Thanks to Moms Demand Action, Students in the 15th Largest School District Join Over 2 Million Other Students Across the Country Whose Parents Receive Educational Information About Secure Firearm Storage
The Maryland chapters of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, both part of Everytown for Gun Safety’s grassroots networks, released the following statement applauding the Montgomery County Board of Education for agreeing to expedite the distribution of Be SMART-branded secure firearm storage educational materials to parents living within the school district. Local volunteers with the Maryland chapter of Moms Demand Action led advocacy for the distribution of Be SMART materials, including testifying at a meeting of the education board. Students in Montgomery County – the 15th largest school district in the nation – join over 2 million others across the country who live in school districts that have adopted secure storage awareness policies for parents. This also comes after a devastating surge of gunfire on school grounds since August 2021.
“Creating a safe learning environment for our students means ensuring that guns at home are securely stored away from the access of children and teens,” said Jessica Gilbertsen, a volunteer with the Maryland chapter of Moms Demand Action. “We are very pleased to see the Montgomery County School Board heed the call to join dozens of others across the country and take important action to put the wellbeing of our students first.”
“No student should have to live in fear of gun violence in our schools, or in our communities,” said Eliza Raphael, a volunteer with Students Demand Action in Maryland. “Secure firearm storage is an important measure to prevent youth access to firearms and reduce gun violence on school grounds. We’re proud that the Montgomery County School Board took this step today to ensure gun owners in our district have information about the critical importance of secure firearm storage.”
The Be SMART program, developed by the Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund and Moms Demand Action, helps parents and other adults normalize conversations about gun safety and take responsible actions that can prevent child gun deaths and injuries, youth suicides and gunfire on school grounds.
The program encourages parents and adults to:
- Secure all guns in their home and vehicles
- Model responsible behavior around guns
- Ask about the presence of unsecured guns in other homes
- Recognize the role of guns in suicide
- Tell your peers to be SMART
For more information on the Be SMART program and how to safely secure your firearms, visit the Be SMART website. Additional information about gunfire on school grounds can be found here and about unintentional shootings by children can be found here.