Coach And Instructor Spotlight
Cougar Mountain Solutions – Utah & Nationwide
Advanced firearms and tactics training led by veteran instructor Erick Gelhaus
✍️By ZRIntel Editorial Team📍Utah County, Utah
Cougar Mountain Solutions (CMS) is a premier firearms training and consulting organization founded by Erick Gelhaus, a seasoned instructor with over 20 years of experience in defensive firearms and tactics. Erick's extensive background includes 29 years of full-time law enforcement service in a large California sheriffs office, where he worked in various roles such as patrol, community-oriented policing, gang suppression, narcotics, and field training. He also served as a supervisor, running a patrol shift and overseeing use-of-force/firearms and field training programs. Additionally, Erick has been on staff at Gunsite Academy since 2001, teaching various courses, including pistol-mounted optics classes. His academic credentials include a Master's in Public Administration with a focus on training, evaluating, and explaining use-of-force issues by law enforcement. This combination of practical experience and academic knowledge allows CMS to offer comprehensive training programs that address not only the 'how' but also the 'why' and 'when' of defensive tactics, grounded in legal considerations and practical application. CMS offers a diverse range of courses tailored to meet the needs of individuals and organizations. These courses include: Pistol Mounted Optics (PMO) Instructor Course: A 3-day advanced course focusing on teaching and coaching the use of pistol-mounted optics, covering topics such as equipment maintenance, safety, presentation techniques, and addressing human factors. Reactive Shotgun: An 8-hour course designed for defensive shotgun use in home and business defense encounters, emphasizing ammunition selection, weapon manipulation, and engaging multiple threats. Proactive Shotgun Law Enforcement Course: An 8-hour law enforcement-centric class focusing on using the shotgun within practical and constitutional confines, including close-range engagements and working around vehicles. Concealed Carry Skills: A 8- to 16-hour course focusing on skills such as handgun presentation, accuracy, movement, disengagement, and single & multi-threat engagement skills, tailored for concealed carry practitioners. High-Risk Stops: Pedestrian & Vehicle: A 16-hour course addressing high-risk pedestrian and vehicle stop tactics, covering human factors, legal considerations, safety, and best practices. Non-Traditional and Off-Body Carry: An 8-hour course focusing on non-traditional carry methods on and off the body, discussing pros and cons from an experience-based perspective. To learn more about their offerings or to schedule a training session, visit Know a coach or range that deserves to be featured? Submit here: Follow ZRIntel for daily coverage of firearm training innovations and community stories. Featured in this article? Let us know well highlight your repost on our feed!