Washington's Firearm Safety and Violence Prevention

KCMS's Focus on Firearm Safety and Violence Prevention

By: Nancy L. Belcher, Ph.D., MPA

CEO King County Medical Society & Community Foundation

The KCMS Delegate Council is working hard on many resolutions to present during the 2023 legislative cycle, including several focused on basic gun safety reforms. KCMS, as a medical society, has clarified its stance that gun safety is a public health issue.

KCMS has worked with the Harborview Injury Prevention & Research Center and is delighted to share their latest safety information.* Please share with your colleagues and patients.

Additionally, as many may remember, the KCMS Delegate Council wrote a resolution several years ago to support and expand the scope of Washington's Office of Firearm Safety and Violence Prevention. We are proud to share that the office is now open. Thank you to Dr. Gregory Engel and Dr. Amish Dave for their commitment to this ongoing effort.

*This information was provided by another source. KCMS strives to apply the appropriate professional designation in its communications instead of the word 'provider' to accurately reflect and respect healthcare professionals' education, licenses, and scope of work.

In support of Gun Violence Awareness month, KCMS is sharing information from the Harborview Injury Prevention & Research Center’s Firearm Injury & Policy Research Program (F IPRP) which is a Division of Harborview Injury Prevention & Research Center (HIPRC), University of Washington.

FIPRP has created NEW Online Firearm Injury Prevention Guide for older adults with cognitive impairment.

FIPRP's guide focuses on firearm injury prevention education and planning for older adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and/or early signs of Alzheimer Disease and Alzheimer Disease Related Dementias, and how care partners or family members can help promote firearm injury prevention.

The guide contains a FREE firearm safety guide, a closed-caption informational video, and a helpful resource guide. Please share this link and materials with others in your network.

FIPRP’s mission is to reduce the impact of firearm injury and death on people’s lives through research and collaboration.

Directors Update

MESSAGE FROM LISA BROWN

Washington's Office of Firearm Safety and Violence Prevention is working in partnership with communities to combat gun violence

“While mass shootings such as the most recent incidents in Buffalo and Uvalde garner media attention across the country, we must recognize that an average of two deaths and many more injuries occur from firearms right here in Washington state every day. These tragedies can be prevented.” Commerce Director Lisa Brown

The Washington State Office of Firearm Safety and Violence Prevention, part of the Department of Commerce, is working in partnership with our local communities to combat gun violence.

“With the support of Governor Inslee and legislators, Washington State’s Office of Firearm Safety and Violence Prevention is supporting promising practices in communities throughout the state to intervene in and prevent firearm violence using a public health lens,” said Kate Kelly, the office’s Executive Director, noting incremental progress Washington has made as a state in changing and implementing laws on high-capacity magazine sales, background checks, and extreme-risk protection orders.

Kelly pointed to the many firearms deaths and injuries that we don’t hear about through the media, including suicide (75% of firearm-related deaths in Washington) and persistent homicides in some of our most vulnerable neighborhoods, among our most vulnerable populations, across the state. These are one focus of the efforts of the OFSVP working with government and organizational partners in tackling firearm violence through community-based programs.

Learn More About the WA Office of Firearm Safety

info@kcmsociety.org

200 Broadway Suite 200 | Seattle, WA 98122 United States

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200 Broadway Suite 200
Seattle, WA | 98122 United States

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