Firearms Safety In Your Home and Firearms Safety Shoot

  • Published
  • By Lt. Col. James J. Zirkel
  • 436th Security Forces Squadron commander
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. --  I genuinely believe parents are always concerned about the safety of their children and do their best to provide them a safe environment. They use car seats, seat belts, life preservers and bicycle helmets to protect their children; but, often times forget about gun safety.

As the Security Forces Commander, I wanted to make sure you are aware of a special firearms training course offered by the 436th Security Forces Squadron. It's called the Firearms Safety Shoot and will be held on 16 Oct 10. It is open to all base members and families. The course will include a home and range safety briefing prior to live firing on the range.

The following firearms are authorized at the family safety shoot:
- all handguns .45 caliber and below,
- all rifles .270 caliber and below, and
- shotguns 12 gauge and below.

Each participant must provide their own ammunition (up to 25 rounds per handgun/rifle and 10 rounds per shotgun) and only standard leg and hip holsters are authorized if you want to use them. Concealed, shoulder, or cross-draw holsters may not be used.

Sorry, but children under the age of 10 cannot participate, and all participants under the age of 18 must have parental consent. All participants will be required to sign a Hold Harmless and Indemnification agreement.

Having a gun in the home, especially if it is not stored properly, can be a significant risk factor to family members. Firearm related injuries are an unnecessary cause of death in children in the home. Even if someone doesn't have a gun in their home, I think it's important to educate children about firearm safety in case they discover a gun outside the home or in the home of a friend.

Every child and young adult should know the four steps of the National Rifle Association Eddie Eagle GunSafe® Program. If they find a gun they should stop, don't touch the gun, leave the area and find an adult. For more information on gun safety in the home visit the NRA website at www.nrahq.org/safety/eddie.

If you're interested in signing-up for this course, be sure to RSVP by sending an e-mail to 436sfs.catm@us.af.mil by Oct. 10, 2010. Please provide the following information: number and ages of family members participating and weapon type and caliber.