Project HomeSafe will sponsor a firearm safety tour visiting Ames this Saturday. The tour will be held in the Wal-Mart parking lot from noon to 6 p.m.

Project HomeSafe was developed by the National Shooting Sports Foundation and is funded by the firearms industry and a $4.9 million grant from the U.S. Department of Justice, said Robert Teig, representative for Project HomeSafe.

The tour, which will visit 22 Iowa communities and feature a 16-foot classroom truck, aims to promote firearm safety and educate children about the dangers of guns, he said.

Firearm owners have a responsibility to know how to properly handle and secure a firearm, Teig said.

“We just want to make homes with guns a little safer,” he said. “This is not about gun control — it’s about gun safety.”

Project HomeSafe will include an educational video about gun safety and a display of safely stored firearm equipment.

Participants will also receive a free firearms safety kit with a gun lock, Teig said.

Jonathan Nack, sophomore in construction engineering, said he believes the tour will benefit Ames residents.

“People need to be educated about firearms and how to handle them,” he said.

Project HomeSafe aims to distribute 3 million firearm safety kits in all 50 states and three million safety locks by the end of their 21-day tour, Teig said.

“Many homes have smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, burglar alarms, and other forms of protection,” he said. “You need to have the same safety [protections] for your guns.”

Paige Edwards, junior in marketing, said the tour will promote responsible gun handling.

“I think it’s okay to have guns for recreational activities, but people need to be responsible and help prevent accidents,” he said.

The tour is as much for children as for owners of firearms, he said.

Children are asked to pledge not to handle firearms without permission and to tell adults when they see an unattended firearm, Teig said.

“We are just trying to help people out, educate them and their children, and try to avoid an accident,” he said.