The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Tips on how to store guns at home offered
One in three homes with children in the United States also has guns present, according to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP).
Also according to CHOP, nearly 90 percent of unintentional shooting deaths occur in the home and most occur when children are playing with a loaded gun in their parents’ absence.
It’s important to keep fire-
Also according to CHOP, nearly 90 percent of unintentional shooting deaths occur in the home and most occur when children are playing with a loaded gun in their parents’ absence.
arms out of the reach of children, Lake County Sheriff Daniel Dunlap said. The biggest mistake he sees is that some people always keep their guns loaded.
“Generally ammunition and weapons should be kept sepa- rate,” he said.
It’s never safe to point guns at people and guns should not be used while intoxicated, he added.
Lt. John Hiscox from the Geauga County Sheriff’s Office recommends safety locks, which he said are relatively cheap to purchase. Hiscox said gun locks come in many different types.
One is a cable lock, which generally runs for $10 to $50, according to Project ChildSafe, a firearm safety education program developed by the National Shooting Sports Foundation. Project ChildSafe states cable locks can be used on most firearms and allow for quick access in an emergency. It also offers security from theft. The cable runs through the barrel or
action of a firearm to prevent it from being accidentally fired. They can have either key or combination locks.
Another option is trigger locks, which has a cylinder behind the trigger so it cannot be pulled. There are key, combination and push-button models.
On the more expen- sive side are gun safes and vaults, which can run from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars. Gun safes allow for gun owners to store multiple firearms in one place, are difficult to steal and can protect from fire damage, according to Project ChildSafe.
Project ChildSafe also offers gun safety tips on its website. The program states firearms should always be pointed in a safe direction.
“A ‘safe direction’ means that the gun is pointed so that even if an accidental discharge occurred, it would not result in injury,” the program stated.
Project ChildSafe also said to keep your finger off the trigger until you intend to shoot.
“When handling a gun, rest your finger outside the trigger guard or along the side of the gun,” the program states.
“Don’t touch the trigger until you are actually ready to fire.”
The organization also recommends “always unload, clean and place your firearms in their secure storage location immediately after returning from a hunting trip or a day at the range.”
Gun owners shouldn’t be afraid to educate their younger family members about gun safety, Hiscox said.
“They need to know it’s not something to play with,” he said. “It’s the responsibility of the owners to educate others in the home.”