Locked, unloaded, ammunition apart

The 15 minutes

1. 2 min Say why: "Pediatricians and the firearm industry's own safety program say the same three things about a firearm that is not in use, and the CDC adds that hiding it is not storing it."
2. 6 min Read the source lines below aloud. Name who said each one.
3. 4 min Talk through the questions. There are no wrong answers here.
4. 3 min Agree one change for this home, and who will make it by when.

Read aloud

• "All guns in your home should be locked and unloaded, with ammunition locked separately." (AAP)
• "Store your firearms in a locked cabinet, safe, gun vault or storage case when not in use, ensuring they are in a location inaccessible by children and cannot be handled by anyone without your permission." (Project ChildSafe (NSSF))
• "Store your ammunition in a locked location separate from firearms" (Project ChildSafe (NSSF))
• "Putting a firearm out of sight or out of reach is not safe storage and not enough" (CDC)
• "Even if you think you've hidden your gun well, chances are your child will find it. In fact, by as young as first grade, 4 out of 5 kids know where a gun is hidden in their home." (AAP)
• "A gun lock should be used as an additional safety precaution and not as a substitute for secure storage." (Project ChildSafe (NSSF))
• "The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) advises that the safest home for a child is one without guns." (AAP)

Talk it through

• Is this true in our home today? "Every firearm not in use is unloaded and inside something that locks: a safe, gun vault, lock box, locked cabinet or locked case."
• Is this true in our home today? "Ammunition is locked too, in a different place from the firearms."
• Is this true in our home today? "A cable or trigger lock is used as an extra layer on top of locked storage, not instead of it."
• What would make it hard to keep this up, and what would make it easy?

Questions and answer key

1. The AAP says all guns in your home should be...
   Answer: locked and unloaded, with ammunition locked separately
2. A firearm is unloaded and on the top shelf of a closet. What does the CDC say about out of sight or out of reach?
   Answer: It is not safe storage and not enough
3. Project ChildSafe on cable and trigger locks:
   Answer: An additional safety precaution, not a substitute for secure storage
4. By as young as first grade, how many children know where a gun is hidden in their home, according to the AAP?
   Answer: 4 out of 5
5. Where does Project ChildSafe say to store ammunition?
   Answer: In a locked location separate from firearms
6. Which does the CDC give as an example of secure storage?
   Answer: A safe or lock box