Disclaimer: The following information does NOT constitute formal training or legal advice. The Firearms Research Center does NOT endorse any trainer or training system but has provided links to some of the available public sources that can be used to find training opportunities.
Rules of Firearm Safety
The standard rules of firearm safety provide a general understanding of how to treat firearms at all times, whether at the range or elsewhere. The goal is to have the respect needed to develop an instinct for where, when, and how firearms can cause unwanted injury and, importantly, how to avoid those injuries.
It is important to note that even if a firearm has a mechanical safety, the owner must always practices safe handling habits. A mechanical device can break or fail.
Before handling a firearm, know its basic parts, the kind of ammunition it requires, how to open and close the action, and how to remove any ammunition if the firearm is loaded.
Four basic rules of gun safety are commonly emphasized:
- Treat every gun as if it is loaded. Never assume a gun is unloaded, safe tied, or otherwise inoperable when handling it. Many firearm accidents —typically called “negligent discharges” — occur because the user mistakenly believes the gun is not ready to fire. The user may wrongly think that the gun is empty when there is a round in the chamber, that the safety is on when it really is off, or that the gun is in good condition mechanically when it is ready to malfunction. Additionally, never rely on someone else’s assurance the gun is unloaded — always check it yourself. Even if you are certain that a gun is unloaded, you must still obey all other safety rules.
- Always point the gun in a safe direction. This is the practice of muzzle discipline, referring to the end of the gun’s barrel that is pointed toward the target. This rule means that under no circumstances should a gun ever be pointed at any person unless the gun is being used for lawful self-defense. Playfully pointing a gun at other people violates this rule. Never point the gun at anything you do not intend to shoot.
- Keep your finger off the trigger and out of the trigger guard until you are ready to shoot. This is the practice of trigger discipline and is critical to avoid unintentionally firing the gun. There is no reason ever to violate trigger discipline. Even when a gun is being drawn for instant self-defense, the proper motion is to keep the index finger outside the trigger guard until the muzzle is almost on the target. With proper training, trigger discipline does not delay a defensive shot by even a fraction of a second.
- Be sure of your target and what is beyond it. This rule reduces the risk of harm to non-targets when the gun is intentionally fired. Such harm can occur if the shooter either misidentifies the intended target or misses the intended target and hits someone or something else around or beyond the target. To avoid misidentifying a target in home defense or other low-light areas, it is best for the shooter to have an attached or hand-held light. The shooter also must be aware what is beyond the intended target because the bullet may pass through the target and hit a non-target due to “overpenetration.” Firearm safety also requires use of two very important pieces of safety equipment. Whenever possible, the shooter should wear safety glasses and ear protection.
For a more detailed guide to firearms safety, here are 10 rules that are also considered essential.
Firearms Training
Active Shooter Response Resources and Training
The University of Wyoming Police Department has several resources available to help students, faculty, and staff to be knowledgeable and prepared for an active shooter.
To request an in-person training on active threat response, please send an email to uwpd@uwyo.edu.
For information on our the current Active Shooter Instructors, please visit the UWPD’s Instructors page.
For information on Community Response Training Information and opportunities, please visit the Community Response page.
To see how the University of Wyoming Police Department prepares for an active threat situation, please visit the Department Training page.
The University of Wyoming Police Department works with a variety of departments on campus and within the Laramie, WY, community to prepare for a variety of emergencies. More information can be found at the University of Wyoming Emergency and Response Guide.
You can also download and view the University of Wyoming Emergency Response Plan.
Should there ever be an active threat on campus, students, faculty and staff will be notified via the UW Alert System. Sign up for UW Alert.
Counseling on Access to Lethal Means (CALM)
CALM stands for Counseling on Access to Lethal Means. While there are a variety of CALM trainings intended for different audiences, all of them focus on the same basic premise–reducing the risk of suicide death in at-risk people while respecting their rights and autonomy by counseling and empowering them to temporarily and voluntarily implement safe storage of lethal means, particularly firearms, during times of crisis.
The Wyoming Injury and Violence Prevention Program has contracted with CALM America to provide two in-person Train-the-Trainers (T4Ts) in Wyoming in 2025. These T4Ts certify successful participants to train two different courses, CALM Clinical Workshops and CALM Conversations. In addition to these trainers, other individuals in Wyoming have been trained in CALM through other funding sources.
Learn more about CALM HERE.
Access the Suicide Prevention Trainer database HERE.
