GRIDLEY, CA (MPG) - The Firearm Industry Trade Association (NSSF) and Project ChildSafe launched a second Gun Storage Check Week observance coincide with National Suicide Prevention Month.

Kittle’s will participate in Gun Storage Check Week (Sept. 1 through 7), the inaugural observance convened by NSSF, to encourage gun owners and their families to check on their firearm storage practices and do their part to prevent unwanted access.

NSSF, a respected advocate for responsible firearm ownership, launched Gun Storage Check Week to remind gun owners and their families to “Make sure it’s secure,” the campaign’s slogan. This collaborative effort underscores a shared commitment to preventing firearm-related incidents.

Secure firearm storage is the most effective way to help prevent firearm accidents, suicides and theft. Many secure storage options are available, including lock boxes, cable locks and full-size safes, to secure firearms when not in use in homes and vehicles. When firearms are not under your direct control or being carried on your person, it’s best to place them in locked storage. Fast-opening lock boxes are a good solution for firearms kept for home security.

“Most gun owners store their firearms safety and responsibly, but we can do more to help prevent firearm-related accidents, suicides and thefts by using Gun Storage Check Week as an occasion to review storage practices and make changes, if necessary, to prevent unauthorized access,” said Patrick Kittle, owner of Kittle’s.  

“No one wants their gun in the hands of an unsupervised child, a person in crisis, an individual who lacks knowledge of safely operating firearms or a thief,” says Joe Bartozzi, President and CEO of NSSF.

“If something bad happens because your gun isn’t stored securely, you’ll regret it, probably forever.”

The NSSF websites, GunStorageCheck.org and ProjectChildSafe.org, offer a variety of firearm safety education resources, including a Gun Storage Check Week infographic for reviewing safe storage practices, a handout on firearm storage options and a handout on tips for firearm safety in your home.