Project Safe Guard

PSG Information Packet

• PSG One-Pager
• Publications (see below)
• Introduction to Project Safe Guard presentation
• S/T/DC Implementation Guide: Flow Chart & Timelines
• S/T/DC Implementation Guide: POC Responsibilities
• Letter of Support Template
• Implementation Checklist: S/T/DC Form
• Advertising Flyer
• FAQ’s from S/T/DC

Publications

• Project Safe Guard: Evaluating a Lethal Means Safety Intervention to Reduce Firearm Suicide in the National Guard
• Lethal Means Counseling, Distribution of Cable Locks, and Safe Firearm Storage Practices Among the Mississippi National Guard: A Factorial Randomized Controlled Trial, 2018–2020
• The Evolution of Project Safe Guard in the National Guard: Toward an Integrated Sustained Approach to Firearm Injury Prevention

About Project Safe Guard (PSG)

Project Safe Guard (PSG) is an evidence-based primary prevention initiative developed to reduce firearm-related harm among National Guard service members and their families. The program promotes secure firearm storage as a key strategy for increasing environmental safety and reducing the risk of suicide, accidental injury, and other forms of violence.

PSG is implemented through a collaboration between the National Guard Bureau, the Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress (CSTS), Rutgers University’s New Jersey Gun Violence Research Center, and Anduril LLC. The program is funded by the National Guard Bureau as an initiative to deliver PSG to interested States, Territories, and the District of Columbia (S/T/DC) and continues to evolve through ongoing evaluation and partnership.

Program Background

PSG was developed as part of broader efforts within the National Guard to strengthen protective factors and reduce risk across the force. Secure firearm storage has been identified as an evidence-based approach to reducing access to lethal means and preventing harm by increasing environmental safety.

Earlier PSG adaptations focused primarily on suicide prevention through education on firearm storage practices and increasing comfort with conversations around firearm safety. These efforts demonstrated measurable improvements in storage behaviors, participants' knowledge, and attitudes related to risk and prevention.

Evolution of PSG

Generation I (2018-2020):

This initial phase of PSG focused on one-on-one lethal means counseling sessions grounded in motivational interviewing techniques, delivered to members of the Mississippi National Guard. It established the foundation for PSG by demonstrating that even brief, targeted interventions could influence firearm storage behaviors, with participants more likely to securely store firearms after being provided with cable locks by PSG.

Generation II (2022-2023):

Through collaboration, PSG was delivered across multiple states to larger groups of Guardsmen. Generation II helped establish a framework for normalizing conversations about firearm safety and suicide prevention within the National Guard, while producing a formalized curriculum and implementation guidance for future expansion.

Generation III (2025-2028):

The current iteration of PSG represents a significant step in scaling PSG across the National Guard. The program now addresses a broader range of harmful outcomes, including suicide, domestic violence, harassment, and unintentional injury. It introduces a dual-training model that includes both Universal Training for all Guard personnel as well as a targeted training for supervisors (Lead Supervisor Training), equipping leaders with the skills to have effective conversations about secure firearm storage. This generation also lays the groundwork for a Train-the-Trainer (T4T) model, supporting long-term sustainability and the development of a network of trainers across all S/T/DC. Funding also includes firearm storage devices for all Universal Training participants.

Bios

CSTS/USU:

Adam Walsh 

Christy Collette

Amila Odeh 

Sara Bessman 

Benjamin Kruger

Laura Wheeler 

Stephen Cozza 

NGB:

Mercedes McWaters 

Emily Vernon 

Christopher Szopinski 

Rutgers: 

Kati Tanguay 

Michael Anestis 

Sultan Altikriti 

Jen Paruk

Anduril: 

Samantha Daruwala 

Justin Baker

Craig Bryan

Rosie Bauder

Jeffrey Tabares 

Ashley Baker 

AnnaBelle Bryan

Impact

Project Safe Guard (PSG) has demonstrated measurable improvements in secure firearm storage behaviors and related risk-reduction attitudes across multiple program generations.

Across PSG Generation I and II, participants have shown meaningful increases in secure firearm storage practices following the training:

• Participants were 40% more likely to report securely storing their firearms 
• Individuals who received a cable lock were 200% more likely to adopt secure storage practices (Anestis et al., 2021)

Early findings from PSG Generation III continue to indicate positive behavior change. At a one-month follow-up, 46.5% of PSG attendees reported securing at least one firearm that had previously been stored unlocked.

Participants more commonly reported changing storage behaviors to reduce risk to themselves and others, including:

• Preventing child or adolescent access (68.6%) 
• Reducing risk of unintentional injury or death (57.8%) 
• Preventing access by other unauthorized individuals (49.2%) 
• Reducing risk of theft (46.1%)

PSG supports broader prevention frameworks targeted at reducing multiple forms of firearm-related harm, including suicide, accidental injury, domestic violence, sexual assault, and child neglect. The program focuses on both behavioral change and cultural norm change around firearm security within the National Guard community.