Project ChildSafe Takes “S.A.F.E. Summer” Into Communities
NEWTOWN, Conn. — Project ChildSafe, in partnership with the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), announces the second annual S.A.F.E Summer campaign, a part of Project ChildSafe’s ongoing program to emphasize the importance of responsible firearm storage — particularly while children are home from school and more likely to be unattended.
Each month, Project ChildSafe will recognize and spotlight local leaders nationwide who are promoting safety and making a difference in their community as the program turns its national message into local action. The firearm industry is promoting safe and responsible ownership through its network — reinforcing Project ChildSafe’s overarching message, “Own it? Respect It. Secure it,” — so that programs such as S.A.F.E. Summer serve as a reminder that proper firearm storage is the #1 way to prevent firearm accidents, theft and misuse.
“Our mission is to make the mantra “Own it? Respect it. Secure it.” second nature when talking about firearm safety,” says Steve Sanetti, President of NSSF. “The S.A.F.E Summer initiative aims to emphasize the importance of safe and responsible storage in communities across the country.”
“S.A.F.E.” serves as an acronym for Store your firearms responsibly when not in use; Be Aware of those around you who should not have unauthorized access to guns; Focus on your responsibility as a firearm owner and Educate yourself and others about safe firearm handling and storage. The effort is focused on providing education and tools that help gun owners take responsible action to keep their families and communities safer.
NSSF launched Project ChildSafe in 1999 (prior to 2003 the program was called Project HomeSafe) as a nationwide initiative to promote firearms responsibility and provide safety education to all gun owners. Through partnerships with more than 15,000 law enforcement agencies, the program has provided more than 36 million free firearm safety kits to gun owners in all 50 states and five U.S. territories. That’s in addition to the more than 70 million free locking devices manufacturers have included with new firearms sold since 1998 and continue to do today.
Project ChildSafe was originally supported by federal grants provided by the U.S. Department of Justice. Since 2008, when this funding was cut, the firearms manufacturing industry has solely funded the Project ChildSafe program through the members of NSSF.
