Safe Storage Resource Guide

Together we have the power to prevent harm and suffering from injury and violence.

Safely & securely storing medicines, firearms, and other dangerous items is an effective way to keep you & your family safe.

Why safe storage?

  • Stops children from finding & using your gun.
  • Reduces the risk of accidental injuries, as well as suicide and self-harm.
  • Stops people from stealing your gun.

Why should we focus on firearm-related suicide?

  • 90 percent of firearm-related suicide attempts end in death.
  • 5 percent of all other attempts are fatal.
  • 90 percent of adolescents that survive a suicide attempt do not make another attempt.

A study of adolescent firearm-related suicides found that over half were carried out with guns from the adolescent’s home. When accounting for the homes of friends and relatives this number is 75 percent.

An estimated 36 percent of adults in Washington state have a gun in or around their home. Of those, more than half (51 percent) or about 971,000 report having an unlocked firearm.

Firearms in the home = higher risk for suicide.
Levels of gun ownership are highly correlated with suicide rates across all age groups.

If you own a firearm and someone in your household is suicidal, the safest thing to do is remove it. If that’s not an option:

  • Store the unloaded firearm in a locked position.
  • ALWAYS use a safe, lock-box, trigger lock or cable lock.
  • Store the ammunition in a different, secure/locked location.
  • If you think someone is suicidal, call the Suicide Prevention Lifeline (800.273.8255) and remove the firearm from the property.

If families need help or resources practicing safe firearm storage at home: