ONNECT•VE

R S ATINNSFETY •• CARE•SACOSUICIDE PREVENTION STRATEGIESFOR LEADERSCOCENTER FOR THE STUDY OF TRAUMATIC STRESS (CSTS) | Department of Psychiatry | Uniformed Services University | www.CSTSonline.org

Firearm Leadership: Actions to Reduce
the Risk of Suicide and Harm
■ Pepper spray
Firearms are an essential tool for“Firearm Leadership” involves knowing themany service members in military■ Stun guns and tasers
operations and also a part of sports andrisks and taking actions to prevent firearm■ Pocket and tactical kniveshunting for many. The safe handlinginjuries, both during routine daily operations■ Guard dogs
and storage of firearms is critical to thesafety of service members and theirand acute situations when you are concerned
Promote Family Safety
families. Leaders influence service
about
aservice
member’ssafety.
❏ Inform service
members not only on the battlefield but
members that while
also in their personal lives. “Firearma loaded and unlocked firearm at home might makeLeadership” involves knowing the risks
them feel safer, it greatly increases risk of accidentaland taking actions to prevent firearm injuries, both during
injury or impulsive shooting deathroutine daily operations and acute situations when you are❏ Recommend keeping firearms out of the reach 		concerned about a service member’s safety.
of children❏Remind personnel to teach children thatDo You Know?
firearms are not toys and should only be handled when
■ Almost all firearm deaths in garrison are self-inflictedsupervised by a trained adult■ Suicide death by firearms often occurs without warning■ It’s difficult to know who or when a person will 		
Steps to Take When You Are Concerned
attempt suicide
A leader may feel concerned when a service member is “not■ Not everyone who dies by suicide looks sad, angry,acting like themselves.” When going through a tough time,
anxious, or talks about wanting to end their life
having access to a firearm increases the risk of impulsive selfharm. How a leader responds can save a life:■ Military children die of accidental firearm incidents■ Be compassionate and genuine in your approach
Firearm Leadership Actions■ Tell the person you are there to help
Actions to promote Firearm Leadership include■ When time permits, seek advice from behavioral healtheducating service members and role modeling personaland chaplain teams
firearm practices that reduce risk:■ Escort the person to emergency care
■ Discuss Personal Firearms Storage■ If firearms are present, offer to store them away from home
❏ Talk about personal firearm safety with all personnel
until the situation improves❏ Encourage storing personally owned firearms
unloaded and locked in a case or gun safe when
■ Protect the service member’s personal information andnot in use
quickly address rumors❏ Promote storing and locking ammunition in aseparate location
Resources■ Discourage Alcohol Use When Using Firearms
Suicide & Crisis Lifeline❏ Practice zero tolerance mixing alcohol withCall or text 988
handling weapons
Military OneSource❏ Communicate clearly: “Don’t mix alcohol with
1-800-342-9647
your firearms”
The Firearm Industry Trade Association
Alternatives to Firearms for Protection
https://www.nssf.org/articles/securely-storing-firearms-in-the-home/
Remind personnel of options for personal and home
Defense Suicide Prevention Office Lethal 		safety that are safer than unlocked weapons. These include:
Means Safety Guide■ Alarm systems
https://www.dspo.mil/Tools/Resource-Library/lethalmeanssafety/
https://www.cstsonline.org/suicide-prevention-program