Personal Safety after a Hurricane

With all of the recent hurricanes afflicting our country, many people are being forced to deal with the aftermath of these natural disasters. Aside from the devastation to personal property, what happens personally to these hurricane victims in the days and weeks directly after these storms hit? Personal safety becomes a very real issue as evacuees live in rowdy shelters and crowded hotels, and many people who return to their homes are dismayed to find out that even if their property was spared major damage, it is without the power necessary to run a house alarm or other security system.

If you do find yourself in an area hit by a hurricane, try to adhere to the following personal safety measures:

• Abide by Curfews: Many cities and towns will establish curfews after a natural disaster as a way to cut down on looters and other illegal activity. Make sure to follow these guidelines to keep yourself and your loved ones safe.
• Keep Personal Safety Items Close at Hand: Whether you have experienced a hurricane or simply want extra security protection, keep products such as personal alarms, mace and pepper spray devices and pen knives functional and within easy reach immediately after a storm. Because law enforcement will already be stretched beyond normal capacity, do not depend on a quick response to an attack; instead, give yourself the best chance possible to escape an emergency situation by keeping these items ready to use.
• Stay in Your Home or Other Safe Area Whenever Possible: Even if your property does not have power, it is always safer to remain in your home or in a shelter until your community returns to a semblance of normalcy. Predators will often take advantage of relative chaos and will be on the lookout for people who are traveling or walking alone.

You simply need to be prepared for the unexpected, regardless of whether you live in a hurricane-prone area or not. For more information about safety products that can help keep you safe after a hurricane, visit www.promarksafety.com.

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Common Sense Safety Tips

Does anybody question that we live in a crazy world? Any given day, we are likely to walk by scores of really good, decent people, along with a very few individuals with less-than-honorable intentions. Besides purchasing helpful personal security products, what can we do to stay safe as we go about our business? The following tips come from personal safety professionals:

• Remember that your elbow is the strongest place on your body; so if you are close enough to an attacker to use it—do so! (Anyone who has participated in martial arts already knows this.)
• If you are approached by a mugger and are asked for your wallet or purse, toss it away from you rather than hand it to him or her. This criminal is more interested in your money than in you and will immediately go for it. Once this happens, run as fast as you can in the opposite direction while pressing your personal alarm, if you have one.
• If you are ever restricted in the trunk of a car, kick out the back tail lights and stick your arms out of that hole. Wave as clearly as you can—the driver may not be able to see you, but other drivers will.
• Do not sit in an unlocked car for long periods of time. Have your keys out and ready so that you can immediately lock the doors and leave your parking space. It is even better if you have a personal safety device such as a panic alarm attached to your key ring in case of emergency.
• When you enter a car that has been parked in a parking lot, check the back seat and passenger floor before you get in and close the door.
• Be particularly careful if you notice a big van parked next to your driver’s side door; consider entering from the passenger side if this is the case, as many serial killers pull their victims into their van while that person is entering the driver’s side.
• If you notice a parked car next to your own, with someone sitting in the seat nearest your car, consider going back to the building you left and asking a guard to walk you to your car.
• Always take the elevator rather than the stairs, as stairwells are a perfect, isolated crime spot.
• If a predator has a gun, and you are not being held any other way, run!

Some of these suggestions may seem a bit paranoid, but remember that it is always better to be safe than sorry. For even more protection, visit the professionals at www.promarksafety.com to order the latest in personal security products.

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Keep an Eye on your Babysitter

You can never be too safe when it comes to your children.

Parents do everything they can to make sure that the babysitter they chose for their children is safe, responsible and compassionate. Most parents feel that by going through the following steps, they will be able to hire a babysitter who understands that personal safety should be the top priority while he or she is caring for your children:

• Ask for and contact references
• Make sure to clearly discuss and post expectations for both child and babysitter behavior
• Post all emergency contact numbers
• Let trusted neighbors know you have left your children in the care of a sitter

But, what happens when these safety measures are not reassuring enough? Is there a personal safety or home security product that can provide an extra tool for parents who want to keep an eye on their kids, even when they aren’t with them? The answer is yes.

Video Surveillance System
A video surveillance system is a home security product that allows parents to video the way their babysitter interacts with their children. Not only will this system covertly record a given area, but parents can link up with their computer’s IP address and immediately view both live and previously recorded video. This safety tool is also ideal for people who want to set it to turn on when motion is detected, making it easy to get an immediate alert in the case of an intruder. Now, parents are able to gain assurance that their children are safe at all times.

For more information about a video surveillance system, digital surveillance system or any other home security product, visit www.promarksafety.com. Let us help you keep your children and property safe while trusting under the care of a babysitter, as well as any other time when you cannot be at home.

To sign up for Promark Safety’s monthly enewsletter, filled with more product tips, safety information and fun facts, click here.

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Keeping Your Daughter Safe While on a Date

Don't let daughters and dating be a dangerous thing.

Whether your daughter is 8 or 18, every parent feels a degree of apprehension watching their child walk out the door for either a single or a group date. You may have spent countless hours talking to your daughter about choosing the right type of friends to hang around and how to carry herself safely while out on a date; but no matter how careful you think you have been, there is something else you can do. By choosing a few personal security products, you can improve your daughter’s confidence and safety when you are not there to protect them.

