Some Free Home Personal Fire and Security Tips.

Driving

•    If you do not have a cell phone purchase a 911 emergency cell phone.    You can use 911 to report people driving erratically and to call in a break down. (it is considered a dangerous situation)
•    Do not stop for cars in trouble, this is a common way for car jackets to get a car. You can stop leave your windows closed can call on your cell phone. It is common for a couple to work this scam with the man hiding. So do not fall for helpless looking women waving you down.
•    If you own one of those cars that seem to to attract thieves, purchase a steering wheel lock. The types that lock the break or clutch pedal as well are the best, since it will deter the thief from toeing the car.
•    Keep your doors locked when driving. Statistically the risk of being in an accident and being stuck in the car because it is locked is less likely than a car hijacking. As an extra precaution when driving in "questionable" areas keep your stun gun in your lap or if you are concerned put it on a loop fastened to your left. Do not do this if it interferes with your steering.
•    Do not pick up hitchhikers, (it is actually more of a risk to hitchhike then to pick them up.)
•    Keep a notepad and pen in the car at all times for accident information. Draw a diagram and placement of the cars and the intersection. Of course, write down the time and date and driving and road conditions, dawn, dusk, night, day, sun in eyes, rainy etc.: Write down the others persons name driver license number and insurance information. It also does not hurt to have a small camera in the car at all times. You can take photos of the damage and positions of both cars. One note about taking photos of accidents: It is illegal in California to take a photo of an accident and charge or give the drivers any conditions for turning over the photos! If you take a photo of an accident, give the photos to the police or offer to give both parties a copy if they ask.
•    If someone hits your car in a questionable area, give them an already prepared card (open the windows just enough to slide the card out), with your name and insurance information on it. A phone and address is not necessary. You can report the accident to your insurance company and the police later. Car hijackers will use the ruse of a faked accident to get the victim to open the door.
•    If there is an accident off road on private property, like a parking lot, is not required to call the police unless there is an injury, (in California anyway). The police will probably refuse to come without an injury. Be sure to tell your insurance company and do not make any deals with the other driver like, “I will pay for any damages if you do not report it!”
•    When your car breaks down and you coast just off the road do not stand next to the car while waiting for the toe truck. Many people are killed every year because someone hit their parked car and they were either in it or too close to it!

Safety and emergency items to be keep in cars

911 emergency cell phone, if you do not carry a cell phone.
Flares at least 4, keep them in a water tight plastic bag
Reflectors, flares can be left on the road, reflectors can not but work well next to the car.
Flashlight, metal case, it can be used as a weapon.
Duct tape, emergency repairs, can repair a leaking water hose.
Electrical tape, electrical repairs
Towel
Tools, combination screwdriver, crescent wrench, adjustable players, vice grips, these are great tightening worn out bolts, jumper cables, you can purchase a kit at auto stores that have all this and more, (flairs and duct tape) in a nice case!
First Aid kit, cold compress amd ace bandage not always included in first aid kits
Spare sunglasses
Frost windshield scraper.
Knife, I prefer a small single edged diver’s knife. They are heavy duty designed for prying and hammering and they are rust proof.
Collapsible drinking cup, very handy also a fork and spoon comes in handy especially with children
Earthquake and other serious Emergency items
Drinking water
Emergency food
Blanket , or sleeping bag
Extra Clothes, vacuum packed.
What you need in your car is dependent on where you live and drive. I have been situations when I needed most of these things. It was not necessarily life threatening but could have been if the situation was worse.

A Note about car alarms:
The general consensus with people is that they are disliked! They false alarm all the time and make that annoying beep or honk when armed or disarmed. People rarely call in when they go off and most of the time they do call it is to complain to the police about the noisy alarm! In cities like San Francisco, it is a joke that cars are toed all the time with the alarm blaring and the police never are called. They are usually being toed for the police for parking violations but could be being repossessed or being toed by thieves. The only effective way is with a wireless alarm that calls a central station and you. The central station calls the police. Car alarms will chase away the “non-professional”. However, those that are “experienced” will get what they want so fast that no one would be able to stop them! With any type of car alarm, do not approach the car yourself; check it out at a distance. If you see, some call the police and keep an eye on them to provide a description and direction they escape. To put it bluntly car alarms are for the “piece of mind” for the owner and do little to stop thieves!

