DILLEY, Texas – Just off Interstate 35 in Dilley sits a sprawling training complex designed to prepare first responders for some of the most challenging situations they may face in the field.
Known as The Ranch, the nearly 300-acre facility provides hands-on training for police officers, SWAT teams, military personnel and security professionals.
While some courses are open to civilians, owner and operator Chad Timney said the vast majority of training is geared toward armed professionals.
“The Ranch is a Tier 1 training facility that’s specifically geared for law enforcement, military and security type applications,” Timney said. “We have open enrollment courses for civilians, but 90% of our business remains with the armed professionals.”
The facility features an extensive list of training resources, including an 11,000-square-foot live-fire shoot house, 14 firearm ranges, driving tracks, K-9 training areas, explosive training capabilities, a helicopter landing zone and classrooms.
Timney said agencies travel from across Texas and around the country to train at the facility.
He said one of the biggest challenges officers face after graduating from an academy is finding facilities that can provide advanced, realistic training opportunities.
“The hardest thing to do is find a facility where these guys can get this kind of training,” Timney said. “These kinds of facilities don’t exist.”
According to Timney, The Ranch is the only facility of its kind in Texas and focuses on providing continuous training opportunities, particularly for officers whose agencies may not have the resources to offer specialized instruction.
During a recent visit, multiple courses were taking place simultaneously. One training session focused on the use of ballistic shields, equipment instructors said is often underutilized despite its potential to improve officer safety.
“I think it’s one of the most underutilized tools at police agencies,” one instructor said. “They kind of sit in the back of the trunk.”
The goal, instructors said, is to build familiarity and confidence through repetition.
“We want to make them comfortable with it and get them out here running reps with it so they can use it on the streets,” the instructor said.
Training scenarios at The Ranch range from firearms instruction and tactical driving to vehicle extractions and emergency response exercises.
“Our mission here is to increase survivability for everybody that comes through that front gate,” Timney said. “And the only way to do that is high repetition, so we’re going to get a lot of reps.”
As the facility continues to expand its programs, Timney said the focus remains on ensuring officers and first responders are prepared before they face real-world emergencies.
“We’re really excited about what we’ve built and what we brought here and the community that we’re building,” he said.