About GSSI

Chris Burne is a former U.S. Marine who was a rifle and pistol expert during his term of service. After his honorable discharge from the Marine Corps, Chris was hired as a police officer in 1999 and currently serves as a sergeant with a local police department. He is a graduate of Northwestern’s School of Police Staff and Command and is currently engaged in critical incident response and supervising police personnel.

Before serving as a police sergeant, Chris worked as a gang and narcotics tactical enforcement officer and a detective. As a gang and narcotics officer, he was trained in DEA – narcotics and dangerous drugs, gang crimes enforcement, ballistic shield instruction, responding to hostage situations, tactical warrant, barricaded subjects, and hostage communications. As a former detective, Chris received training in interviews and interrogation, burglary and robbery investigation, child abuse injury reconstruction, digital evidence processing, electronic recording of homicide investigations, protecting children from online sexual predators, and sex crimes investigation.

Since 2001, Chris has been a certified firearms instructor training police officers as well as private citizens to be more proficient with firearms. He also teaches civilian firearms for Citizen’s Police Academy. As an instructor, Chris is trained in several tactical firearms courses, firearms instructor development, range design and construction, and range operations management. He specializes in rifle/ carbine instruction, AR-15, and Colt 1911.

Chris is also an instructor for law enforcement rapid deployment to a school shooting and has been training officers in how to respond to school violence incidents since 2001. From 1999-2002, he helped local school districts develop school safety plans in response to the Columbine incident and is trained in developing safety plans with regards to violence at colleges and universities as well as workplaces.

In addition to his training as a police officer, firearms instructor, and safety planner, Chris has also spent time as a juvenile officer and has additional training in Avon FM12 gas mask instruction, ballistic shield instruction, officer survival, pressure point control tactics instruction, less lethal force, rapid medical response, police cycling, arrest, search, and seizure, and preparation for terrorism and special operations for terrorism and hazmat crimes.

Chris Burne’s Illinois Firearm Instructors License Number: 263.000449

Tom Hogan
Tom HoganTom Hogan started his career as a police officer in 1995 and continues to serve as an officer to this day. He has spent most of his career as a patrolman with officer in charge duties, including 5 years as a patrol sergeant. Over the course of his law enforcement career, Tom has gained experience in investigations, truck enforcement, corrections, and working as an evidence technician. He is also a father of five and a devoted Christian.

Tom’s responsibilities as an officer do not end with patrol duties; he is also a juvenile officer and leader of his department’s Honor Guard. As a juvenile officer, he is a member of the DuPage County Juvenile Officer’s Association and he is responsible for starting his department’s Honor Guard. Under Tom’s leadership, the Honor Guard has conducted numerous flawless ceremonies to honor the fallen. Tom is also a notary licensed by the state to participate in certain legal affairs.

In addition to his law enforcement and notary duties, Tom also works as a field training officer. He displays excellent proficiency with firearms and instructs officers as well as civilians to be more proficient with firearm operation.