NATIONAL GUN SAFE COALITION

Reduction of child death and injury goal of new gun safe coalition

March 5, 2004, Washington, DC – Reducing children's deaths and injuries due to unintentional discharge of firearms is the top priority of a group of ten leaders from the gun safe industry. Leaders of the nation's top ten gun safe manufacturing companies agreed to form a coalition designed to increase awareness of the role gun safes can play in protecting children from firearms, reducing firearm-related teenage suicides and the incidence of firearm theft from America's homes.

The Coalition's goal is to pass Federal legislation to provide an income tax credit to taxpayers who purchase a qualified residential gun safe for proper storage of firearms. The Coalition also intends to help educate the general public and government policy makers on safe firearm storage practices.

It is estimated that direct medical costs of unintentional firearm-related injuries range from $2.3 to $4.0 billion annually, and indirect costs, such as potential earnings are estimated at $19 billion annually. A Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms analysis found that 35 percent of the 76,260 guns used in crimes committed by 18 to 24 year olds during a 3-year period had been stolen from private residences or gun dealers.

Member companies who have forged the valuable alliance include: -- American Security Products, Fontana, CA; Cannon Safe Co., San Bernardino, CA; Citadel Custom Safe Co., Ogden UT; Frontier Safe Co., Fort Wayne, IN; Fort Knox Security Products, Orem, UT; Granite Security Products Fort Worth, TX; Heritage Safe, Grace, ID; Liberty Safe Co., Payson, UT; ProSteel, Provo, Utah; and Sentry Group, Rochester, NY.