ESCAPE ROUTE

Before a crisis arises, it is important to have an emergency plan.

? Put your plan down on paper and make sure that the whole household is familiar with it.
? Assess all entry and exit points. Decide on the best way out in the event of a criminal entering your home or of a fire. For example, if an intruder breaks into the house via a front entrance, or a fire breaks out, the family can escape through a window or opening at the back of the house. Certain windows and/or openings must be identified and expandable/retractable security barriers fitted to these. The keys for these barriers on these openings must be placed in a secret but accessible place.( Remember that a window is not an ideal escape route – broken glass is a hazard. A door is preferable…)

HOLIDAY ARRANGEMENTS

? Try not to leave your home unoccupied. If possible get a friend or relative to house-sit for you.
? Do not get a stranger to house-sit. If necessary, use an agency that specialises in this.
? Your home must never look unoccupied. Arrange for a friend or neighbour to leave your curtains in the usual open or closed positions, and mow your lawn, etc., for you. Let them keep the curtains slightly parted so that your house doesn’t have an empty look.
? Leave a telephone number and contact address with neighbours or any other reliable person so that you can be contacted in an emergency.
? Inform your armed response/alarm company that you will be away.
? Inform the police of your absence.
? Never leave an answering machine message that you are not at home. Say something like: “We can’t come to the phone right now…”
? Use timers to turn lights, televisions and sound systems on and off at different times to give your home a “lived-in look” when you’re away.
? If there’s a Neighbourhood Watch Program in your community, join it.
? Report any suspicious persons or vehicles to your local police.
? Be careful who you tell that you are going away!
? Don’t let mail, newspapers or flyers accumulate while you’re away, tipping off criminals. Have the post office hold mail, have newspapers suspended, and have a neighbour or friend clear away flyers.
? If possible (and safe), leave a car in your driveway or arrange for a neighbour to leave a car there from time to time.
Be alert
? When arriving at or departing from your home, look out for loiterers. Do not ignore such persons as they could be a danger to you and your household.
? Keep necessary emergency numbers clearly posted next to the telephone. These must be easily accessible when needed.
? Don’t leave valuables where they are visible through windows, etc. They might tempt potential burglars.
? Make an inventory of all the valuables in your household and store it somewhere other than your home.
? Mark valuables. (Etching, punching, etc.)
? Do not ignore any unusual sounds or noises, barking dogs, alarms, breaking glass, etc. Be very cautious when investigating. Rather have the police or your armed response company investigate for you.
? If you do not have a response facility and you are going to check outside, keep your family safe by locking the door behind you. If necessary they will be able to summon help for you
Guard personal information
Identity theft is a real threat and poses a real danger for the victim. Supply personal information, to anyone that asks, with great caution.

DRIVEWAY HIJACKING

One form of crime that is becoming increasingly popular is driveway hijacking.

? Be ready for the unexpected. The hijacker can strike at any time.
? Be very cautious when arriving at or departing from your home.
? Keep a lookout and be prepared to drive away quickly, if you must. (Be careful never to endanger anyone’s life). Have an emergency plan. Decide which is the best way to escape if there was an attempted hijacking in your driveway. Could you drive down the pavement, or over a concrete island for example?
? Make sure you are not followed to or from your home. If you are followed, go to the nearest police station or a place where there are many people. Avoid quiet streets or areas. Petrol stations all have security cameras that highjackers want to avoid. Go to a garage and stop in the middle of the courtyard somewhere.
? When approaching your home, look around for any suspicious loiterers or vehicles and report them to the authorities immediately.
? Try not to reverse out of your driveway. When leaving your premises, always try and face the road.
? If you do not already have a remote-controlled gate, you may want to consider installing one. (Consult the experts as automated gates can also present a security threat)
? Avoid establishing fixed patterns. This increases the risk of victimisation by observant, potential hijackers.
? If you arrive home and notice something suspicious, like the dogs not coming to welcome you, drive on! Go to the nearest police station or follow one of the other suggestions in this section.
? Always keep car doors locked and windows closed.
? Keep an eye on your neighbours’ houses. Ask them to do the same for you. Report the presence of loiterers to the police.
? Remember, if you become a victim of carjacking, don’t resist. Your life is more valuable than the most expensive car.
? Be aware that hijackers sometimes impersonate police or traffic officials. They use vehicles with flashing blue lights and some even have access to police uniforms.

