What is SAFE?
S.A.F.E. is the Sportsmen's Association for Firearms Education, Inc. We are a Long Island-based not-for-profit corporation formed under New York State law.


SAFE's Mission Statement: Educating and informing the general public, media, as well as elected officials concerning various aspects of lawful firearms ownership in American society;
  • Dissemination of accurate and reliable information as to matters concerning firearms, the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution, the shooting sports, and related activities;
  • Distribution and publication of articles, newsletters, letters to the editor, amicus curiae legal briefs, and reports regarding firearms issues;
  • Organization, presentation, and sponsorship of public forums, meetings and debates concerning firearms issues;
  • Performance of a comprehensive review of, and commentary on, pending federal, New York state, and local legislation and regulations involving firearms ownership. This review-and-commentary is provided to all dues-paying members in SAFE's monthly newsletter. Appropriate state and federal legislators are also provided with this written analysis as well as SAFE's position statement;
  • Timely provision of names, addresses, and phone numbers of people necessary to contact regarding pending legislation or regulations; and
  • Organization of support for, or opposition to, pending legislation.


Highlights of SAFE Activities:

Most recently, SAFE's activities have included:

  • Presentation and co-sponsorship of the first CCW conference in New York State, "The Firearms Civil Rights Conference (FCRC)", featuring nationally prominent speakers on "right to carry," state and local license restrictions, civil rights, victims' rights, and the history of state gun control;

  • In conjunction with Women On Target of the NRA, SAFE sponsors biannual Women's Only Clinics on Rifle Shooting on Long Island;

  • Hosting the Suffolk County Friends of the NRA dinner events;

  • Presentation and sponsorship of the 1995 Suffolk County Legislative Breakfast, where attendees heard from County Executive Robert Gaffney and candidates for the Suffolk County Legislature;

  • Presentation and co-sponsorship of the 1995 Nassau County Legislative Breakfast, where attendees heard from the first slate of candidates for the new Nassau County Legislature;

  • Publication of letters to the editor of newspapers and the New York State Bar Journal defending the rights of law-abiding citizens to keep and bear arms;

  • Appearance by a SAFE director on national television debating the issues of "children and guns" with a representative of the national gun-control lobby;

  • Organization of leading efforts to pass state laws that extended the terms of pistol licenses in Nassau and Suffolk Counties to five years;

  • Sole organization to work closely with county legislators from inception through passage of amendment to Suffolk County Charter to remove arbitrary restrictions from licenses to carry concealed firearms;

  • SAFE President John Cushman requested and received opinion from state Division of Criminal Justice Services stating that fingerprinting and new applications are unnecessary when firearm licensee is moving from one New York State county to another. Nassau and Suffolk Police Departments will now require only a transfer of records, without the unnecessary inconvenience and expense of new applications and fingerprints; and

  • SAFE Legal Advisor Robert P. Firriolo, Esq. requested and received opinion from state Division of Criminal Justice Services stating that holders of federal collector's licenses do not need state handgun dealer's license to receive a "curio and relic" handgun by mail. Nassau County Police Department now will issue purchase documents to place such handguns on state pistol licenses.


SAFE's Affiliations:

SAFE is affiliated with the National Rifle Association of America, The Firearms Coalition, Gun Owners of America, and The Citizen's Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms.


SAFE Membership:

Full membership is SAFE is available to all law-abiding citizens who are concerned about firearms ownership and use. All members receive an annual subscription to SAFE's newsletter, which contains a detailed review and analysis of all pending state legislation affecting firearms ownership and use, as well as certain related bills (e.g., hunting, environmental conservation, criminal justice, etc.) Also included is SAFE's studied position on the bills (i.e., FAVOR, opposed, no opposition, etc.) as well as timely alerts on important local, state and federal issues, so that members may contact their elected officials and urge either passage or rejection.


For membership information and a free sample copy of a SAFE newsletter, send a self-addressed stamped-envelope to:

S.A.F.E. Inc.
Dept. WWW
P.O. Box 343
Commack, NY 11725
Contact SAFE