Wednesday, January 24, 2007 10:34 PM CST
Officials: Education key to firearm safety
By HERB MEEKER, Staff Writer
hmeeker@jg-tc.com
MATTOON -- Firearm safety depends on how much time or money the owner is willing to invest.
For parents who own guns, that investment could be a life-saver.
Coles County Sheriff Darrell Cox said firearm safety education of young people is the best way to prevent shooting accidents.
“I can remember my father showed me his guns. He showed there was no magic to them. He told me to handle them like they were always loaded and never to point them at anyone. And never put a finger on the trigger until you want to shoot,” Cox said.
Cox came to know that anytime two of those three rules are violated bad things can happen. Sometimes, it leads to a big scare after a close call. Other times, it leads to tragedy.
In 2004, 63 children ages 1 to 14 died in accidental shootings across the country. An additional 80 young people, ages 15-19, died in other firearm accidents that year, based on statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics. Those statistics are released every 18 months.
Last fall, two 15-year-old boys died in separate shooting accidents in Coles and Cumberland counties. One was the accidental discharge of a handgun in a Greenup residence, the other an accidental firing of a muzzle-loader rifle during a deer hunt near Oakland.
Inquests determined both deaths were accidental with no evidence of a gun malfunction.
The handgun fatality involved a teen handling the firearm against the instructions of an adult. But how do parents keep firearms secure from young people in the home?
With concerns for household security, Cox realizes many handgun owners prefer to keep their guns ready to fire or easy to load. He said there are inexpensive methods to balance security with family safety, including cable locks, where a plastic-coated cable winds through the action of the gun much like a cable lock secures a bicycle wheel. There are also trigger locks, Cox said.
“We offer cable locks free of charge for guns. They are part of our safe neighborhood program,” said Cox, who also credited the National Rifle Association’s Eddie the Eagle Safety Program for enhancing firearm safety education across the country.
But Cox, who is a firearms instructor, said that for $100 or more, a handgun owner can safely store a pistol away from young people.
“Some (gun safes) work with keys or finger pads and the door swings open. They can cost some money, but how much do you value the life of a child?” Cox said.
Bob Bennett of Bennett Tire Co. in Windsor, a firearms retailer, said many safety devices, such as trigger locks and gun safes, are passed over by customers.
“We’ve only sold a few of the smaller safes. And many people think the trigger locks are too cumbersome if you are trying to get them unlocked,” Bennett explained.
Firearm manufacturers during the last few years have added internal locking mechanisms activated by small keys, Bennett said.
“These can incapacitate the firearm. They are a standard system. The owner is provided with keys. Of course, you have to keep track of the keys. But you just turn the key and you are ready to go,” Bennett said.
Hunters must be ready to fire on a moment’s notice when in search of their prey.
But before they go hunting, young people must complete a 10-hour hunting safety course through the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, said Jeff Hopkins, DNR safety education administrator.
“It applies to anyone born after Jan. 1, 1980, when they are purchasing their first hunting license. We cover all aspects of hunting from firearms to archery,” Hopkins said. “It covers land management and ethics, the full gambit of what they will contact in the state of Illinois. We hope the course makes them think about safety before they go hunting.”
A total of 17,000 hunters completed those courses in Illinois.
But accidents still happen even though firearms are not the main cause of hunting mishaps. More accidents are related to falls from tree hunting stands than firearms, Hopkins said.
Still, there are precautions that need repeating, Hopkins said.
For one, loaded guns should never be slung over a hunter’s shoulder, especially with shorter barrels on shotguns and muzzle-loader rifles.
Firearms should be unloaded when carried through fencing or hauled up to a hunter’s tree stand. Securing the firearm in the stand is also a must, Hopkins said.
Hunters, especially young ones, should be aware of the effect of fatigue during a long day of hunting, he noted. Getting tired might make some hunters careless.
This might be illustrated by the timing of firearm hunting accidents during the 2005 hunting seasons.
“Most of the accidents occurred from noon to 6 p.m. So there might be a time factor there,” Hopkins said.
Being aware of the surroundings is also crucial, Hopkins said. A gun’s safety can be detached by small branches in the brush. Hunters might get ahead of each other, and that can produce a line of fire shooting, especially during bird hunting.
“You need to be aware your surroundings. Know your target before you pull the trigger,” Hopkins said.
Contact Herb Meeker at hmeeker@jg-tc.com or 238-6869.
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CLICK TO ENLARGE
 Kevin Kilhoffer (JG/T-C)
Bob Bennett of Bennett Tire and Gun demonstrates the use of a key which turns a built-in lock on a Taurus Model 66, .357 Magnum revolver at the store in Windsor on Wednesday.
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Stephen wrote on Jul 17, 2006 8:22 AM: