Thomas Laye
BayProfs Training Director and Chief Instructor
Tom has been involved with firearms for more than 50 years having started hunting as a pre-teen. Tom served in the U.S. Navy as an Electronics Technician on assignments throughout the world. His last command was Coastal River Division (now Special Boat Unit) XI where in addition to being the command's lead technician he was certified as a Combat Coxswain for the unit's Patrol Boats River (PBR).
Tom served 10 years as a Reserve Police Officer (7-years as Level 1) with a greater Bay Area city. He completed California POST Police academy training in 1985 and has received advanced training since. Tom has many trainer certifications. He is a POST certified Law Enforcement Firearms Instructor, a California Handgun Safety Certificate instructor, and a Certified Firearms Instructor for Arizona and Utah. He is also an NRA certified Training Counselor and Certified Instructor for Pistol, Rifle, Personal Protection, Home Firearm Safety, Metallic Cartridge Reloading, Shot-shell Reloading and Range Safety Officer.
Tom is a certified Chief Range Safety Officer, IDPA Safety Officer, and serves as a Range Safety Officer for the San Jose Municipal Firing Range. Tom has, and does, teach other subjects besides firearms and served as an instructor in the US Navy at the Davisville, RI, Naval Construction Battalion Center‚ (SeaBees) Camp Fogarty Military Training Department and with Coastal River Division XI (CosRivDiv XI).
Tom not only teaches, but is a student himself as much as possible. Tom has attended dozens of firearms training classes from a variety of nationally recognized trainers and firearms training schools in the disciplines of Pistol, Urban Carbine, Shotgun, Precision Rifle, Sub-Machinegun, Edged Weapons, and Defensive Tactics. He has also been trained in VIP Protection, High Risk Environments, Detecting Improvised Weapons, Impact Weapons, Chemical Weapons, and other classes to broaden his skills and knowledge base.
Tom is also licensed by the California Bureau of Security and Investigative Services (BSIS) for security details.
Tom's usual work day is as a technical manager for a Bay Area police department and city.
Tom is also active in Public Safety Interoperability and Emergency Communications projects on the local, county and state levels.
