NSSF’S COMMITMENT TO FIREARM SAFETY

One of the questions I’m often asked in the course of the gun debate is, “Is there common ground and room for cooperation?” The answer I always give is “Absolutely,” because one thing all of us, especially gun owners, can agree on is the importance of firearm safety.

As the leading organization to promote firearm safety, the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) launched Project ChildSafe in 2003 specifically to educate gun owners on their responsibility to keep their guns out of the wrong hands, and provide the tools to help them do so. Through partnerships with law enforcement we have distributed more than 36 million free firearm safety kits and safety information to gun owners throughout the U.S. as part of this program, and between 2000 and 2010, fatal firearm accidents dropped 22 percent. Firearms accidents are now less than 1 percent of all fatal accidents in the United States.

Our efforts have made considerable strides in gun safety, prevented accidents and saved lives, and working together with you, we can do even more. As responsible firearm owners, we must all take steps to prevent firearm accidents, theft and misuse. Firearm accidents and misuse and the tragic consequences they have on families and whole communities should compel all of us to work even harder to practice and promote firearm safety.

This year NSSF has committed $1 million to provide free gun safety kits, including a lock, in partnership with law enforcement agencies across the country, to gun owners, and educate gun owners about responsible firearm handling and storage. With this effort we will continue to be a leading voice in the nation on firearm safety, but true success with this campaign relies on the participation of responsible firearm owners at the local level. Our website has several easy tips and information to help you prevent firearm accidents, secure your firearms against theft and misuse, and educate your families on proper firearm handling, storage and safety.

We encourage you to use these resources in your home, and to share them with your friends and neighbors who own firearms. It only takes a few seconds for an accident to happen, and it takes just as few seconds to prevent one. Please join us in this important work.

Steve Sanetti
NSSF President