Dallas ISD’s number one priority is to ensure all students and staff are safe when they are at school. The district has spent considerable time developing, practicing, and following its new comprehensive safety plan which was enacted this August when the school year began.
While the district has a multilevel approach to providing instructional spaces where kids feel welcome and safe while they learn, the Be SMART framework is just one way that parents can do their part in protecting children. “SMART” in this case refers to:
- Secure all guns in your homes and vehicles
- Model responsible behavior around guns
- Ask about the presence of unsecured guns in other homes
- Recognize the role of guns in suicide
- Tell your peers to be SMART
Be SMART makes it easy for parents and guardians to learn how they can become an ally. The program’s website features online resources outlining the proper storage of firearms, which can help prevent tragedy and save lives. One secure storage practice that Be SMART’s website outlines is the concept of “unload, lock, and seperate.”
Unload: Gun owners should remove all ammunition from the firearm, including removing any chambered rounds.
Lock: Unloaded firearms should be secured with a firearm locking device, such as a jacket lock, or in a locked location, like a safe or lock box. Locking devices, safes, and lock boxes are equipped with keys, combinations, or biometric technology that limit access. Remember: Firearm locks do not prevent gun theft.
Separate: Ammunition should be stored separately from the firearm in a secure location.
According to a General Social Survey in 2018, more than one-third of homes contain at least one gun. Gun owners can make homes and communities safer by storing their firearms unloaded and locked, with ammunition kept in a separate place, to prevent access by children and other people who are at risk of harming themselves or others.
We encourage all families to learn more about Be SMART and gun safety at besmartforkids.org. For more information on Dallas ISD’s multilayer approach to school safety, please visit dallasisd.org/safeschools.
