LifeSecure Emergency Solutions’ Post

With more and more incidents of gun violence every year, it is imperative that regular members of the community are ready to respond to these incidents. Read our blog to learn more about what to put in your gunshot trauma kit and save potential lives. #emergencypreparedness #firstaidkit #gunshottraumakit #bleedstop #emergencyresponse

Today is World Suicide Prevention Day. Here is a throwback to an article I wrote on the role firearms play in our high rates of suicide (and of course, the role they play in our insane rates of gun-related deaths). If you are a gun owner, please ensure that it is stored safely. The most likely person to kill you, is you. Psychology Today https://lnkd.in/gyzQekw

Shared verbiage from email via Joi at nssfnews@nssf.org September 1-7 Is ‘Gun Storage Check Week’ Gun Storage Check Week kicks off today, running through Sept. 7. Given that September is National Suicide Prevention Month, our focus is stressing the importance of how secure storage can prevent suicide. Many are often surprised to learn that most firearm fatalities are suicide deaths, not homicides or accidents. By securely storing their firearms, gun owners and their families can create time and space between a person in crisis and a gun. That interruption to access has been shown to save lives. Please join us in promoting the “Make Sure It’s Secure” message Sept. 1-7. This effort will help NSSF and the industry carry out its commitment to helping reduce the rate of suicide by firearm. The more collaboration we receive from companies, organizations, law enforcement, individuals, and other safety partners, the more people we can reach with this important safety message—to “Make Sure It’s Secure.” https://lnkd.in/g4XDMVuZ NSSF—The Firearm Industry Trade Association

This week, the White House hosted an event for the release of the Biden administration’s National Strategy for Suicide Prevention. This is the first time in over a decade that the National Strategy for Suicide Prevention has been updated, and the first time ever that it has been accompanied with a Federal Action Plan. Firearms account for 5% of suicide attempts but are used in over 60% of all suicide deaths in America. That is why it’s so important for solutions addressing suicide to also address access to lethal means, a significant risk factor for suicide. Safely storing all guns and having conversations with loved ones about their access to firearms and how they store them can be a simple and life-saving action. Over half of our country’s gun deaths are suicides, which is why it’s so critical to address America’s gun violence epidemic as the public health crisis that it is. It was great to have two survivors, Hannah Tyler and Grace Wankelman represent Brady as they heard from the Surgeon General, Second Gentleman, Director of the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, Ashley Judd, Aloe Blacc, Neera Tanden, and Steve Benjamin about the Biden administration’s strategy to prevent suicide. If you are going through a crisis, please reach out for help. You can get free, confidential, 24/7 support by calling or texting 988. Learn more about the connection between firearms and suicide: https://lnkd.in/esexS5yV

Look, it's not about taking away your guns. That's not going to happen, especially after the recent SCOTUS decisions. It's about keeping a VERY effective tool for taking lives away from those who want to take their own lives until the risk is mitigated. It is about equipping impulsive, primarily White, men with the tools necessary to deal with suicidal ideation. And it is about fixing a culture that leads people to see threats all around them, especially in people who look different than they do. This article talks about several instances of death by suicide of gun owners whose life pressures to be "protectors" against an inexistent enemy led them to die by suicide. It includes sobering statistics and research on the burden of suicide on American society. Worth a read if you are into #PublicHealth, #ViolencePrevention, #SuicidePrevention, and even if you are a strong advocate for everyone being armed to the teeth. If you or anyone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please call 988 in the United States, or reach out for help. We need you around. You are not alone. https://lnkd.in/eCtu2kg4

Today Everytown for Gun Safety released a new report that shines light on the dual tragedies of intimate partner homicide-suicides. For many people, it is a surprise to learn that a perpetrator kills an intimate partner and then dies by suicide more than once per day in the US, on average. It may be less surprising to learn that access to a gun is at the center of 93% of these dual tragedies. The new report, anchored in the lived experiences of 43 people who participated in our focus group study, reveals the complex risk factors, stigma and barriers to seeking help, and aftermath of these traumatic incidents. It was an extraordinary honor to witness survivors break silence about tragedies steeped in stigma and work on this project along with Tannuja Rozario, PhD. Please check out the report to read the words of survivors and learn more about the ways we can prevent these tragedies and save lives. This report is dedicated to every life taken or forever changed by an act of intimate partner homicide-suicide. Dual Tragedies: Domestic Homicide-Suicides with a Firearm https://lnkd.in/etetV2Rc

