The Relentless School Nurse: Rising Gun Ownership Meets Urgent Need for Safe Storage Education – Join the ‘End Family Fire’ Movement

The following information was retrieved from Brady United

As Perceived Need for Personal Protection Spurs Record Levels of U.S. Adults Purchasing Firearms for the First Time, New PSA Emphasizes Need to Store Guns Safely

Gun owners want to put their family and safety first, and that is admirable. Our polling shows that nearly 80% of people who recently bought their first firearm did so for personal safety and often a conviction to protect their family and loved ones. But given our country’s record-level spikes in gun-related deaths and injuries from with the home — including unintentional shootings of children and firearm suicide — it is crucial that first-time gun owners learn how to store their weapons safely. By sharing messages on safe firearm storage, we can prevent tragedies of family fire. – Brady President Kris Brown

New PSA Campaign Promotes Safe Gun Storage

The Ad Council and Brady have launched a new public service advertisement (PSA) campaign to encourage safe firearm storage among new gun owners in the United States. This campaign is crucial, as guns have become the leading cause of death for children and teens in the country.

Increase in Gun Ownership and Its Risks

From 2019 to 2021, about 7.5 million adults in America bought their first firearm, with 5.4 million bringing guns into homes that had never had them before. This rise in gun ownership comes with serious safety concerns. Research shows that in 75% of youth firearm suicides where the storage method was known, the gun was loaded and unlocked. Additionally, 76% of school shooters under 18 accessed guns from the homes of family or friends, highlighting the dangers of not storing guns securely.

Who Are the New Gun Owners?

The campaign specifically targets new gun owners—adults who got their first firearm in 2020 or later. Interestingly, nearly half (47%) of these new gun owners are women, and 40% are between the ages of 30 and 44. Furthermore, 20% of new gun owners are Black, and another 20% are Hispanic. This change in demographics is significant, as it differs from the traditional image of gun owners, who have mostly been white and male.

How the Campaign Works

The new PSA, created by the Pereira O’Dell advertising agency, shows the dangers of improperly stored guns, especially for children. The video is filmed from the perspective of unsecured firearms in common places around the home. It aims to remind gun owners that while they want to protect their families, they may not realize the risks of leaving guns unsecured.

Expected Impact and Outreach

The End Family Fire program has already made progress in teaching gun owners about safe storage. So far, it has received over $124 million in donated media and created over 5.3 billion impressions. Studies show that gun owners who know about the End Family Fire initiative are three times more likely to look for information on how to store their guns safely.

The new PSA will be shared across many platforms, including TV, social media, online videos, radio, outdoor ads, and print media nationwide. This broad outreach aims to encourage responsible gun ownership and ultimately save lives by promoting safe gun storage practices.

About Brady
In America, there are more guns than there are people. And that’s matched with a gun homicide rate that is 26 times greater than that of other high-income countries. Brady – the nation’s oldest gun violence prevention organization – works to enact reasonable solutions to free America from gun violence. We tackle three critical areas: change the laws, change the industry, and change the culture. This three-point strategy is unique in the movement and follows the roadmap behind other successful public health campaigns, like those around youth smoking, seatbelt use, and drunk driving. By changing hearts and minds and fostering a culture of responsible gun use and ownership, we can free America from gun violence. Join the movement at bradyunited.org.

About The Ad Council
The Ad Council convenes creative storytellers to educate, unite, and uplift audiences by opening hearts, inspiring action, and accelerating change around the most pressing issues in America. Since the non-profit’s founding, the organization and its partners in advertising, media, marketing, and tech have been behind some of the country’s most iconic social impact campaigns – Smokey Bear, A Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Waste, Love Has No Labels, Tear the Paper Ceiling and many more. With a current focus on mental health, gun safety, the opioid epidemic, skill-based hiring, and other critical issues, the Ad Council’s national campaigns encompass advertising and media content, ground game and community efforts, trusted messenger and influencer engagement, and employer programs, among other innovative strategies to move the needle on the most important issues of the day. To learn more or get involved, visit AdCouncil.org, join the Ad Council’s communities on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and X, and view campaign creative on YouTube.