The unsecure storage of firearms continues to result in guns falling into the hands of children. Through a new community campaign to help prevent this, Mercy Health, Nationwide Children’s Hospital – Toledo, the City of Toledo, area residents and community organizations are partnering to educate the community about secure firearm storage.
Be SMART, a program of Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund, helps parents and adults normalize conversations about gun safety and emphasizes taking responsible actions that can prevent child gun deaths and injuries, youth suicide and gunfire on school grounds.
The partnership was announced during the Cherry Legacy Neighbors meeting on Aug. 10 at Wayman Palmer YMCA, 2053 N. 14th St, Toledo.
The Be SMART program encourages adults to:
- Secure all guns in homes and vehicles
- Model responsible behavior around guns
- Ask about the presence of unsecured guns in others’ vehicles and homes when a child visits
- Recognize the role of guns in suicide
- Tell others to Be SMART.
“Mercy Health truly cares about the health and wellbeing of those we serve. As a cornerstone in the community for nearly 170 years, Mercy Health – St. Vincent Medical Center is not only a place for healing but also a champion for those looking to live healthier lives,” said Jeff Dempsey, president of Mercy Health – St. Vincent Medical Center. “Together with our many partners, we are pleased to introduce this initiative with the goal of working toward a safer community for our kids.”
In support of the effort, the Toledo Police Department committed to handing out gun locks at the Aug. 10 meeting to be used by area residents for the secure storage of firearms. Police Chief Michael Troendle accompanied Toledo Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz, Donna Malone from Be SMART as well as representatives from the Cherry Legacy Neighbors group, Mercy Health and Nationwide Children Hospital – Toledo to raise awareness for the initiative.
“We extend our gratitude to Mercy Health for their unwavering dedication to ensuring the safety of our community and our officers every single day,” Chief Troendle said. “Securing firearms promotes responsible gun ownership and saves lives.”
“Nationwide Children’s Hospital – Toledo is proud to support Mercy Health in the Be SMART campaign to educate families and caregivers about the importance of safe firearm storage,” added Angela Mingo, vice president of corporate affairs for Nationwide Children’s Hospital. “Our commitment to the health and well-being of children and families throughout northwest Ohio goes beyond our hospital walls. By partnering with local organizations on this initiative, we will work together to create a safer environment for our community and help prevent firearm tragedies from happening.”
Launched in 2018, the Getting Healthy Zone, a project of the Cherry Legacy Neighbor’s Group, is a community-driven initiative working in the neighborhoods surrounding the Cherry Street corridor.
By partnering together, residents and representatives from organizations across health care, government, law enforcement, educational institutions, human services, the business sector, economic development, nonprofits and philanthropy are working together to increase infant vitality, improve the health of residents and create a community where people want to live, work and visit.
Members of the Getting Healthy Zone meet regularly to address pressing concerns impacting the neighborhoods. Among those topics identified as a community concern was recent data surrounding gun violence in the community, specifically that in 2022, there were seven child fatalities due to firearms in Lucas County and that we have already reached that number in 2023.
According to data from the CDC, firearms are the leading cause of death for children and teens in the U.S. A recent survey found that roughly 4.6 million children in the U.S. live in a household with at least one unloaded, unlocked gun. Research by Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund shows that at least 350 U.S. children under the age of 18 gain access to a firearm and unintentionally shoot themselves or someone else each year.
Additionally, according to recently published research from Nationwide Children’s Hospital, most unintentional firearm fatalities in which a child shoots another child involve boys, occur in the child’s home or at the home of a friend and involve firearms that were left accessible, loaded and unlocked.
Data from the ATF show that, on average, more than 200,000 guns are stolen from private citizens each year. And an Everytown analysis of FBI data found that gun thefts from cars are the largest source of stolen guns.
For more information on secure firearm storage and the most effective ways to protect children from unsecured firearms, visit BeSMARTforkids.org.
There are resources available on the impact of gun violence including: information about unintentional shootings by children, facts and resources about child gun suicide and data about gunfire on school grounds.