly armed citizens, understanding that self-defense comes with important responsibilities. With over a decade of experience in training and curriculum development, I'm passionate about creating a fun, supportive, inclusive, and safe environment for you to learn how to protect yourself and everyone that you love. I look forward to being part of your journey.
* Christopher Fernandez is Certified to teach Basic Pistol instruction by the National Rifle Association (NRA), one of only two organizations legally allowed to certify firearms instructors in the State of Florida. The course curricula and materials used at Equality In Arms LLC were not designed or developed by the NRA. Equality In Arms LLC and the opinions and positions of its founder, officers, instructors, and employees, either in public or in private, are not endorsed by the National Rifle Association or its affiliates.
** Christopher Fernandez has demonstrated competency and skill while completing the Mental Health Advocates Training Course designed and developed by No Limit Counseling and Education, Inc., which is owned and operated by Pernell M. J. Bush, LCSW, CNP; Licensed Psychotherapist. This certification confers upon the holder the right to use the title of Certified Mental Health Advocate. Christopher Fernandez is not a licensed medical professional and is not authorized to provide formal medical advice. No Limit Counseling and Education is located at 819 E 1st St STE 4, Sanford, FL 32771 and offers a full range of mental health services. https://www.nlcounseling.org/