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Description
Temple University Hospital Trauma Outreach Coordinator and Director of the Cradle to Grave Program Scott Charles testifies before the Philadelphia City Council Committee on Public Safety on June 1, 2016.
Charles testified in support of Bill No. 160331, proposed by Council President Darrell Clarke (5th District):
An Ordinance amending Section 10-834 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled "Responsibility to Avoid Possession and Discharge of Firearms by Children," by requiring safe storage of firearms and ammunition; all under certain terms and conditions.
Full text of the bill: http://bit.ly/ClarkeGunBill
A
Thank
you
so
much
for
your
testimony,
we're
going
to
go
with
the
last
panelist
and
then
we
will
open
up
for
questions
good
morning,
Sherman
Jones
and
members
of
the
committee
on
public
safety.
My
name
is
scott,
charles
and
I'm
the
trauma
outreach
coordinator
for
Temple
University
Hospital,
where
my
primary
role
involves
trying
to
reduce
the
number
of
firearm
injuries
that
we
treat
a
temple
specifically
as
well
as
the
injuries
that
are
treated
at
other
trauma.
Centers.
A
Finally,
I
run
a
program
out
of
the
hospital
called
safe
bet
in
which
I
distribute
free
gun
locks
to
our
gun
shop
patients,
many
of
whom
have
children,
grudges
and
guns,
but
unfortunately,
no
gun
locks.
Some
might
consider
it
odd
that
a
hospital
would
find
itself
in
the
business
of
distributing
gun
locks
when
you
think
about
it.
However,
it
shouldn't
really
come
as
that
big
a
surprise.
Temple
University
Hospital
treats
more
gunshot
injuries
than
any
other
hospital
in
the
state
of
Pennsylvania
and
the
11
years
that
I've
worked
with
the
trauma
Department.
A
We
have
treated
more
than
5,000
patients
for
firearm
injuries
in
Philadelphia
firearm
injury
is
the
leading
cause
of
death
for
young
black
men
in
the
city
and
combined
gun
suicide
and
homicide
represent
the
leading
cause
of
death,
outpacing
even
motor
vehicle
accidents
for
all
Pennsylvania
juveniles
under
the
age
of
21
simply
put
juvenile
firearm
injury
is
a
public
health
issue
I'ma
web
some
might
take
exception
to
my
referring
to
fire
arm
injury
as
a
public
health
issue.
If
you
don't
mind,
I'd,
like
you
to
take
you
back
to
October
sixteenth
2014,
with
dr.
A
herb,
pushing
temple
university,
hospital's
chief
medical
officer,
came
before
this
distinguished
group
to
discuss
the
significant
efforts
being
made
by
our
health
system,
as
well
as
those
being
made
by
the
city
state
and
federal
government
to
address
the
posed
by
the
Ebola
virus.
At
the
time
there
were
only
three
known
cases
of
Ebola
on
American
soil.
In
total,
there
have
only
been
four
diagnosed
cases
of
Ebola
in
the
US
and
no
one
person
has
both
contracted
and
died
of
the
virus.
Well
in
this
country.
A
Few,
however,
would
argue
that
Ebola
represents
a
legitimate
public
health
issue
and
today
those
four
cases
have
had
a
powerful
effect
on
public
health
policy
and
practice.
Now,
if
I
might
I'd
like
to
take
you
to
the
present
to
talk
about
why
it
is
that
we
see,
this
is
a
critical
issue
for
us.
Sandusky
Ohio
police
investigating
seven-year-old
shot
in
the
neck.
Cumberland
Indiana
nine-year-old
boy
dies
after
being
shot
in
the
head
near
Indianapolis,
Georgia,
seven-year-old
boy
injured
in
accidental
shooting
in
Northwest,
Atlanta,
Roanoke,
Virginia
police,
say
one
child
playing
with
guns,
shot
and
killed.
A
Another
child
Marshall
County
Alabama
funeral
set
for
10
year
old,
killed
an
accidental
shooting,
replace
Louisiana
the
place
mourns
the
loss,
a
five-year-old
killed,
an
accidental
shooting,
Colorado,
Denver
three-year-old
wounded,
an
accidental
shooting.
What
I
just
read
to
you
does
not
represent
a
year's
worth
of
headlines.
Rather,
these
are
all
cases
of
unintentional
shootings
of
American
children.
That
happened
just
this
past
week,
closer
to
home
of
Philadelphia.
Second
grader
at
Grover
Cleveland.
Mastery
charter
last
week
made
national
news
when
he
brought
a
fully
loaded,
Glock
handgun
to
school.
A
In
the
tioga
section
of
the
city
the
week
before
that,
just
outside
the
city,
a
pen
wit
middle
school
student
was
arrested
after
it
was
discovered,
he
had
stashed
a
40
caliber
handgun
in
his
locker.
Fortunately,
neither
of
these
local
cases
ended
in
tragedy,
but
many
other
children
in
many
other
cases
are
not
so
lucky.
On
average,
a
child
unintentionally
shoots
him
or
herself
or
someone
else
in
their
home
or
vehicle
at
least
every
other
day
in
this
country.
A
Despite
the
constant
drumbeat
of
such
tragedies,
gun
owners
and
I
account
myself
among
them
continue
to
fail
to
take
the
steps
necessary
to
prevent
what
is
easily
one
of
the
most
preventable
forms
of
childhood
injury
that
exists.
One
common
assumption
among
gun-owning
adults
is
that
their
children
are
unaware
of
the
location
of
their
firearms
and
even
if
they
did
know,
would
never
touch
them.
This
assumption
often
leads
to
reckless
firearm
storage
practices
that
can
have
refilled
consequences.
A
It
has
become
increasingly
evident
that
the
possibility
of
losing
a
child
alone
is
not
sufficient
motivation
for
some
gun
owners
to
properly
secure
their
weapons.
As
a
result,
I
support
the
passage
of
child
excess
prevention.
Laws
such
as
this
and
those
that
have
proven
to
be
effective
in
reducing
accidental
shootings
of
children
and
by
as
much
as
twenty
three
percent
among
states
with
highest
levels
of
gun,
child
gun
deaths.
Seven
of
ten
do
not
have
child
access
prevention
laws
among
states
with
low
levels
of
child
gun
deaths.
A
Seven
of
ten
do
have
child
access
prevention
laws
as
a
health
professional
who
regularly
witnesses
the
devastating
effects
that
bullets
have
on
the
human
body
as
the
parent
of
a
children
who
live
near
and
attend
school
with
the
children
of
other
Philadelphia
gun
owners,
I
support
any
legislation
that
might
reduce
the
likelihood
of
farms
finding
their
way
into
the
hands
of
individuals
who
are
too
young
to
appreciate
the
consequences
of
their
actions.
I.
Thank
you
for
your
time
and
I'm
happy
to
answer
any
questions
that
you
might
have.