Dr. Erin Van Wagenen is a pediatrician at Central Maine Pediatrics in Lewiston. Sgt. Desiree Michaud is a member of the Community Resource Officer Team with the Lewiston Police Department.

Safe homes don’t happen by accident. They happen when families take small, thoughtful steps to protect the people they love. Safe Homes Awareness Month is our reminder that those steps are simple, powerful and within everyone’s reach.

Earlier this summer, at National Night Out in Lewiston, our shared commitment to safety came to life. Together, we distributed nearly 150 free firearm lock boxes, generously donated by the Maine Gun Safety Coalition. Each one represented more than a storage device — it was a promise of a safer home environment and perhaps even the prevention of a tragedy.

Here’s why intentional storage matters:

• Prescription medications pose a real, everyday hazard. Accidental ingestions by children, or teens experimenting with leftover prescriptions, can lead to tragic outcomes. Safe Homes Awareness Month encourages parents to lock up any medications just as consistently as they would firearms.

• Firearms, when improperly stored, pose grave risks. Our community has witnessed the devastating consequences of a child accessing an unsecured firearm. Especially when children are present, firearms should be stored locked, unloaded, with ammunition secured separately. Lock boxes or biometric safes are simple, effective tools to keep firearms out of the wrong hands. Cable locks are another affordable option to prevent unauthorized access and accidental discharge.

• Other household hazards matter too. From sharp tools to cleaning products to older firearms or hunting equipment, the principle remains the same: anything that can harm a child should be secured and inaccessible to young hands.

Our collaboration at National Night Out put these practices into action, allowing families to engage directly with health professionals and law enforcement about safe storage. But one event is not enough. Safe Homes Awareness Month is not a single moment, but a sustained effort. Whether it’s reminders from pediatricians during well-child visits, or safety tips from officers during neighborhood patrols, these ongoing conversations help build habits that protect children year-round.

Here’s how Mainers can make their homes safer:

1. Take the pledge. Walk through your home and identify every item, including medications, firearms, tools and chemicals, that could pose a risk. Commit to locking or securing them.

2. Ask your pediatrician or primary care provider. Turn your next well-child visit into a safety check-in. Many clinics can provide guidance, disposal resources and even free safety devices like cable locks, which we provide in our pediatrics office.

3. Connect with local law enforcement. Many local departments offer prescription drug take-back programs and can provide recommendations on safe firearm storage.

4. Spread the word. Talk with friends and family about what you’re doing to keep your home safe. Ask about unsecured firearms when your child is visiting unfamiliar homes. Safety is contagious when we normalize it.

5. Lead by example. If you own firearms or manage medications, show young people what responsible storage looks like.

Pediatricians see the consequences of lapses in home safety: frightened parents, frightened kids, sometimes visits to the emergency room with injuries that could have been avoided. So we make it a point to speak about safety — whether talking about car seats, sun protection, bike helmets or securing firearms — at nearly every visit.

Community resource officers understand that police work isn’t just about responding, it’s about building community relationships and identifying ways to proactively address issues in our neighborhoods. Both of our roles are grounded in the belief that prevention is far more effective than dealing with the aftermath.

We’ve seen firsthand how a simple action, like accepting a free lock box at a community event, can set off a chain reaction of safety. Imagine the collective impact if every Maine household took one step today toward securing their home. Let’s make that vision a reality. For the children of Maine, for our friends and neighbors, for the kind of communities we can all feel proud to call home.