Category: Uncategorized

Name: Capt. Matthew Doughney

Department: Flagler Beach Police Department, Florida

How does your agency distribute Project ChildSafe gun locks and safety materials in your community?

We distribute the gun locks in a few ways. We have them at the front desk so they are available anytime to people who want them. This summer we plan to join Flagler Beach’s “First Fridays” event series by setting up a booth to distribute gun locks in the community. First Fridays is hosted by the City of Flagler Beach and has music and entertainment all summer long on the first Friday of every month. It’s hosted right by City Hall and roughly 500-900 people show up to each event. We are always looking for ways to get into the area and spread the safety message.

Why does the Flagler Beach Police Department partner with Project ChildSafe?

Our partnership with Project ChildSafe is a natural fit. For example, how do you provide something to an individual who a) can’t afford it or b) doesn’t know where to go? Project ChildSafe helps answer both those questions. Isn’t this what we are supposed to be doing to keep communities safe from accidents? It is all about keeping kids safe, adults safe, because once that bullet goes out, it is never coming back.

How has access to free gun locks and safety materials impacted your community?

The other week, a gentleman who had seen our ad online came in and asked for gun locks. His grandkids were staying with him for the summer and he wanted to make sure they were safe in his home. With examples like these, how do you put a price tag on that gun lock? Making sure an accident never happens – you can’t put a price tag on that.

We try to promote the free gun locks on our website, on Twitter and Facebook, and through media releases. We want people to know they are available.

How can residents in your community and communities across the country become more involved in spreading the message of safety?

It starts here, at community events and in schools. Early education is key for both parents and children. In our community, residency doesn’t matter. We want to make our area and country safe. Safety does not stop at city limits and bad guys don’t understand or follow city lines. Neither do tragedies. Anyone is welcome to come to us and ask for gun locks, even if you are just here on vacation. Talk about it with your kids and your friends. Make sure they know what resources are available.

In addition to firearm safety, what are some of the best safety practices families can incorporate in their homes?

There are so many things families can do. Crime prevention through environmental design is a basic thing everyone should know. Making sure you have exterior lighting, alarms, having someone check up on your house when you are going away. These little things make a big difference. In terms of home safety, have your family run fire drills with key places to meet up in an emergency. A big issue in Florida is pools. If you have a pool or your child will be around them, make sure you have a gate, or even a fence alarm. Have your kids take swimming lessons and make sure they are always supervised when near water.

These are just a few things, but as a small department, we do the best we can to stay ahead of the curve and be as vigilant as we can be. This is why we are proud to partner with Project ChildSafe.

Last Thursday, Sportsman’s Warehouse in partnership with Project ChildSafe hosted its annual ‘Ladies Night’ event in more than 70 cities across the country. Working with local law enforcement partners, Project ChildSafe was on hand to provide gun safety educational materials and gun locks to attendees. We are grateful to all of the partners who spent their evenings helping to spread the word about gun safety and the “Own it? Respect it. Secure it.” message. Check out some of our favorite photos, courtesy of the Spokane County Sheriff’s Department, Bonneville County Sheriff’s Department and Washington County Sheriff’s Department. Thank you to everyone who helped make these events a success!

Unable to attend one of these events? Find a gun safety kit through law enforcement in your area today. You can also stay up to date on Project ChildSafe news and events by signing up for our newsletter.

Our 2015 Annual Review is out! Last year was very successful for Project ChildSafe thanks to our community. We gave away more than 300,000 safety kits, expanded our reach to nearly 23,000 individual and organizational supporters, drove awareness to the program through a series of events, media stories and campaigns and created new tools to help spread the firearm safety message. Thank you for your support in 2015, and we’re excited for continued success in 2016!

Next week we’ll be gathering in Las Vegas for SHOT Show, the world’s largest trade show focused on hunting, shooting and the outdoors, to help spread the message of Project ChildSafe and recruit more supporters to the effort. We’re also proud to be hosting Katie Pavlich, author of Fast and Furious; Julie Golob, the author of Shoot; and Robert Vera, author of A Warrior’s Faith at the Project ChildSafe booth (#2528 in Hall G). They will join us to meet guests, pose for photos and autograph books. Want to stay updated with everything happening during the event? We’ll be live-tweeting from the floor each day.

This holiday season, $2 can buy the important gift of firearm safety. Two dollars is all it takes to help put a gun lock in

someone’s hands so firearms can be securely stored when not in use, and to help prevent firearm accidents, thefts or misuse.

Safe storage is the #1 way to help prevent firearm accidents in the home. To help every gun owner store their firearms responsibly, Project ChildSafe provides free gun locks to law enforcement agencies to distribute in their communities. It’s a hugely popular and successful program–we receive requests for thousands of gun locks from law enforcement partners every week.

Unfortunately, the demand far exceeds supply. We need your help to meet the need and provide more free gun locks to communities across the country.

From now until December 31^st, give the gift of safety and donate online at www.projectchildsafe.org/donate.

