Reduce Firearm Related Injuries on the Tohono O’Odham Indian Reservation Through the Distribution of Gun Safes

1. Reduce Firearm Related Injuries on the Tohono O’Odham Indian Reservation Through the Distribution of Gun Safes George Hupp, RN, BSN, PHN

2. Purpose Restrict unauthorized access to firearms in the home.

3. Background • The illegal use of firearms has been reported in several incidents on the reservation • Incidents involved firearms that were illegally obtained.

4. Location • The Tohono O’Odham reservation is located in Southeast Arizona covering 75 miles of the US and Mexico border.

5. U.S.- Mexico Border

6. Methods • Tohono O’Odham police reports • CDC Injury Prevention data • Door to Door survey • Education presented at health fairs

7. Logistics • Funds obtained from Tucson Area Division of Environmental Health and Engineering, Injury Prevention • Purchased 20 gun safes from Cabela’s • Safes arrived unassembled • Assembly averaged 45 minutes per safe

8. Ready for Distribution

9. Safes were transported 5 at a time via pick up truck to the gun owner’s home • The safe was placed inside the home and all firearms were properly stored at time of visit

10. Focus on Long guns instead of Handguns • Handguns are used for home defense and the owners prefer to have their weapons in close reach and easily accessible • Handguns can be stored out of sight, out of reach children by much simpler means

12. Handgun specific storage units are expensive • Type of storage units preferred use simple touch combinations or fingerprint recognition • These units price between $400 - $700

13. Owner rational to use these types units is because less expensive units require number combinations or keys. Under duress of a home evasion it would be difficult to remember a lengthy combination or to use a key to unlock a small storage unit.

15. Trigger Locks • Tohono O’Odham Police Department has a trigger lock distribution program that has not been very popular • Gun owners are hesitant about going to the police to ask for the trigger locks • Trigger locks do render the firearm temporarily inoperable but do not prevent them from being stolen

16. Trigger locks require the use of a small key to remove • It would be likely that the owner would fumble with the key under duress which would give the attacker time to forcibly overcome the owner

17. PHN Role in Firearm Safety • As Public Health Nurse I have the unique opportunity to visit tribal members in their homes and around the community and establish a good rapport • Home visits not only cover health teaching but also home safety assessments • The home safety assessments allowed me to inquire about safe firearm storage

18. Follow up • 10 safes have been distributed • Follow-up visits were made to 6 recipients of the gun safes • Of those 6, 100% continue to store their firearms in the safe, and are satisfied with the product and plan to continue their use of the safe

19. Plans • Research more funding sources • Obtain additional gun safes • Keep the project going