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. With its extensive resources and commitment to realistic training, The Ranch has become a vital asset for those in the field.
While some courses are open to civilians, owner and operator Chad Timney emphasized that the vast majority of the 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 explained. “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. This diverse range of facilities allows for a comprehensive training experience for participants.
Timney noted that agencies travel from across Texas and around the country to train at The Ranch. He pointed out one of the biggest challenges officers face after graduating from an academy: 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 lamented. “These kinds of facilities don’t exist.”
According to Timney, The Ranch is the only facility of its kind in Texas, focusing 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, including one that focused on the use of ballistic shields, which instructors noted are often underutilized despite their potential to improve officer safety.
“I think it’s one of the most underutilized tools at police agencies,” one instructor commented. “They kind of sit in the back of the trunk.” The goal of the training 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 added.
Training scenarios at The Ranch encompass a wide variety of skills, ranging 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 stated. “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 affirmed that 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 concluded.
