Mental Health America of Lancaster County (MHALC) is partnering with Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health (PMLGH) and the Lancaster County Sheriff's Office (LCSO) to promote, advocate for and increase awareness of gun safety. The partnership seeks to accomplish its goals through gun locks and informational meetings.

"We're all looking at it as a culture shift," said Megan Beyerle, an education coordinator with MHALC. "It's about safety and saving lives. If folks are in crisis, there are supports. We're not trying to take anyone's guns. Firearms are very powerful machines."

Funded by the Pennsylvania Department of Health's Preventative Health and Health Services' two-year block grant, the Safe Firearm Storage Initiative is currently giving away free gun locks. The free gun locks are being made available at MHALC's location at 245 Butler Ave., Lancaster; through its website, http://www.mhalancaster.org; at the Manheim Township Police Department, 1825 Municipal Drive, Lancaster; and at local events like the free Safe Firearm Storage Training Programs.

"It's a multi-pronged partnership and approach," said Beyerle. "It's very much in line with our mission of education and support. There aren't many people who couldn't afford to lock up their firearms. We're always looking at research and articles, and if we could impact one person, it would all be worth it. Sometimes, it's just a matter of having people thinking differently."

Sponsored by MHALC, PMLGH and LCSO, the Safe Firearm Storage Training Program classes will be conducted on Monday, March 10, at 6:30 p.m.; Monday, May 5, at 6:30 p.m.; and Monday, Oct. 13, at 6:30 p.m. at Lancaster County Safety Training Center, 101 Champ Blvd., Manheim, and on Monday, Sept. 15, at 6 p.m. at Bright Side Opportunities Center, 515 Hershey Ave., Lancaster. The hourlong classes will include training and information from LCSO's certified firearms instructors in the areas of firearm safety rules, safe storage methods, safety for families and guidelines for safe carry.

Participants who complete the course will receive free biometric gun safes. Interested individuals can register for the classes by calling the LCSO at 717-299-8200.

"The certified firearms instructors go over the ins and outs of gun safety," said Beyerle. "They speak, and then Mental Health America of Lancaster County speaks. The sheriff's officer refers questions on mental health to us. It's just getting those conversations going and creating awareness and advocacy."

In 2023, 49 residents of Lancaster County died of gunshot wounds and 37 of those were classified as suicides. According to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia's Center for Violence Prevention, 30 million children in the United States live in homes with guns, guns are the leading cause of deaths in children between the ages 1 and 17 and just 46% of all gun owners in this country practice safe firearm ownership.

According to the Giffords Law Center, more than 380,000 guns are stolen or lost in the United States each year.

"It's not a political statement," said Beyerle. "It's about safety and the potential to save lives. Someone who is having suicidal ideations could be undergoing stress in their lives. Having access to a firearm involves an impulse decision. A two-and-a-half-year-old has enough strength to pull a trigger on a gun."