Project ChildSafe is a program of the National Shooting Sports Foundation to promote firearms safety and education. We are committed to promoting genuine firearms safety through the distribution of safety education messages and free firearm safety kits to communities across the U.S.

The program had 3 main goals in 2017:

• Demonstrate Success and Momentum with the Grant-Supported Initiative
• Amplify the Project ChildSafe Message to Deepen and Expand the Core Program
• Grow Organic Message Delivery and Promotion of Project ChildSafe

According to the 2017 Annual Review, Project ChildSafe hit record high numbers in each goal they set for themselves. Some of their noteworthy successes include:

• Growing our base of core individuals and organizational supporters by nearly 3,000, including a surge amongst non-traditional audiences.
• Launching our firearms safety initiative at both the local and national levels, with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) $2.4 million grant.
• Garnering media attention reaching nearly 200 million people.
• Distributing locks in all 50 states.
• Developing and launching a new public service announcement, “Safety is a Habit.”

Rachel at SHOT Show 2018 with Bill Romanelli of Project ChildSafe.

In 2015, Project ChildSafe was awarded a grant under a cooperative agreement between NSSF and the U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Assistance. The agreement supports an ongoing Project ChildSafe initiative providing free firearms safety education materials and gun locks to pilot communities as well as at the national level.

The initiative is focused on three pilot communities — Oklahoma City, Memphis and Cleveland. These cities were chosen because there is significant firearms ownership and community support for efforts to prevent firearms accidents, thefts and misuse, including suicide.

At each of their lock distribution sites, there were:

• Multiple community volunteers and city workers who handed out safety kits, flyers and literature.
• Dedicated law enforcement officers who answered questions, demonstrated how to install the locks, and strengthened the department’s relationship with the community.
• A local broadcast media partner, all of which went live throughout the day promoting the giveaway, pushing safe storage messages and encouraging people to visit and get a lock. Most stations also ran interviews with local residents, who expressed how grateful they were that the locks were available.

Collectively the Memphis launch resulted in:

• More than 2,500 firearm safety kits distributed to local residents.
• Several thousand flyers on firearms safety and storage distributed to local residents.
• Twitter posts viewed more than 997,700 times.
• 11 print and online stories published.
• 40 radio and television news stories/mentions.

In the months since the launch, their team worked to forge an ongoing media partnership, collaborated with the mayor’s office to make more locks available throughout the city and recruited additional stakeholders to advance the campaign’s message. Results by the end of 2017 were notable and indicate continued momentum in 2018:

• Local TV stations have aired the “Safety is a Habit” PSA more than 1,300 times.
• 8,300 firearm safety kits have been distributed through the police department, churches, community centers and other lock distribution partners.

Project ChildSafe is working with law enforcement partners across the U.S. to provide free gun locks and safety kits to help make communities safer. Contributions can be made via the Project ChildSafe website.

Press release content provided by Project ChildSafe and the National Shooting Sports Foundation.

Rachel at SHOT Show 2018 with Barbara Baird of Women’s Outdoor News and Project ChildSafe.