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9.A. - Page 5 of 8 ORDINANCE NO. 4809 BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, COUNTY OF SAN MATEO STATE OF CALIFORNIA AN ORDINANCE ADDING CHAPTER 3.54 TO TITLE 3 OF THE SAN MATEO COUNTY ORDINANCE CODE TO REQUIRE THE SAFE STORAGE OF FIREARMS IN A RESIDENCE The Board of Supervisors of the County of San Mateo, State of California, ORDAINS as follows: SECTION 1. Findings. (a) Having a loaded or unlocked gun in the home is associated with an increased risk of gun -related injury and death. According to a 2008 report published in the New England Journal of Medicine, living in a home where guns are kept increased an individual's risk of death by homicide by between 40% and 170%. Similarly, a 2004 national study determined that the presence of guns in the home increased an individual's risk of death by homicide by 90%. (b) Firearm injuries have a significant public health impact. According to a 2015 study, researchers conservatively estimate that gun violence costs the American economy at least $229 billion every year, including $8.6 billion in direct expenses such as those for emergency and medical care. In California, the direct costs of hospital use for firearm assault injuries alone was estimated at $87.4 million in 2010. 65% of these costs were borne by taxpayers. (c) Children are particularly at risk of injury and death from firearms when firearms are not safely secured in their own homes or in homes they visit. According to national data, children and young adults (24 years of age and under) constitute 38% of all firearm deaths and non-fatal injuries. More than 75% of guns used in suicide attempts and unintentional injuries of children and young adults (0-19 year of age) were stored in the residence of the victim, a relative, or a friend. 89% of accidental shooting deaths among children occur in the home, and most of these deaths occur when children are playing with an unsecured loaded gun in their parents' absence. (d) Applying trigger locks or using lock boxes when storing firearms in the home reduces the risk of firearm injury and death. Keeping a firearm locked when it is not being carried ensures that it cannot be accessed and used by others without the owner's knowledge or permission. This simple measure significantly decreases the risk that the gun will be used to commit suicide, homicide, or inflict injury, whether intentionally or unintentionally. Safe storage measures have a demonstrated protective effect in homes with children and teenagers where guns are stored. 287