Champaign County expands secure-storage push under IDPH grant; distributes locks and biometric safes

Champaign County staff told the coalition that an Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) grant is funding a secure-storage initiative centered on the Be SMART message and public education about Illinois’ Firearms Restraining Order.

Shauna, identified at the meeting as the Champaign County Firearm Safety Program Grant Manager and a Unit 4 Mentor Volunteer Coordinator, said the program focuses on secure firearm storage and public awareness of the Firearms Restraining Order, which she described as “an excellent tool for violence interruption and suicide prevention.” Shauna said the program partners with the national Be SMART campaign and works to train local organizations to continue outreach after the grant period.

The grant covers distribution of traditional cable-style gun locks, higher-security biometric safes and free public trainings. Shauna told coalition members the county has “distributed 1,500 locks in the last year” and that she has “distributed more than 500 this year” and expects hundreds more safes to be delivered. She said there are multiple pickup sites across Champaign County and that organizations can request a “train the trainers” session so staff can carry the message forward.

Shauna described the “Be SMART” acronym as a conversation starter parents can use when asking whether firearms in a host home are secured; she highlighted the program’s suicide-prevention component and cited local suicide-rate concerns for men 50+ and girls ages 10–19 as factors in selecting the grant priorities.

Program materials and a short PSA include a county website, champaigncountygunsafety.org, where residents can request safes and find training details. The grant manager asked organizations represented in the coalition to sign up for training or invite the program to tabling events; no new local ordinance or county funding commitment was announced at the meeting.