Rossford Fire & Rescue Department
Operation Gunlock
Firearm Safety is NO ACCIDENT, It's Up to You!
When you own a firearm, safe storage and handling is YOUR responsibility.
SIMPLE STEPS THAT CAN SAVE LIVES:
Always keep your firearms unloaded and locked up.
Lock and store ammunition in a separate location.
Make sure that children don't have access to the keys.
Do not store firearms in bedside tables, under mattresses or in your car.
Use safe storage such as a gun locker, "lock box" or an action or trigger lock.
90% of accidental shootings involving children are linked to an easy-to-find, loaded handgun in the home.
Toddlers and Young Children
Because even the most well behaved children are curious and eagerly explore their environment, the safest thing is not to keep a firearm at home.
If you keep firearms at home, explain to children that guns are dangerous and that children should never touch guns except under adult supervision.
Teach children that guns are not toys.
Teach children that gun violence on TV and in movies is not real. Explain that in real life, children and others can be hurt and killed with guns.
Every day, 16 American Children under the age of 19 are killed by firearms.
Teach young children the four basic rules of firearm safety:
If you find a gun, STOP!
Don't Touch It! Explain that if they touch it, it could fire and hurt someone.
Leave the area. Explain that this will decrease their risk of getting hurt if someone else touches it.
Tell an adult immediately. Explain that an adult knows how to handle a gun safely so no one gets hurt.
Children learn gradually, often forget and test rules. Periodically repeat the message to stay away from guns.
Preteens and Teenagers
Teach your children ways to resolve arguments or fights without guns or violence.
Keep in mind that teenagers don't always follow the rules.
Preteens and teens are attracted to guns and may view them as symbols of power.
Depressed preteens and teens commit suicide with guns more often than any other method.
Look for warning signs of suicide:
Drug or alcohol abuse
Violent actions
Marked personality changes
Loss of interest in friends, appearance or usual hobbies or pleasures.
Decline in school performance
Increase in risky behavior
Any verbal hints of suicide
Sudden prolonged change in moods
If these or other signs cause you concern, contact your local crisis control center.
To prevent potential suicides, temporarily remove all guns from your home. If you must keep firearms, keep them locked to discourage impulsive acts.
If you own a firearm, every member of your household should take a gun safety course.
BANG, BANG!!!...YOU'RE DEAD
Unfortunately, that phrase is all too true in our world. Elementary school age children have been found bringing guns to school. It's up to us as parents to practice and teach firearm safety, for our children and ourselves.
Here are some facts about guns and children:
Every day, 16 children under the age of 19 are killed by gunfire and many more are injured.
It's estimated that 1.2 million elementary school aged "latch-key" children have access to guns in their home.
A child between 10-19 years of age commits suicide with a handgun every 6 hours.
The average hospital bill for treating a child wounded by gunfire is $14,434 - enough to pay for a full year of college.
One in five students have acknowledged taking a weapon of some kind to school for protection against others they believe have weapons.
A gun kept in the home is 43 times more likely to kill a member of the household or a friend than an intruder.
By sixth grade, an average child has watched approximately 8,000 murders and 100,000 acts of violence on TV.
Children imitate what they see and hear
This doesn't mean that a child should be brought up in ignorance of firearms. Even if you don't keep guns in your own home, what about your child's friend's home? Your child could come into contact with a gun while visiting friends or relatives. Would your child know what to do?
As a parent, you owe it to yourself and your children to be sure that they understand the rules of gun safety. Teach your children to respect guns and their ability to kill or injure. Have them attend a gun safety course and learn about firearm safety.
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Guns kill. Do something about gun violence. |
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The time it will take may save a life. |