Gun Safety

Safe Firearm Storage

The Greendale Health Department advocates for safe firearm ownership. Unfortunately, the presence of unlocked guns in homes increases the risk of both unintentional gun injuries and intentional shootings.

FREE firearm safety Lock Starting May 15^th, Greendale residents can stop by the Greendale Health Department to pick up a FREE firearm safety lock. Locks can be used on any type of firearm and will come with instructions and tips for safe firearm ownership.
Please feel free to stop by the health department, call us at: 414-423-2110 or email meisen@greendale.org with any questions!

How to use a firearm safety lock:

Cable style firearm locks can be used on almost every type of firearm and are easy to use. It works making it impossible to load or fire the firearm.

https://youtu.be/rBQu1uYOk0U

Firearm storage safety tips:

Keep firearms out of reach of children                               Keep ammunition, key and firearm in 3 separate locations Other safe storage solutions

•   Gun safes                                     
•   Lock boxes                                                                                               

Asking Saves Kids (ASK)

1 in 3 homes with children also has a firearm which may or may not be properly loaded. When your child visits a new home, make sure to ask the homeowner if there are any firearms in the house and if they are properly stored.

Click the link below for tips on talking to other families about gun storage in their home where your child may be spending time/having a play date

Talking to your kids about firearm safety

Eddie Eagle Gunsafe Program has an easy to remember safety messages for children and great resources for parents when it comes to talking about gun safety.

Safe firearm storage legislation:
What you need to know as a gun owner in Wisconsin

There are no federal laws addressing child access to firearms

 There are laws on the state-level.

Know the facts

Improper storage of a firearms significantly increases the chance that a child or unauthorized person will obtain said firearm.

1 in 3 firearms are kept loaded and unlocked and most children know where their parents keep their firearms.

73% of kids under 10 know where a firearm is kept in the home and 36% admitted to handling it.

39% of parents who reported that their children did not know the storage location of household firearms, and 22% of parents who reported that their children had never handled a household gun were contradicted by their children's reports.

Children as young as 3 years old (in some cases) are strong enough to pull the trigger of a firearm.

More than 75% of firearms used by children in suicide attempts were kept in the home of the victim, a relative or friend. 

National Physicians Alliance and the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence (2013). “Gun Safety and Public Health: Policy Recommendations for a More Secure America”. http://smartgunlaws.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/gunsafety-and-publichealth.pdf.