Firearm Safety

INDICATORS OF RISK

• Presence of firearms in the home
• Paranoid delusions that someone is in the home or threatening safety
• Easily angered and volatile or has a history of being aggressive and/or physically threatening
• Others feel unsafe in the home

STRATEGIES FOR SAFETY

• Discuss firearms, including what is to be done with them if it becomes a safety issue. Involving all interested family members early in the process helps to avoid conflict later.
• The best option is to remove the firearm and ammunition from the home BEFORE there is a major concern.
• Contact the local police or sheriff’s department for assistance with legal firearm removal.
• Unsupervised access to firearms is not permitted under any circumstances.
• If there is a firearm in the house it must be put in a safe place. The best course of action is to lock it in a cabinet, drawer, or lockbox.
• Even without a firearm, ammunition is still dangerous if subjected to the right conditions (e.g., a fireplace, stove, furnace, oven, microwave oven, disposal, hammer, etc.).
• It is not sufficient to unload firearms or place a trigger lock on them. A disabled firearm still presents a risk as others cannot tell if the gun is loaded or unloaded.