For The Home

Have double sided keyed dead bolts installed in your outside doors. The lock on the inside prevents a burglar from exiting your home easily. It forces him to leave with his booty through the window which restricts how much he can take and slows his retreat! It can be locked when you are home but this is not recommended because this is your fire exit.
When having the dead bolt installed make sure a metal plate fastened with long screws in the doorframe. This will prevent someone from kicking the door in. Purchase a dead bolt with the longest bolt, ¾” is not long enough. Have the dead bolt keyed different from the lock key for added security. An example is if you need to give the key to someone like a babysitter you can give the door key only and leave the dead bolt unlocked. This will give you a little "peace of mind", knowing that with the dead bolt locked the baby sitter can not get in. Not to mention if the key is lost you can secure the home and have the lock changed later.
The less expensive “Lock in knob” locks will stay unlocked when you unlocked them. What I mean is that when you open you front door with the key the door will be unlocked. You will have to push the button in to lock it. For a little more money, you can purchase a lock that stays locked when you unlock it so you will not have to remember to lock it when you get inside. Some less expensive locks brands do not offer this option so you will have to try another brand of lock.
Use a chain to keep in the kids. Have a chain installed; use the longest screws that will work with the chain. The chain makes it possible to open the door for an “Officer” and look at his ID or take small packages from a delivery person. Chains also keep small ones in the house and give you an extra barrier if someone tries to break in.
Have a viewer installed in your front and back door.
Make sure your outside doors are solid. Some builders and landlords use cheep hollow doors to save money. It is a violation of building codes, usually the fire codes.
Check the locks on your windows. Old houses can have rusted locks that can be broken with a slight lever action with a screwdriver. With sliding windows use sticks to stop the windows from being, open and those hand tightened stops that lock on the track. Make sure the windows can not he lifted up when closed. A “built in stop” prevents the window from being taken out when closed.
Get outdoor lights for your walkways. Not only it is safer for you but also you can see someone hanging around.

Lock up your ladders; keep a burglar from using them to get access to the roof or second floor.

Keep your curtains closed when you are not home. The burglar can see valuables in your home with open curtains, like the silverware.

Do not let anyone in your home claiming that he/she is from the phone pompany or gas company etc. The gas and phone companies do not do this without prior arrangements. Their technicians have Company ID’s and you can verify their identity by calling the company before letting them in. This is the way burglars “case” the house. They do not take anything then but note what the valuables are and where. When they return they could be in and out in just a few minutes. This is not enough time for the police or a security company to respond which is what the pro burglar has planned. I install alarm systems and serviced them for over 4 years. One of our customers was burglarized by a pro. One can usually tell because only the silver was taken and there were no signs of damage or rummaging. A typical burglar would have trashed the place looking for money or other valuables. Pro hits are rare less than 5% of all burglaries! These guys rarely get caught! Most burglaries are committed by …… you guessed it heroin addicts. Who are looking for cash and quick sellable valuables?

Fire safety tips.

Solid fire doors are required in firewalls like between garages and the living area. Firewalls are a “divider” from a room that statistically is most likely where a fire will start like garages, utility rooms, equipment rooms, (hot water heaters and furnaces).
Keep junk out of the attic and garage. These are the likeliest places for a fire to start. Keep flammables from any flame sources. Do not let flammables pile up. Plastic boxes for storing are far safer than cardboard. Most winter fires start in the attic from the fireplace or stove. Have your fireplace and flue check every year. Not just for soot build up but for cracks.
Keep fire exits clear.
Keep the flammable liquids and paints outside away from the house. Most people store them in the garage. The garage is the most likely place for a fire to start and with flammable liquids stored there it will add to the fire. If there is nowhere to store outside, purchase a fireproof lockable cabinet. There are cabinets that are designed for solvents and other flammable liquids like oil based paint and poison chemicals like rat poison and fertilizers. Keep it locked to keep out the children, other peoples children could get in it!
Put smoke detectors in bedrooms and one outside the bedroom doors. The ion smoke detectors use a very small amount of radioactive material to ionize the air so that when exposed to smoke it changes the conductivity. These smoke detectors are more sensitive to smaller particles and will catch a hot smoldering fire that is not smoking much. The photoelectric smoke detectors use a light and photocell. When the path is broken by smoke it sets the alarm off. They generally are better for smoky fires and can miss a hot “smokeless” fire. Personally, I prefer to have one of each. There are combination ion and photoelectric detectors as well. There are also combination carbon monoxide and ion smoke detectors some talk! Carbon monoxide kills thousands of people each year. Your fireplace and any gas appliance can be a source. Have them checked regularly. One point when disposing of a ion smoke detector bring it to a toxic disposal site like you would for disposing of batteries. Both batteries and smoke detectors will poison the landfills and get into the ground water. Do not break open a ion smoke detector. The radioactive material in it is dangerous if broken.
Clear plants from around the house. Plants too close to the house is not only a fire hazard but keeps in moisture and can damage the house. It also makes is hard to inspect the house for insect, water and fungus damage.
Keep trees trimmed and branches from hanging over the house.
Create a escape plan with your family and have drills. Also set off you smoke detectors so the children know what it sounds like and what to do. Set a gathering place in case of emergency. Tell children to crawl out of the house if the see smoke!
Keep fire extinguishers in a number of places, easy to get to and near likley places a fire would start.
Purchase an escape ladder for second floor rooms.

A cynical note about locks.

A common statement I have read and heard by security and lock professionals over the years is “Locks are to keep out the honest people; they will not stop criminals." The point of this statement is that if a criminal wants something, a lock will not stop them only to slow them down a little, (maybe). Remember this when you purchase locks and setup security. Think of the application and who might want past it. Most burglaries are done through open windows! Very few are "break-ins", that is a door or window is broken. Locks or alarms will not even deter a professional; they will figure it in the job and plan accordingly.

About the statement "stopping honest people", most office and store theft is done by employees! Most people interviewed feel justified in taking small items from work for personal use.

It is also believed by experts that most people will steal if they think there were no risk of being caught! This might be cynical but I have read and heard this said many times by many experts over the years.