I just wanted to say THANK YOU for all of the people who reached out to me yesterday concerning our Free Seminar "Project 413 S.A.F.E.T.Y.". For those of you whose phone call got dropped and I was unable to call you back, sorry my T Mobile cell phone was on melt down mode, but I got it fixed. I'll be calling you back today! I have to admit I was rather over whelmed at the number of emails and phone calls I got in a single day. I was hoping for a positive response but WOW that was huge! To answer some of the most asked questions: "Is this really a FREE SEMINAR"? YES! We are doing this free of charge! "How long is this seminar"? The total program is estimated to be 1 hour long, but could be longer depending on the group and the number of questions. "Do you really think teaching children about guns is something we should do"? If you own a gun and it is in the house for protection, then YES! Just like this most recent story, an 11 year boy was killed, a 14 year old girl will have to deal with the trauma of her act. A 17 year old boy took his life because he felt so bad. That all happened August 8, 2024, the reason it happened, is the children knew nothing about guns. Ignorance isn't a prevention it is an opportunity for disaster. "Where are these seminars going to be held"? Any civic group or organization that asks us, as long as I have an AV hookup for my lap top. Eventually we want to hold seminars in a larger venue, plenty of those in Vegas. "Why are you doing this"? Because no one else is, people think that if you don't talk about it, it will never happen. Below is I have attached a link to a site called "Gun Violence Archive" it collects data on gun violence in the U.S. from various sources. This year alone children 0-11 killed 154 / injured 374, children 12-17 killed 753 / injured 2,128. If we together can prevent a single one from happening, it was worth the time to do it. "Why parents first and not children"? Parents own the gun, children can't. Once the parents are educated than they can teach their own children or send them to our children's seminar. I look forward to meeting you in person! If you have other questions my contact information is available. Please feel free to reach out and ask!

"Addressing suicide risk in veterans and military service members is important and as a clinical research psychologist who has studied suicidal behavior and firearm injury in service members, effective prevention strategies can go a long way in lowering these numbers and making sure veterans and service members get the help they need." Our Valley Cities veteran services go the distance to make sure the behavioral health needs of our service members is met every step of the way. Firearm Suicide Risk in Service Members and Veterans https://bit.ly/3vHntil

Lock it up for Gun Violence Awareness Month 🔐 🔫 The month of June is Gun Violence Awareness Month. We can’t talk about gun violence without talking about suicide. In Pennsylvania suicide makes up 53% of all fire arms deaths. Research shows that secure storage of firearms reduces suicide risk. Secure storage means storing all of your guns unloaded with ammo stored separately and secured, such as locked with a cable or trigger lock, or in a gun safe. Doing this allows time for both the moment of intense suicidal thoughts to pass, and for someone to intervene with potentially lifesaving mental health support and resources. If you own a firearm make sure that you take proper safety measures to not only protect yourself but keep the other members of your household safe. To get a gun lock for your firearms contact Mental Health America of Lancaster County or call your local veterans association

#LatestNews: Everytown for Gun Safety and The Health Alliance for Violence Intervention Release a Guide to Implementation and Cost of HVIPS This new guide "Hospital-Based Violence Intervention Programs: A Guide to Implementation and Costing" makes the social and economic case for investing in hospital-based violence intervention programs (#HVIPs) as a means to reduce repeat hospitalizations of gunshot victims and subsequently lower the human and financial costs of this violence. The guide also outlines a clear roadmap for successful HVIP implementation, offering a costing tool that can be tailored to specific needs and budgets by adjusting for factors like cost of living, number of participants, crisis support needs, and others. “The needs of violently injured patients are often considerable and extend beyond medical treatment for their physical wounds,” said Ruth Abaya, MD, MPH, Senior Director of Health Systems and Community Violence Intervention Integration at the HAVI. “This guide will provide support for those looking to implement HVIPs to better serve violently injured patients through intensive case management and services that help them to heal and thrive physically, mentally, and emotionally in the critical months following their injuries.” “The choice is clear: we can continue to pay for countless lives lost to gun violence, or we can fund efforts like hospital-based violence intervention programs, which keep survivors from coming back to the hospital with new gunshot wounds,” said Sarah Burd-Sharps, Senior Director of Research at Everytown for Gun Safety. “A strong predictor of future violent injury is having been hospitalized for a past one and we hope this new resource will not only help break the cycle of violence, but also empower  cities nationwide to build sustainable programs to fuel this prevention effort.” Press Release: https://lnkd.in/eftKRc48 Guide: https://lnkd.in/er6e5hbA #PublicHealth #CommunityViolenceIntervention