R61 Research Project Funded

R61 Research Project Funded

By: Alexandra de Leon Date: October 21st, 2020

Several members of HIPRC’s Firearm Injury & Policy Research Program including Fred Rivara, MD, MPH, Ali Rowhani-Rahbar, MD, PhD, MPH, Lauren Rooney, MPH,  and Emma Gause, MA, were awarded funding for their R61 research project titled, “Online Storage Maps to Facilitate Voluntary Firearm Storage: Mixed Methods Evaluation.”

Suicide accounts for the majority of firearm deaths in the United States, and up to 80% in many Western states. Reducing firearm access for those at risk, including through temporary, voluntary storage away from home, is a key suicide prevention strategy. Colorado and Washington state have created the first ever firearm safe storage maps that provide information on firearm retailers, gun ranges, and law enforcement agencies who have volunteered to temporarily store firearms.

The two-year R61 project aims to further evaluate whether temporary, voluntary out-of-home firearm storage is a desirable storage solution for both users and suppliers (retailers, ranges, LEAs). Through this project, researchers plan to also develop an implementation toolkit other states can use as well.

Understanding how, why, and where voluntary storage options are available and used can help facilitate the created of effective policies to reduce the risk of possible firearm injuries.

Total funding for the project: $1,241,599