The program was enthusiastically adopted by Las Vegas, Oakland, Orlando, Pittsburgh and Augusta, Ga., and unveiled at press conferences well attended by media in each city. Mayors and law enforcement officials lauded the safety initiative as an effective way to reduce unintentional firearms-related injuries or deaths among their citizens.

Each pilot city received 5,000 free "Putting A Lock On Safety" kits, paid for by voluntary contributions by participating companies in the Hunting and Shooting Sports Heritage Fund. Each safety kit includes a firearms safety curriculum, a cable-style gun lock and lock instruction sheet. "We consider the safety curriculum to be at least as important as the gun locking device," said Doug Painter, executive director of NSSF.

When asked why NSSF was launching Project HomeSafe at this time, Painter said that NSSF has long been active in promoting safe firearms ownership to millions of men and women who participate in the hunting and shooting sports. "With Project HomeSafe, we are expanding our effort to include not only our traditional customers, but also new firearms owners — individuals who may not have been exposed to safety education though traditional channels, such as hunter education programs or other safety classes associated with organized shooting sports activities," he said.

Any municipality may adopt Project HomeSafe. The number of safety kits provided to each city will be based on civic requirements, and the kits will be made available on a first-come, first-served basis. The program's goal is to inform and educate all firearms owners and communities about firearms safety and ownership.

Local police departments manage the distribution of the safety kits, which are given at no charge to firearm owners that request them. Police or other qualified firearm instructors show citizens how to install the cable lock on their firearms.

Additional information about Project HomeSafe can be obtained by calling a special toll-free number, 800-726-6444, or on the Web at www.projecthomesafe.org.