The importance of gun safety can't be stressed enough, according to regional law enforcement personnel and other officials.
However, when it comes to gun safety courses, they're not necessarily easy to find in Schuylkill County.
"The first thing you want to do with any firearm when you pick it up is you want to make sure it's not loaded," Orwigsburg police Chief Stanley Brozana said last week.
"When you pick it up, your trigger finger, no matter whether you're right handed or left handed, should be alongside of the trigger, not on the trigger. It should be on the frame of the gun, so when you pick it up there's no way you're going to pull that trigger and make the gun fire," Brozana said.
Gun ownership carries certain responsibilities with it, the chief said Wednesday while at his office in the borough police department.
A renewed focus on gun safety and control has resulted from the infamous incident at Newtown, Conn., where a gunman with assault weapons killed 20 elementary students and six educators at the Sandy Hook Elementary School on Dec. 14.
Brozana has been with the Orwigsburg department for about 35 years. Of those, he's been chief for about 33. During that time, he has never had to shoot anyone. He said he considers himself fortunate.
Brozana gives lessons for those who want to know how to shoot a gun. The lessons are free. Ammunition must be provided by the people who request the lessons.
He stressed repeatedly that putting a finger on the trigger before determining if at gun is loaded is a "big no, no" when it comes to handling a weapon. "Some fire arms have a safety. Some do not," he said.
Determining if a gun has a bullet in it should be an easy decision, he added. Not checking could have lasting ramifications.
"Check and double check," he said.
Brozana demonstrated how to safely check a Smith and Wesson .22 revolver and a Ruger semi-automatic .22.
"On a revolver, he said, "you're going to open the cylinder by pushing the cylinder latch forward, making sure it's empty."
Storing a gun in a safe place also is important. A gun safe or another locked storage area is appropriate, Brozana said, adding that using a gun lock is also a good idea.
Shakey's Gun Shop, an Orwigsburg business, has locks for free, Brozana said.
However, he said local classes on gun safety might be hard to find.
Schuylkill County Sheriff Joseph Groody said there might be some places where people who own firearms can be trained, but he didn't know of any.
"You don't want to go out there and use a gun and not know what you're doing with it," Groody said.
The National Rifle Association has trained instructors to provide classes for firearm safety.
Prices for the classes vary and are held at various locations in the state, according to the website www.nrainstructors.org
An NRA basic pistol-shooting course is scheduled for 9 a.m. Friday at Cabela's Outdoor Outfitters, Hamburg. Among other things, the course teaches gun safety, parts of a gun and includes range time.
Miguel Blanco, a certified NRA firearms instructor, said the course is divided into an academic and practical component.
The academic part taken at Cabela's and participants then go to The Firing Line, a gun shooting range in Whitehall, for the completion of the course, which is done in one day.
Blanco said the primary reason people take the course is for their safety and that of those in their family. He has not had a spike in people taking the course because of the recent focus on gun control.
Keeping a gun away from those not authorized to use it is critical, he said.
"You don't want to leave it unlocked and alone in your home," he said.
The Pennsylvania Game Commission also teaches free gun safety courses.
Cheryl Trewella, information and education supervisor for the commission's southeast region, said the course is beneficial.
"All first-time hunters are required to take the course before they buy the license, but the course is a valuable course for anyone who handles or might be handling a firearm," she said.
The Hunter Trapper Education course can be found online by visiting the commission's website at www.pgc.state.pa.us.
Topics such as firearm safety, hunter ethics and other information are covered in the course. A classroom course must also be completed and a score of at least 80 percent is required to pass.
People can also take the course at various locations throughout the state. Although a list of those locations is not yet available, it should be by March, she said.