One popular personal safety product for young women is a pepper spray device. These pepper sprayers are compact and easy to use, and parents can feel secure knowing that their daughter has a way to disable someone who may be trying to attack them. Of course, it’s always a good idea to speak at length to your daughter about how to use the pepper spray device; and remind them that spraying someone else should never be taken lightly and should only occur in a real emergency.

Another product that is very appropriate for your daughter to take with her on a date is a personal alarm. While it won’t give your daughter any physical protection in the event of an attack, a loud alarm is an excellent deterrent and will bring immediate attention to a dangerous situation. There are many different types and noise levels of personal alarms, so your daughter is sure to find one she is comfortable using. For more suggestions of personal products that can help keep your daughter safe while on a date, visit us today at www.promarksafety.com.

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What to do in case of a home invasion

Would you know what to if the unthinkable happened, and you and your family became the victims of a home invasion? Although there isn’t a single way to safely react to such a frightening situation, the following suggestions may help you keep your loved ones safe in the case of an intruder, whether or not your home is fitted with a home security product:

• Resist the temptation to confront the intruder: The first instinct of many homeowners when they hear a suspicious noise is to check out what is going on. (Or, at least to send a spouse!) The truth is, however, that the safest way to approach a home invasion is to try and flee from the situation. If you can leave the home without the intruder even knowing you were there, that is the absolute best outcome.

• Call 911 immediately. Before you do anything else, you need to immediately call your local authorities by dialing 911. Don’t worry about running the risk of reporting a false alarm; your local police force would much rather you call in a mistake than to ignore a very serious situation.

• Gather your family together. Bring all of your family, if possible, into a single location—particularly young children. This will help you not only keep tabs on everyone, but will also help to quiet younger family members.

• If you have a personal security product, have it ready. Of course, it is not wise to beginning spraying pepper spray or your mace device randomly in an effort to hopefully hit the intruder; however, get products such as a stun gun or a pen knife ready to use in the event that the intruder discovers you are present.

Home invasions are a terrifying prospect, which is why the professionals at Promark Safety are pleased to offer our clients a full line of useful personal security products and house alarms. Visit us today at www.promarksafety.com.

To sign up for Promark Safety’s monthly enewsletter, filled with more product tips, safety information and fun facts, click here.

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What Personal Safety Products are Appropriate for Homes with Young Children?

Promark Safety products provide peace of mind.

We live in a dangerous world, so it’s no wonder that many families with young children are interested in personal security products that may help to protect them during a home invasion. While some families choose to keep firearms as a means of personal protection, for many others the risks for these guns outweighs the potential benefits. Fortunately, for these parents of young children, there are some great alternatives:

• Pepper Spray: As long as you keep pepper spray devices out of the reach of little hands, they are a wise choice. Further, if your young children do end up finding and spraying these devices, they won’t cause any lasting damage.
• Mace Devices: These personal security products are a bit more potent than pepper spray, which means that they could theoretically give you more escape time in the case of an intruder. Similar to the pepper spray, however, an accidental spray will not cause any lasting physiological damage.
• Stun Gun: If parents are looking for personal security that will not only blind an intruder, but will also leave him or her disabled for a period of time, then a stun gun or a taser might be an option. These types of devices can potentially hurt younger children who disarm them accidentally—but the chances of this happening are slim, because they are somewhat complex to use.

Besides personal security products, the best means of protecting your family include investing in a house alarm, securing all doors and windows and keeping your property free from overgrown shrubbery. Remember: the most effective way to protect your family from people who would do them harm is to make sure those people never get into your home in the first place. For more ideas about personal security products, or ways to increase your home security, visit us at www.promarksafety.com.

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When kids are home alone…

In today’s modern world, many parents have to work during the times when their children are home from school, which means many children spend a considerable amount of time home alone. Before you let your kids stay at home by themselves, make sure that they are able to follow directions, including to come directly home after school. They should also be able to confront unexpected situations without panicking and easily use all telephones, locks and appliances. You and your children should also have firm rules about having friends over when no adult is present.

Aside from any misgivings they may have about this situation, today’s parents should spend time speaking with their children about personal safety in order to alleviate both their children’s and their own apprehension. How can parents teach about personal security effectively?

• Prepare your children to take care of themselves
• Invest in a home security system or stand-alone window and door alarms, and make sure it is engaged as soon as your kids get into the house
• Make sure your kids know how to turn these alarm systems off and on
• Institute a system that includes knowing where your children are and who they are with for the duration of the time they are home alone
• Consider implementing a ring system that alerts your children to the fact that you are calling—like having the phone ring once, then hang up, then call back
• Remind your kids to never let anyone in the house without prior permission or let callers or visitors know they are home alone

Older kids should also have access to some simple personal security items, such as pepper sprays, personal alarms, pen knives and even stun guns. Of course, every child—and every family—is unique, which is why www.promarksafety.com gives our clients many different options when it comes to personal safety products.