FFS: Family & Firearm Safety

When was the last time you checked that your firearms are secured?

Twice each year, millions of Americans check smoke alarms and replace batteries because small preventative actions save lives.

COEF, the Ceasefire Oregon Education Foundation, believes firearm safety deserves the same kind of routine reminder.

That is why we are launching FFS: Family & Firearm Safety — a twice-yearly reminder for firearm owners to check that their guns are securely stored before families gather for summer vacations, holiday celebrations, and overnight visits.

The reminders will occur on Memorial Day and Veterans Day.

Both holidays center around family, travel, gatherings, and remembrance. They are also moments to recognize the very real impact firearm suicide has on veterans, families, and communities.

The message is simple:

Before the suicide.
Before the theft.
Before the accident.
Before the confusion.
Before the discovery.

Secure your firearm.

Research consistently shows that secure storage reduces the risks of accidental shootings, youth suicide, firearm theft, and unauthorized access. According to Johns Hopkins researchers, more than half of U.S. gun owners do not securely store all of their firearms. Many households with children still contain loaded or unlocked guns.

Unsecured firearms can quickly become instruments of preventable death:
• A teenager in crisis finds a handgun in a nightstand.
• A child discovers a firearm under a bed.
• A thief steals a gun from a glove compartment.
• An older adult experiencing confusion accesses a loaded weapon.
• An intoxicated guest at a party finds an unsecured firearm.

These are not hypothetical scenarios. They happen every day in America.

Safe storage means:
• Firearms stored locked and unloaded
• Ammunition stored separately
• Keys, lock combinations, and access kept away from children and unauthorized users

For some families, this may also be an opportunity to pause and ask an important question: Is firearm ownership appropriate for our household right now?

Every family changes over time. Children grow older and become more curious. Grandchildren visit during summer vacations. Loved ones may struggle with depression, substance misuse, or emotional crises. Older family members may begin experiencing memory loss, confusion, or cognitive decline.

Research consistently shows that access to firearms in the home increases the risk of suicide and homicide. Multiple peer-reviewed studies have found that people living in homes with firearms face significantly elevated risks of firearm suicide and firearm homicide compared with those living in homes without firearms. One major national study found that men living in homes with guns had more than 10 times the risk of dying by firearm suicide. Other studies have found that simply having a firearm in the home is associated with substantially increased risks of violent death, even when firearms are stored responsibly.

The risks are especially acute for children and teens. Researchers estimate that in roughly 90% of youth firearm suicides and unintentional shootings, the firearm used came from the child’s home or the home of a relative or friend. Studies also show that storing firearms locked, unloaded, and separate from ammunition reduces the risk of youth suicide and accidental shootings.

Families may decide that secure storage is sufficient for their situation. Others may consider temporary off-site storage, additional locking devices, or whether firearm ownership remains the best option for home protection at all. Many families are increasingly exploring alternatives such as alarm systems, cameras, reinforced doors, motion lighting, or other non-firearm approaches to household security.

These decisions are deeply personal. But they should also be informed, thoughtful, and revisited as circumstances change.

Family and Firearm Safety is ultimately about protecting the people we love — especially during moments of crisis, transition, vulnerability, or uncertainty.

Responsible ownership includes responsible storage.

The Family & Firearm Safety campaign is about prevention, responsibility, and protecting the people we care about most.

This Memorial Day, take five minutes to check your firearm storage.

One small action can prevent a lifetime of grief.

FFS: Family & Firearm Safety
For Family Safety
For Firearm Safety
For Future Safety