The Newtown-based National Shooting Sports Foundation, a trade association for the firearms industry, announced that 1,000 manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers, ranges, hunter safety instructors, and conservation groups have joined in promoting Project ChildSafe, a national program to encourage responsible firearms ownership and provide safety materials to all gun owners.

These 1,000 supporters are in addition to the 15,000 law enforcement agencies that have partnered with NSSF since 1999 to distribute free Project ChildSafe firearm safety kits, which include a cable-style gun lock and safety education literature. Since its inception, Project ChildSafe has distributed more than 36 million firearm safety kits in all 50 states and the five US territories.

“Proper storage is the number one way to prevent firearm accidents,” said Steve Sanetti, president and CEO of NSSF. “The more we can get this message out, the more we will continue to see firearms accidents and misuse decrease.”

Since 2008, when federal grant support was eliminated, the firearms industry has solely funded Project ChildSafe, a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charity. Gun owners who want a free firearm safety kit that includes a gun lock can locate participating law enforcement agencies at projectchildsafe.org.