MAXIDOR – HOME SECURITY

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A portable door guard alarm (also known as a door wedge guard or doorknob guard) are compact, versatile devices for securing a property against illegal entry, with its ability to detect force, pressure or vibration against an internal or external door.

A door knob guard is designed to alert to property owner as a result of unauthorized entry on a monitored entryway. These portable door alarms act in various different ways -

A travel or portable unit, shaped similar to that of a padlock, rests on a door handle, and activates within 10 – 15 seconds, any noticeable vibrations on a door after that are noted. A deterrent of this nature is effective as an intruder alert and emits a LOUD siren, or can also function as a safety alert, ideal for monitoring a child or elderly relative, in this mode a more acceptable alarm or chime sounds.

A door wedge alarm is similar in design to a tradition doorstop, and gets wedged underneath the foot of a doorway. Now, if further pressure or force is detected on that wedge (on its contact metal plate) an alarm is instantly activated to alert all occupants.

A door guard can also come in the shape of an adjustable pole, constructed in steel, one end wedges beneath a door-handle and the other sits on its non-skidding foot. These arms are fitted with a motion sensor, so offer an effective tool to prevent unexpected visitors.

Door guards offer a cost-effective, simple solution for safeguarding a point of entry if compared to a lot of the more expensive, and difficult to install intruder alert systems.

Carlton Leigh writes articles, reviews and product reports on a variety of subjects. See more articles by this author including those on topics relating to Electric Blanket King and Leather Club Chair

What is the Door Guard Alarm?
The door guard alarm is a shock sensor alarm with a built in led light that notifies you if someone is trying to come through the door by emitting98 decibels of ear piercing noise. That piercing noise will continue for 20 to 30 seconds with a 3 to 5 second reset time. This alarm operates by sensing vibration or movement on any door you hang it on; no one will be able to enter without you knowing about it. You can control this units sensitivity easily by using a screw driver to turn it up or down depending on your needs.

This unit measures 4 tall x 1 7/8 wide x 1 ½ thick, but dont let its compact size fool you it is an extraordinary safety device.

Applications for different people:
Tired of being hazed at your college dorm, you know those nights when those ruthless so called friends come in to your room while youre sleeping only to be a wakened by some unscrupulous event they have in store for you. You will still be woken; however you will also be prepared. With this door guard alarm you will know when they are coming and be better able to defuse their efforts.

While traveling across the country or the world you sometimes find yourself staying in less than desirable hotels or motels to save money, or its convenient, or it is the only one around. In those situations the door guard alarm is perfect; whether someone is trying to break in to your room or possibly you forgot to put out the do not disturb sign and the cleaning crew tries to enters without knocking.

While at home alone deeply concentrated in a good book, working on the computer or listening to music, if you hang the unit on the door you will be alerted when someone enters the house instead of being surprised. Ok you still might be surprised from the roar of the alarm but at least you will know someone is there.

I have to admit to having a little fun with this alarm in my own house. While my wife and girls were out shopping I hung the door guard alarm on the back of my little girls bedroom door, then gently closed the door and waited for their arrival. Since there room is located next to min, when I finished setting up my sinister plan I wentto my room and closed the door all but a crack so I could havea up close view of the event. They finally made it home and the fun was about to begin, both girls came walking down the hall heading straight for their room. I was getting so excited. My oldest daughter grabbed the door handle and BAM! The alarm screamed to life as well as both the girls; I believe their screams have equal decibels to the alarm; of course my wife comes running down the hall to see what the matter is. I will never do that again after the ear full I received from both the girls and my wife. But doing it once was awesome or even priceless…

Conclusion:
This door guard alarm is compact, powerful, and easy to tuck in an overnight bag or suit case making it perfect for travelers.It is great for waking you up and at the same time scaring off intruders trying to enter your room. I would recommend this for any traveler or college student that resides in the dorms. Remember the best time to learn your lesson about personal security and self defense is before something happens.

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pAdam Sisterhen is the president of Your Personal Security Store and author of personal security and self defense articles. He is a proud advocate and a firm believer in personal security and self defense products that help protect you, your family and your loved ones./ppTo find the products talked about in this article and a wealth of information check these links below./ppFor quality personal security and self defense product visit a target=_new href=http://www.yourpersonalsecuritystore.com/product/ST-HP-98DG rel=nofollowhttp://www.yourpersonalsecuritystore.com/product/ST-HP-98DG/a./ppFor insights into products and personal security and self defense visit a target=_new href=http://www.yourpersonalsecuritystore.blogspot.com rel=nofollowhttp://www.yourpersonalsecuritystore.blogspot.com/a./ppRegards, Adam Sisterhen/pbr
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With just a few changes to your habits, your landscape and your home, you and your family can be much safer than you are today. I hope youll find this article a helpful guide to getting started on the road to better home security without breaking the bank.

