Zeta Crossfire wrote:When I first got into airsoft I went to a small skirm in St Helens Oregon. It was on public land and the guys told me they've played there before with no issues. Before we went out on the field 3 different police cars converged on us and 4 officers got out of their cars, hands on there guns (but not drawn) asking us if those (airsoft guns) were real. Turns out these guys forgot to tell local police, or anyone that they were hosting a game and neighbors called the cops and said "The Taliban are getting read to attack the city!" In the end we left because we scared the heck out of the local residents and people just driving by. Always inform the local, state, sheriff, or whoever you need to just in case. Better for them to know and calm down people who call 911 then them sending officers out to the scene.
If I recall that event, there was a lot of miscommunication and I'm pretty sure somebody who didn't want the event to happen had called the police. Gheyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy.
Yes, contact local authorities. By hosting an event you do take some liability, so be cognizant of that. Also if you're using public land, and want a free skirmish, that's fine. But don't charge any money on site unless you're having them pay on private property.