Office of Medical Communications

Critical care pediatrician Rebecca Bell, M.D., associate professor of pediatrics and president of the Vermont Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics

(APRIL 3, 2024) Critical care pediatrician Rebecca Bell, M.D., associate professor of pediatrics and president of the Vermont Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, was quoted in a Concord Monitor article about the first school district in New Hampshire to adopt a secure firearm storage resolution.

The Dresden School District’s decision commits the district to sharing information and encouraging conversations about safe gun practices and educating parents and guardians about the legal consequences of allowing a child to gain unauthorized access to a firearm.

Beginning in 2020, firearms surpassed car accidents to become the most common cause of death of children and adolescents, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC. Encouraging safe gun storage practices has become a priority for pediatricians.

Some “90 percent of people who survive a suicide attempt, or whose attempt is interrupted, do not go on to die by suicide,” Bell said in an interview. “We can’t predict when someone might have a moment of crisis, but we can prevent them from dying during one,” she said—by restricting access to lethal means of harm.

Bell said that the discussion should be directed at adults, rather than placing the burden of gun safety on children and adolescents. “I think it is really important that the communication be clear that it is the adult that is responsible for safe storage in the home,” she said. Dresden’s resolution aims to remind parents and guardians of that responsibility.

Four school districts in Vermont—Essex Westford, Champlain Valley, Mt. Mansfield, and Maple Run—have also adopted safe firearms storage resolutions into their district policies.