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Local nurse urges Northfield schools to endorse Be SMART safe-storage campaign
Summary
A Northfield resident and registered nurse asked the school board to endorse the Be SMART firearm safe-storage program and to partner with local agencies and community groups for broader community adoption.
During public comment on June 9, Karen Mader, a Northfield resident, registered nurse and grandmother, asked the school board to endorse Be SMART, a community campaign that promotes safe storage of firearms and provides guidance for adults on talking with children and others about firearm safety.
Mader described Be SMART as a program that has been shared with dozens of Minnesota school districts and said it pairs well with an existing student pledge for gun safety. She noted the district already hosts a competitive clay-target team that models firearm safety and suggested a “community-wide endorsement” that would include the school district, county sheriff, local police, fire and rescue services, PTOs and veterans’ groups.
“Be SMART focuses on adults taking responsibility for safe storage of firearms and teaching adults ways to talk to children and other adults about gun safety,” Mader said. She told the board she had left informational materials and a student-pledge sample in the district office for board members to review.
What’s next: public-comment items are not action items. Mader’s materials will remain available in the district office; board members did not take action at the meeting on formal endorsement.
