Durham County Gun Safety Team Makes an Impact in Their Community
Durham County Department of Public Health established the Durham County Gun Safety Team in response to the rising trend of deaths and injuries of children where firearms are in the home, unlocked and loaded.
The Gun Safety Team provides free gunlocks as well as education encouraging adults to ask about the presence of firearms in places where their child plays and visits.
Written educational information is provided English and Spanish.
The Gun Safety Team’s mission is to reduce death/injury related to firearms through broad based and preventive strategies to promote a safe (violence free) environment for children.
1 in every 3 homes has a gun.
ASKÂ your relatives, friends and neighbors if they have a gun before sending your kids over to play or visit.
- If NO – one less worry
- If YES – is gun unloaded & locked? Make sure it is a safe place for your child to play.
Gun deaths and injuries many times can be prevented!
Safest way to store gun:
The safest way to store your gun:
- Use a Gun Safe
- Unload the gun and keep the ammunition separate from the weapon
- When securing a gun with a gun lock, make sure the key is stored in a separate place
The best practice to always store the gun unloaded and locked. If the gun in YOUR home is not safely secured, call 919-560-7765 for a free gun lock. We are able to provide a free gun lock as long as supplies are available.
In the United States . . .
  |  |  Youth are more likely to die from a gun injury than any medical illness or motor vehicle crash |
|  |  |  Most gun deaths are suicides NOT homicides |
|  |  |  There is a 5 times greater risk of suicide in a home with a gun |
|  |  |  Youth are naturally curious and impulsive; they may touch a gun regardless of what they have been taught |
|  | Of gun-owning parents: 43% keep gun unlocked |
|  |  |  “The American Academy of Pediatrics affirms that the most effective measure to prevent firearm-related injuries to children and adolescents is the absence of guns from homes and communities” |
Help promote the message of gun safety in Durham?
Invite the Gun Safety Team to provide information at your neighborhood events, faith-based organization, school, worksite or other events or places.
Let family and friends know the importance of securing firearms and asking about the presence of firearms where their children visit and play
Some of the Gun Safety Team’s Outreach efforts include exhibiting and providing educational programs at the following sites:
- Businesses
- Schools – Fairs, Activities & PTA’s
- Civic Organizations
- Health Fairs
- Health Care Clinics
- Religious & Faith-Based Communities
- Childcare Centers
- Community Events
Ways to Prevent Gun Deaths and Injuries:
Safest way to store gun:
- Unloaded & locked
- Ammunition kept separate & locked
- Keep key away from young hands