A Los Angeles County Effort to Decrease Accidental Gun Injuries Brings Free Gun Locks to PVHMC

Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center (PVHMC) is among a handful of local hospitals to receive free gun locks from the Los Angeles County Office of Violence Prevention (OVP) as part of an effort to reduce accidental gun injuries. PVHMC has installed a distribution box outside of its Emergency Department where the public can access the cable gun locks for free with no questions asked.

The lock is a small steel cable that is looped through the gun and secured with a key to prevent accidental firing. Gun locks are a way of securing firearms, which is required by state law if there are children in the home.

Proper handgun safety can play a crucial role in preventing gun violence. The American Hospital Association says the source of firearms for most children who end up with them, are friends and relatives. Keeping firearms under gun locks could go a long way in preventing accidents.

According to the Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer, a child is injured or killed from gun violence every 30 hours in L.A. County. Just in 2022, more than 300 L.A. residents died by gun suicide and over 500 died after being shot with a gun.

“As a trauma surgeon, I’ve seen the physical and emotional devastation of gunshot wounds and I commend the county for its effort to make gun safety tools accessible,” says Michael Jimenez, MD, medical director of trauma services at PVHMC. “If you have a firearm in your home, it’s imperative to take every step possible to secure it and prevent tragic accidents.”

With data from the Gun Violence Archive (GVA), Brady, a non-profit that advocates for gun safety, has conducted a new analysis detailing the rise in unintentional shootings around the holidays. According to the analysis, during the first and 52nd week of the year, when both Christmas and New Year’s are celebrated, there is a significant rise in unintentional shootings across all ages.

Trauma is the leading cause of death in people under 45. Injuries from car crashes, falls, burns and other accidents take more lives than heart disease and cancer combined. PVHMC teaches free “Stop the Bleed” classes that aim to teach people how to stop major hemorrhaging through the use of tourniquets and properly applied pressure. The class is designed to teach anyone from youth to healthcare professionals how to stop life-threatening bleeding until first responders arrive.

“By offering these free gun locks, we hope to reduce the risk of firearm-related injuries in our community, especially among children who may have access to unsecured guns,” said Dr. Jimenez.