You can also send checks to:

Project ChildSafe Foundation

11 Mile Hill Rd.

Newtown, CT 06470

Thank you for your support and happy holidays!

The Project ChildSafe team

HUNTING SEASON IS A TIME TO PRACTICE AND PROMOTE FIREARMS SAFETY

Hunting season is here. As you know, hunting is a tradition that is often passed down from generation to generation. Another important tradition among hunters is practicing safety in the field and when transporting and storing firearms—something Project ChildSafe reminds hunters about with its Hunt S.A.F.E. campaign so that hunts are made safe, fun and memorable.

S.A.F.E. is an acronym for Store your firearms responsibly when not in use; Always practice firearms safety; Focus on your responsibilities as a firearms owner; and Education is key to preventing accidents. Project ChildSafe emphasizes safely securing firearms when they are not in use as the #1 way to prevent firearms accidents.

Here are a few ways you can help spread the Hunt S.A.F.E. message this season:

1. Take our online quiz to test your knowledge of safe and ethical hunting. Share your results with friends and family on Facebook or Twitter:

I took the @ProjectChildSafe quiz on hunting season! Test yourself to see if you know all the facts to be a safe  hunter: http://bit.ly/1ggnKLA #HuntSAFE

2. Have a conversation with your friends and family about safe hunting, using this checklist to get you started.

3. Tell us why you think firearms safety is especially important for hunters. What do you do to help you and your hunting companions remain safe at all times?

We’ve also developed additional resources to remind outdoorsmen and women that the hunt isn’t over until you’re home safe. Please reach out to us anytime at PCSStaff@nssf.org with any questions or stories about safe hunting.

We are proud to announce an ongoing partnership with nearly 30 state fish and wildlife agencies to encourage Americans to “Hunt S.A.F.E.” this fall by remembering to handle firearms responsibly.

When hunting this season, remember to Secure your firearms when not in use; be Aware of those around you who should not have unauthorized access to firearms; Focus on your responsibility as a firearm owner; and Educate yourself and others about safe firearm handling and storage.

“At a time of year when more firearms are likely to be taken out of storage, transported and used in the field, we want to emphasize the steps hunters should take to handle and store firearms properly and securely,” said NSSF President and CEO Steve Sanetti.

All around the country, state fish and wildlife agencies are using Hunt S.A.F.E. messaging to educate hunters and conservation officers.

This fall let’s all remember that the hunt is not over until you are home S.A.F.E. and your firearms are securely stored. You can find our safe hunting checklist, ethical hunting brochure and other tools here.

The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) announced that it has been awarded a two-year, $2.4 million grant by the U.S. Department of Justice. Funds will go toward providing firearm safety education messaging and free gun locks through Project ChildSafe to communities throughout the country, to encourage responsible firearm storage and help reduce firearm accidents, theft and misuse.

“We’re honored to be recognized by the DOJ in our efforts to promote that message and going the extra step to make a means of safe storage readily available to gun owners,” said Steve Sanetti, NSSF’s President and CEO.

Since 1999, Project ChildSafe has distributed more than 37 million free firearm safety kits across the country and in five U.S. territories. Thousands of law enforcement agencies, hunting and conservation groups, and firearms retailers already participate in Project ChildSafe and have been instrumental in expanding the reach of the program’s safety messages. The new grant from DOJ will likewise be instrumental in making free gun locks available to more gun owners nationwide. Visit our map to see where firearm safety kits and gun locks are available near you.

We’d like to give a shout out to the state of Louisiana for doing its part to create a culture of firearm safety.

Not content to be ranked as number two in the country for unintentional firearm-related fatalities, Louisiana has programs like the Louisiana Law Enforcement for Gun Safety Group, led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Baton Rouge. Through this program, law enforcement officers visit schools to teach students about the dangers of a loaded gun and advise parents about how to securely store their firearms when not in use. Additionally, more than 50 law enforcement agencies throughout the state are Project ChildSafe partners and distribute the program’s free gun locks and safety literature to gun owners in their communities.

One way to improve firearm safety in your own community is to publicly (and frequently) emphasize the message of personal responsibility. Securing firearms when they’re not in use is the best way to help prevent accidents, theft and misuse. A host of safe storage options are available that suit various home circumstances and budgets. To find out where to pick up a free safety kit in your area, visit our Safety Kit page.

Thank you, Louisiana, for continuing to spread the Project ChildSafe message. Keep it up the great work, especially during this upcoming hunting season.

Michigan Gun Owners, one of our PCS SAFE Summer Local Champion groups, gave a firearms safety presentation to a group of about 15 kids and their parents at Jordan Missionary Baptist Church in Detroit, MI on August 8.

The session featured elements of their stock presentation and the “How to Talk to Your Kids About Firearm Safety” video, followed by a Q&A session and distribution of PCS brochures and other educational materials.

For safety resources you can use with your family and community, check out our Safety Resources page.