Before going into details, remember that your real objective here isnt to turn your property into a fortress. After all, a completely secure home would be little more than a prison to its occupants. What you do want to accomplish is deterrence. Basically, you want a criminal to take a gander at your property and decide there are easier pickings a few houses over. To do that, you simply need to cost a crook time, deny him tools and leave him exposed. Lets talk about time.

A criminal wants to spend no more than 10-15 minutes getting into your home, gathering as many valuables as he can and getting out the door. Thats a beginning to end process. Your goal is to slow him down. If the obstacles you put in his way make the length of time required to get in your home too risky relative to the reward, hell skip your home. So what are some inexpensive obstacles?

Use your deadbolts and security locks. The knob lock on your door is so easy to bypass, it might as well not be there. I can get into my own home in under 15 seconds using a credit card. Imagine how little trouble a professional criminal would have getting into yours. A key lock deadbolt, however, cant be jimmied with a credit card. That means a crook has to invest extra time to actually pick your lock (time consuming), smash in your door (great way to call attention to yourself), find an alternate way in or move on. Get in the habit of always locking your deadbolt at night and when you leave your home. A few extra seconds of your time is hardly as inconvenient as coming home to find your belongings missing and your house ransacked.

Install security locks for your windows. Much like the tab-lock on my door, I can slip open the crescent latches on my windows with a credit card in under 15 seconds. That is, I could do it. I cant anymore because Ive replaced them all with security locks. Do this for all ground floor or patio/deck accessible windows. Your criminal may smash in a window pane and simply reach in to flip the lock so window locks requiring keys are the most secure. Providing, of course, you dont get lazy and just leave the key in the lock.

So now weve cost a would-be criminal time. Stage one of our anti-theft triangle is pretty solid. Lets move onto our next deterrent which involves denying him the tools he might use.

Dont give criminals a hand. Youd be surprised how often criminals find themselves daunted by a homes security only to find the perfect tool they need in the owners own back yard. Dont leave ladders out for your criminals to use. Dont leave tools that can be used as pry-bars on your doors and windows. If you dont have a secure place to store a ladder, at least use a cable lock and lock it to something solid.

Another tool (one for you rather than for the criminals) is a security system. Now, this obviously isnt an inexpensive home security method (the whole point of this article) so lets refine that to – the illusion of a security system. See if you can purchase yard signs and window stickers from a reputable security company. Many will agree to sell you signs without requiring a contract simply because the sign is free advertising for them. You can also purchase a fake security camera on the internet. In conjunction with your yard signs, both of these tools can deter a criminal from even bothering with your property if there are easier pickings available a few houses down.

Many of us have learned a hard lesson after locking ourselves out and have decided to solve the problem by leaving an emergency key hidden outside. Criminals know this. The first places theyll look are any hiding places by the front door. That includes above the door, under a welcome mat and flower pots. If you must leave a hidden key outside, leave it as far away from the door as you can and hide it in the most inconspicuous place you can find.

Your neighbors represent another criminal tool; unwittingly, of course. Its common practice for burglars to prep a site by posing as repairmen, salesmen, potential home buyers, anything that might get a neighbor to let his or her guard down. Once suspicion has been allayed, the criminal will milk your neighbor for all kinds of information in an effort to learn about your work schedule, sleep schedule, travel habits and anything else that will give them insight into when youre home and when youre gone. The only real way to protect yourself here is to ensure you and your neighbors are educated. Work together, get to know each other and make a point to protect each other.

The point is to take the time to talk to them and let them know what they need to know such as the fact that, should you ever hire a house sitter, youll let your neighbors know who to look out for. Likewise should a relative come to visit for an extended period. You want your neighbors to be suspicious should they see somebody wandering around your property without you having advised them in advance they will be there.

This is actually a good chance to move on to exposure and start with a neighborhood watch. As youre already chatting up your neighbors, why not see if theres interest in forming a neighborhood watch? Your local police very likely have a neighborhood watch program and will be happy to educate you on how to get one going. Every time you or your neighbors do your rounds represents a risk of exposure criminals dont want. Just remember that your job is to observe and report. NEVER put yourself in danger by confronting a suspicious person directly.

