In Washington State, three in every four firearm deaths are suicides. Access to firearms triples the risk of suicide. Empathetic conversation about firearm safety and mental health is associated with more people using safe gun storage, reducing the risk of preventable injury and death.
Three critical interventions are available to support an individual in crisis:
In Washington State, Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPOs) allow families and law enforcement to petition a judge to restrict individual possession and purchase of firearms using a civil order.
An Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO), which voters approved in 2016 through Initiative 1491, is one way to protect someone you care about from harming themselves or others with firearms. Before and during times of crisis, an ERPO can help you intervene to keep the people you care about safe.
An ERPO is a civil order that allows a family or household member or a member of law enforcement to petition a judge to restrict individual possession and purchase of firearms when you worry that an individual’s behavior indicates they might be at substantial risk of harming themselves or others.
Learn more about Washington State’s Three Interventions >>
How to use an ERPO:
Learn more about Washington State’s Three Interventions >>
An ERPO can keep at-risk loved ones safe from a suicide attempt or an attempt to harm others with a firearm. They are an effective tool to prevent suicide.
One study found that for every 10 to 20 ERPOs granted, 1 suicide was prevented.
ERPOs may also be useful for preventing mass shootings, homicides, and intimate partner shootings.
Learn more about Washington State’s Three Interventions >>
Learn more about Washington State’s Three Interventions >>
Consortium for Risk-based Firearm Policy
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPOs)
Episode 3: Understanding Firearm-Related Injury and School Violence Podcast Series [15:11]
In this episode, we discuss ERPOs and their impact on school safety. Dr. April Zeoli guides us through a detailed discussion of ERPOs, their role in preventing firearm-related injuries in schools, and how they intersect with school safety >>
Download Series Highlights – PDF
Source: National Center for School Safety (NCSS)
Visit our Digital Resource Center to learn more about critical Firearm Interventions and Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPOs) — plus, more injury and violence prevention topics year-round!
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