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Pitkin County board members discuss surgeon general advisory, local safe-storage and ERPO options
Summary
At the July 11 Pitkin County Board of Health meeting, Dr. Levin reviewed a recent surgeon general advisory on gun violence and described local actions including safe-storage promotion, free trigger locks and Colorado's Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO). Board members discussed outreach options and possible next steps.
Dr. Levin, speaking during the Pitkin County Board of Health meeting on July 11, encouraged local action after the U.S. surgeon general issued a broad advisory calling gun violence a public health issue, and urged a focus on safe storage, local outreach and use of Colorado’s extreme risk protection order process.
The surgeon general advisory prompted Dr. Levin to publish an op‑ed locally and to outline specific steps the board and local partners could take. "Safe storage is key," Dr. Levin said, noting options including trigger locks, gun safes and off‑site storage. He said, "Anyone can pick 1 of them up" (referring to free trigger locks available from the sheriff’s office and a local gun store in Basalt) and emphasized safe storage as a way to reduce child deaths and unintentional shootings.
Why this matters: the board framed the advisory as an impetus for local prevention — a combination of public messaging, partner distribution of locks and helping people understand legal tools. Dr. Levin reviewed the Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO) process in Colorado, describing it as a court process that can be completed quickly in urgent situations: "It literally is done within 12 hours... that's called an ERPO. That's in Colorado. It is in effect." He added that the initial order can secure firearms for two weeks and that a longer order may follow if the court extends it.
Board members and attendees discussed options to amplify messaging. One member suggested using an advertisement or checklist in the local paper to make safe‑storage questions more visible to residents. Dr. Levin noted recent local outreach including an op‑ed and a gun‑safety talk at the Pitkin County Library, and thanked the sheriff and local police for distributing free trigger locks.
Participants raised related concerns and questions. A board member asked whether ERPOs apply in domestic‑abuse situations; Dr. Levin acknowledged he could not answer definitively in the meeting but offered to follow up with local law enforcement training contacts. Another attendee flagged state and national debates over framing gun violence as a public‑health vs. criminal issue, noting that the surgeon general advisory had supporters and critics.
The board did not take a formal vote on any new policy at the meeting; members discussed potential next steps for local outreach and agreed there was interest in continuing the work and leveraging partners to distribute locks and messaging.
Ending: Board members encouraged continued follow up outside the meeting, including possible coordination with the sheriff’s office and the local newspaper to expand safe‑storage messaging and to return with more detail about the ERPO process if requested.
