On a busy law enforcement qualification day, the range officer’s attention is pulled in every direction. Shooters are rotating through lanes. Instructors are tracking performance. Target systems need to run correctly. Ventilation and lighting need to support safe, comfortable training. Safety systems must be ready to respond instantly. And behind the scenes, facility staff may be monitoring equipment status, maintenance needs and building systems that are essential to keeping the range open.
The challenge is that many of those systems have historically operated as separate pieces of equipment. A range may have one interface for target retrievers, another for HVAC, another for lighting and another point of contact when something needs service. When everything works, the separation may be manageable. When something interrupts training, that fragmentation can quickly become a staffing and scheduling problem.
Action Target’s SmartRange AXIS is designed to bring those moving parts together. Built as an Internet of Things platform for shooting range management, SmartRange AXIS gives range operators centralized digital control over connected range systems through a tablet-based interface. The platform is designed to manage Action Target smart connected products, third-party range equipment and RangeOS tools such as point-of-sale and building management systems from one centralized platform. Action Target describes SmartRange AXIS as an IoT command hub that unifies target retrievers, shooting stalls, ventilation systems, lighting, HVAC, POS and safety controls into one connected platform.
The benefit for LEAs
For law enforcement agencies, the value is practical: fewer disconnected systems, fewer manual steps and more visibility into range operations. From one interface, staff can manage retriever lanes, create programmed and timed drills, control target dock and carrier lighting, manage ATI-integrated HVAC systems, assign permissions for local controls and access remote support, diagnostics and updates.
Consider a qualification day in which an officer activates an emergency stop. In a traditional setup, that single action may still require staff to respond across several systems. Someone may need to cut power to target retrievers, adjust HVAC, activate warning lights or verify that other equipment has moved into the proper condition. Each step takes time, and each separate interface creates another opportunity for delay.
SmartRange AXIS Connect extends the AXIS platform by allowing ranges to bring equipment outside the Action Target ecosystem into the same operational environment. Through FLEX Integrations, a range can connect third-party equipment, sensors and systems, including door monitoring sensors, safety photobeams, emergency stop buttons, occupancy sensors, thermostat sensors, range condition lights, “range in use” signs, strobe lighting, third-party HVAC controls and third-party lighting controllers.
That makes the emergency-stop example much more powerful. A single input can be configured to trigger a coordinated response across multiple systems. The emergency stop can cut HVAC, activate range condition lights and stop target retrievers without requiring the range officer to move from one control point to another. When training resumes, those same systems can be brought back online just as efficiently.
The flexibility matters because no two ranges are exactly alike. FLEX Integrations can be customized with up to 24 unique input and output connection options, allowing operators to define their own setups or use preconfigured choices. The system is designed with one SRA Connect panel per bay, universal dry input/output contacts, Ethernet connection to a central controller and scalability across an unlimited number of bays.
The same configurability applies to how training gets run. With SmartRange AXIS, one range officer can run programmed drills across multiple lanes simultaneously, setting course parameters, assigning timed sequences and controlling target movement from a single interface. More officers move through training in less time, without adding staff to make it happen. An instructor can load a drill, push it across multiple lanes at once and monitor performance from the tablet rather than walking lane to lane. For ranges with multiple bays, each can be assigned its own dedicated tablet and controls, allowing unique training configurations per bay while keeping changes isolated so adjustments in one bay don’t carry over to another. Whether running a single range or multiple bays, that kind of adaptability keeps instructors focused on their officers rather than their equipment.
Don’t let downtime disrupt
Facility-level visibility can help agencies move from reactive maintenance to more proactive management. Instead of discovering a problem when a training block is already underway, range administrators can monitor equipment status, track usage and respond to service alerts before downtime disrupts the schedule.
Action Target
SmartRange AXIS Connect also supports building management system integration. Using BACnet connectivity, range-managed equipment can be integrated with a facility’s BMS, giving administrators visibility and control from a central building controller through the SmartRange AXIS platform. For facility leaders, that creates a broader operational picture: Remotely monitor shooting range equipment, know when service is needed and track equipment hour usage.
That facility-level visibility can help agencies move from reactive maintenance to more proactive management. Instead of discovering a problem when a training block is already underway, range administrators can monitor equipment status, track usage and respond to service alerts before downtime disrupts the schedule. Action Target’s product information also highlights cloud-enabled updates, remote troubleshooting, system analytics and real-time technical support as part of the AXIS platform.
For agencies managing busy training calendars, the real benefit is not simply having more technology in the range. It is giving range staff one coordinated way to manage the systems that already affect safety, throughput and readiness. SmartRange AXIS centralizes control. AXIS Connect expands that control to third-party systems. FLEX Integrations allow operator-defined responses. BMS integration gives facility administrators a broader view of range performance.
Together, those capabilities help turn the range from a collection of separate systems into a connected training environment. The result is less time managing equipment and more time focused on training officers, maintaining qualification schedules and keeping the range ready for the next evolution.
For more information, visit Action Target.