Another element of exposure is simply lighting. Whether you go with motion activated security lights or just keep up a good habit of having your front, side and back doors well illuminated at night, youll make your property far less appealing than somebody who likes to keep their property dark. If youre trying to go green and save energy, use an energy efficient bulb. I want to save the environment too, but not at the risk of my familys safety.

Also keep your hedges short and neatly trimmed. Having tall bushes near ground-level windows gives your criminals the perfect hiding place while they work. A cop or pedestrian could walk right by and wouldnt see a thing. Deny them any and all hiding places.

Finally, while weve focused on visual exposure, dont discount sound. Everything from bells on a back gate to a yapping dog can frustrate a crook and have him spending too much time looking over his shoulder for it to be worth his while. But while were on the topic, the issue of dogs is something that warrants addressing.

All too many of us dog owners are filled with a false sense of security. Yes, a barking dog does a lot to dissuade some criminals. For others, it does nothing. Do NOT depend on your dog to protect your property. Thats entirely too much responsibility and places him at risk. Youre much better off relying on Fido to alert you to an attempted break in than hoping hell actually thwart one. But that means applying a bit of common sense. If you let your dog sleep in your bed with you, hes just as unlikely as you to realize somebody is rummaging around downstairs and depriving you of your valuables. Let your pup sleep on the main floor where hell immediately recognize an attempted intrusion and will bark to alert you.

And thats where Im going to leave things, folks. There are plenty more low-to-no cost ways you can protect yourself, your family and your property but this is long enough already. Your best bet is to simply put yourself in a criminals shoes and analyze your home to determine how youd break in. You know it better than anybody else. If you can implement a strategy that would keep you out, you can feel somewhat confident that youve made any potential criminals life difficult enough hell probably move on to greener pastures. Best of luck and stay safe.

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pDavid has contributed to many blogs and articles on security, the ethical use of wireless surveillance cameras and the proper and effective ways to include a target=_new href=http://www.dgswireless.com/ rel=nofollowfake security cameras/a into a plausible home security design. Learn how you can protect your home with free information and guidance related to a target=_new href=http://www.infobarrel.com/Inexpensive_Home_Security_Tips rel=nofollowfake security cameras/a and other security measures./pbr
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Home security as you probably already know is a huge business. In some respects it makes sense. After all, your home is your most valuable asset. It makes sense then you would spend a fair amount on home security. The opportunity is certainly there to do just that. It can be avoided too.

You can get very good protection for very little money with some brand new cheap home security tools that are effective and easy to use and install. The first is the Glass Guard Window Alarm.

This cool gizmo is an effective low cost vibration alarm that can help in securing windows or patio doors. The Glass Guard can also be used as a personal property alarm to protect computers, TVs, stereos and cabinets etc.

You turn the switch on the left side to ‘high’ or ‘low’ to begin operating (there is a delay mechanism of about 7 seconds). When the glass is hit, knocked or cut by anyone, the siren-a whopping 101db-will sound for 10-20 seconds and then reset.

The unit can be set to high or low sensitivity. ‘High Sensitive’ mode will detect a little vibration. ‘Low Sensitive’ mode will need a stronger vibration to make the unit react. The unit will also perform well on wooden or metallic windows and doors. If the unit is not placed in the middle of the door or window, use ‘High’ mode.

The unit requires 2 AAA batteries that are not included.

The second is the versatile shock sensitive Door Guard Alarm that is ideal for home, office, hotel, or travel. It requires no installation just hang it on any doorknob. Once hung, it instantly detects any vibration. When the alarm is tripped, it will emit a 98dB alert for 20-30 seconds, then will reset in 3-5 seconds.

The sensitivity of the alarm is easily adjusted with a screwdriver. The Door Guard can be removed from the doorknob and used as an area light with the switch in the “light” position. The Door Guard is ideal for keeping you and your loved ones safe from harm.

The Door Guard is compact, making it portable so you can take it with you when you travel. It is ideal for anyone and can be used virtually anywhere. Not sure about that shady looking hotel, but can’t beat the price, feel confident and safe. Uses 2 AAA batteries (not included).

Chances are very good that you are reading this because in some way crime has touched your life or you want to be proactive and protect yourself, family, home, or business from the ravages of crime. That is the first step.

NOW the next step is for you to take action. Do something to take that first step-today.

Jack Krohn owns Security Solutions and is the author of over 400 articles.

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