Submitted Photo Jacqueline Clark of Pause To Protect, a new program to prevent firearm-related injuries and deaths, speaks to members of the Minot Area Chamber of Commerce EDC’s Military Affairs Committee at its meeting at Minot Air Force Base.

MINOT AIR FORCE BASE – Jacqueline Clark brought the message to Minot Air Force Base about Pause To Protect, a new firearm safety program for firearms owners and businesses.

“What is Pause To Protect? It’s a way for firearm businesses to support the community. It empowers them to provide different solutions to prevent injury, suicide and other violence with firearms,” Clark told members of the Minot Area Chamber of Commerce EDC’s Military Affairs Committee at its September meeting at Minot AFB.

She said they can receive financial assistance to offer different types of solutions, including onsite secured lockers, distribution of locking devices either for free or for a discount and educational materials.

Clark is a research services senior professional, firearms industry partnership coordinator with the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora, Colorado.

The program’s supporters and allies include firearm industry members, civilian shooting ranges and firearm retailers, firearm training companies, the Defense Suicide Prevention Office and all branches of the U.S. military, according to Pause to Protect information.

Clark said Minot AFB is one of the U.S. military installations supporting the program.

She said the area around Minot AFB doesn’t have a large number of firearms retailers within 25 or 30 miles of the base. She said one local firearms retailer who was onboard with the program closed recently and returned the funding to the program.

Clark and her husband, Bryan, are founders and co-owners of a shooting, training and retail training center in Lakewood, Colorado. She is a certified pistol instructor, a certified defensive firearms coach and an active contributor to the Colorado Firearms Safety Coalition.

The Clarks began working with the University of Colorado about seven years ago on various suicide prevention initiatives.

“This project is the result of a lot of work that has gone on with the university,” Clark said. She said her job is to recruit firearm businesses to support the program.

She said the goal is to have the firearm businesses in an area collaborate and discuss with each other about different experiences they are having with the program and their challenges. The goal also is to provide them with technical assistance, including educational material.

Once a firearm business is onboard with the program, Clark said her job is to make sure it’s easy for the business to do this type of work.

“It’s very important for us to make this easy for them with technical assistance in a really good blueprint on the front end, and so they are excited to be involved in the community this way,” she said.