Hospitals Participate in #KeepKidsSafe Gun Buyback to Promote Gun Safety
October 14, 2024Categories: Events
For the fourth straight year, Saint Francis and Saint Mary’s Trauma Departments collaborated with partners from across the state for the #KeepKidsSafe Connecticut Statewide Gun Buyback to promote gun safety. The event, held on October 5 in six communities around the state, seeks to reduce firearm-related injuries by lowering the number of unwanted and unsecured guns that are in Connecticut homes.
Members of the Saint Francis and Saint Mary's Trauma Departments supported the Connecticut Statewide Gun Buyback events in Hartford and Waterbury. (L to R) Saint Francis was represented by Francisco Moran, RN, Trauma Performance Improvement Nurse; Taylor Fusco-Ruiz, RN, Trauma Program Manager; and LaShawn Robinson, Hospital Violence Intervention Program Specialist. Saint Mary's was represented by Brenda Pagan, ED Tech; Roxanne Tapley, MSN, RN, Trauma Program Coordinator; and Stephanie Vestal, ED Tech.
“We know every unsecured or unwanted firearm poses a risk, contributing to accidental deaths, suicide, and injuries no matter the experience of the handler. Suicide accounts for more than half of all firearm deaths in the United States,” said David S. Shapiro, M.D., Chief Medical Officer, Saint Francis. “Reducing lethal means in the home is imperative, which is the main objective of the buyback program. Saint Francis supports the safe handling and storage of firearms, as well as the statewide effort to draw attention to this public health concern.”
During the buyback events, Connecticut residents are able to turn in working guns in exchange for gift cards. In addition to disposing of unwanted guns, the event promotes safe storage by distributing a limited number of free gun safes and gun locks to participants.
Roxanne Tapley, MSN, RN, Trauma Program Manager at Saint Mary’s, said the initiative has had a noticeable impact, and “the collaborative efforts between our injury prevention efforts and Waterbury Police have substantially decreased the penetrating injury admissions at Saint Mary’s.”
Saint Francis has participated in the Capital Region Gun Buyback Program for 16 years, collaborating with Connecticut Children’s, Hartford Hospital, Hartford Police Department, and several community partners. Saint Mary’s has partnered with the Waterbury Police Department, Department of Public Health, and Waterbury Hospital on the area’s Gun Buyback Program since at least 2019.
Provisional data from the Centers for Disease Control shows that 46,728 people died by guns in 2023. Initiatives like the #KeepKidsSafe Connecticut Statewide Gun Buyback are designed to raise awareness in order to reduce injuries and fatalities. Since the inaugural #KeepKidsSafe Connecticut Statewide Gun Buyback in 2020, over 1,100 guns have been collected, including 23 assault weapons, while over 800 gun safes were distributed.