Firearm injury prevention is a complex issue that extends beyond its immediate impact on individuals and communities. The Resource Bank supports using data, best practices, cross-sector collaboration, and community engagement to look at firearm injury and death from a health perspective.
The Resource Bank includes the following effective prevention approaches:
Secure firearm storage
Secure firearm storage is an approach that encourages firearm owners to store their firearms securely to protect themselves and family members from suicide, unintentional injury, and firearm theft.
Out-of-home storage
Out-of-home storage is an approach that supports families by providing voluntary and temporary storage of firearms outside the home for at-risk individuals.
Lethal means safety counseling
Lethal means safety counseling is an approach that educates individuals about firearm access for at-risk individuals.
Upstream factors
Addressing upstream factors in Colorado communities to strengthen the social and economic environment to create a healthier and more supportive community for its residents.
Extreme risk protection orders
Extreme risk protection orders are an approach that allows concerned individuals to ask a judge to temporarily remove firearms from individuals at risk for harming themselves or others.
Child access prevention laws
Child access prevention laws are an approach to reducing firearm access for children.
Community violence intervention
Community violence intervention is an approach that prevents initial or subsequent violence, especially among youth.
Gun Shop Project & Retailer Partnerships
The Gun Shop Project and Retailer Partnerships are community-driven suicide prevention partnerships between the firearms community and public health professionals.
The public health approach
The public approach looks at firearm injury prevention from a health perspective by asking why people are injured and dying. In partnership with local communities, the approach uses data to develop and test solutions.
Hospital-based Violence Intervention Programs (HVIPs)
Hospital-based Violence Intervention Programs (HVIPs) engage patients who seek medical care at hospitals for violence-related injuries.