HELENA, Mont.
A new partnership between suicide prevention activists, local pharmacists and members of the firearm community hopes to promote safe storage of firearms to keep Lewis and Clark County families safe. This joint effort, known as Safer Communities Montana (SCM), is rolling out in Helena, East Helena, Augusta, and Lincoln.
“As a person who owns and uses firearms and as a licensed firearms dealer, I wanted to help with this effort of awareness, to emphasize that along with the right to own firearms, we have the responsibility to be conscientious about how we safely store them to prevent any tragedy,” said Ed Beall, president and owner of Capital Sports & Western and an SCM member.
“Gun owners know that owning firearms is serious business, and we want all those around us to be safe. We, too, know the pain of suicide and loss.”
Lewis and Clark County firearm dealers, range operators, pharmacists, local suicide prevention experts, Montana Veteran Affairs staff, and mental health advocates designed the Safer Communities Montana campaign to empower the community to always keep their homes safe. That includes steps county residents can take if someone in their household struggles with thoughts of suicide or is experiencing a severe mental or emotional crisis.
