The Importance of Safety Awareness in Firearm Training

Firearms can be the ultimate equalizer when protecting yourself or your loved ones, but they can also cause irreparable damage through completely avoidable ignorance. Firearm training is vital in preventing this from happening.

Always treat a firearm as if it is loaded, even when cleaning or transporting it. A safety awareness program Madison Heights, MI can help prevent accidental injury or damage and enforce target identification.

Basic Safety Rules

Guns can be powerful tools of protection, but they can also cause irreparable damage if someone with ill intent handles them. It is not a stretch to say that virtually every firearm accident is preventable through education, practice, and a strong commitment to safety.

Firearm training must include the basic rules of safety and how to apply them in different situations. For instance, it is important to understand that if children encounter an unsecured gun, they should leave the area and tell an adult. This is one of the most effective ways to limit firearm accidents among young children.

Another basic rule is to treat all guns as loaded, even if you are sure they are not. This will help you to avoid accidental discharges and keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to shoot. A competent instructor or range safety officer should always teach this to their students.

Identifying Your Target

Identifying your target is a critical part of gun safety. A gun should never be pointed at anything that you do not intend to shoot. You should always know what is in front of and behind your target in all situations, not just at a range.

Even though suicide accounts for two-thirds of all firearm deaths in the United States and up to 80 percent of those in Washington State, very few people receive any information about how to prevent or help someone at risk. This training will discuss how locked storage and temporarily limiting access to guns can reduce suicide risk and help keep families safe.

Checking Your Target Before Shooting

While most firearm accidents are preventable, some do not follow basic safety guidelines. As a result, injuries and even deaths occur.

Gun owners must always remember that a gun is not a toy and should be treated as if it were loaded at all times. This means that the muzzle should never be pointed at something you don’t intend to shoot and that your finger must stay off the trigger until you’re ready and justified to fire.

Developing Safe Shooting Habits

When handling firearms, the index finger must remain off the trigger and outside the trigger guard until you have placed your sights on the target and are ready to fire. The muzzle of a gun should be pointed in a safe direction, where the bullet could not strike anyone (taking into account possible ricochets).

While many people are responsible and have the training to handle guns safely, children are not. Approximately 16% of accidental firearm deaths involve a child. Parents must teach their children that a real gun is not a toy and that they should leave any unsecured firearm alone and find an adult. Depending on the age and maturity of the child, it may be helpful to show them pictures of bloody animals or demonstrate the force of a bullet by taking them to the range.

In addition to teaching firearm safety, state policies should require training for anyone wishing to purchase a gun and carry it publicly. This will ensure that all future gun owners know the four basic safety rules and are familiar with the best practices for storing, using, and carrying guns responsibly.