Pages
Stay In Touch
More
© 2010 Security Whip
These tips may seem basic, but it never hurts to be reminded once in while.
• Park in a well lit area of the garage.
• Don’t assume that an attendant will be working when you are leaving or any other time.
• Never leave valuables in the car, especially out in the open where people can see them.
• Be aware of your surroundings at all times!
• If working late have a co-worker walk with you to your vehicle or call security and have them escort you to your vehicle. They won’t mind at all, it will break up their day.
• Be prepared before you enter the garage, have your keys in your hand and ready to go.
• Once in the vehicle lock the doors immediately.
• Always drive with the windows rolled up and the doors locked.
• If you notice a piece of paper or some other odd object attached to your window, don’t stop and get out to remove it. Wait until you are in an area of safety and then find out what it is.
• Trust your gut! If something doesn’t feel right when you enter the garage, go back to your office.
• Be aware, your cell phone may not work in your garage.
• Know where the garage emergency call boxes are at in relation to you and your vehicle
• Never leave your car running, without you being in it. Not even in the cold!
What differentiates a professional flashlight from just any old flashlight? Well, for starters you will notice a huge difference in price. A professional flashlight will cost significantly more than a normal every day flashlight found in hardware stores. A good professional flashlight will also use a long lasting battery such as lithium batteries. Why lithium? One lithium battery will generally last twice as long as an alkaline battery and weigh half as much. The 123A lithium batteries, which are found in numerous professional flashlights, produce 3 volts compared to the 1.5 volt of an alkaline battery and have a substantially longer life. Additionally, professional flashlights will have a much higher lumen rating (brighter light) than the average flashlight.
The reason I recommend a professional flashlight is, when I grab it, I want it to work every time! I want it to be bright. I want the batteries to last a long time! I want it to be tough and durable, I want to be able to drop it and have it still work. I want it weather proof. I want it to be lightweight. And last but not least, is has to be versatile. I have a very high standard for my flashlight and a professional flashlight is the only type that can meet my parameters.
I personally carry the Surefire Executive Elite E2e.
I have carried this flashlight for well over 6 years. I have literally taken this light to some of the most extreme environments in the world and it has never failed me. This particular model retails somewhere in the neighborhood of $96.00 – $105.00, I know, that is a hard one to choke down. But for me, it has been worth the investment. I understand that a majority of individuals can’t afford a flashlight this expensive especially in the current economic times, but if you are able to I don’t think you can go wrong!
Thanks
Security Guy
I’m not sure if this is a touchy subject or just a plain boring one, but you never read about the importance of good physical conditioning in emergency situations. During natural disasters or a catastrophic event everyone needs to be in good shape to cope with the physical stressors related to the event. Take the military for instances, physical conditioning is part of their job. The men and women of the military have to be in good shape to be able to operate effectively in a combat zone. If you are a prepper or the survivalist type, working out should be just as much a part of your preparations as food storage and weapons.
Now if you’re like me you’ve read numerous blogs and have seen plenty of guys displaying their “high speed” bug out bags or showing off some really cool gear. But these individuals almost never talk about how long or how far they can carry all this equipment, if they do its generally in theoretical terms. When is the last time you carried a 30-pound pack 10-20 miles? Even without a pack, are you prepared physically to travel on foot in adverse conditions…rain, sweltering heat, snow, etc? If not, it may be time to integrate a workout program in your daily life. And before anyone gets the impression that I am saying “you” should lose weight, I’m not. Also, before anyone accuses me of being preachy, let me say that I am just as guilty as the next when it comes to working out. It always seems like there is never enough time in the day for it. But I am changing that attitude right now and making working out a part of my daily routine, just like lunch is!
Before you start any physical fitness program make sure and consult your physician.
Thanks
Security Guy
It’s a great question and it requires some knowledge and research to come up with a good answer for your particular situation.
It’s not uncommon for businesses to use fair amount of fear as a way to induce someone to buy a product. For me, a gas mask always comes to mind with this type of tactic. I am going to step out on a limb here and say that “most” people probably do not need a gas mask to prepare themselves for natural disasters or any other type of catastrophic event. Now, having said that, I’m not trying to dissuade you from buying a gas mask, if you think its important to you and your family, then by all means don’t let me stop you!
Before we begin, let me state for the record that I am not a subject matter expert on this, but I have been trained on chemical suits and gas masks from two different governmental agencies, which does provide me with some insight on the subject.
Here we go!
Things to consider before purchasing a gas mask:
First, a gas mask is a system, which implies that there are many parts. All these parts must be taken care of, cleaned, managed, and replaced at different intervals.
One sized does not fit all. You need to be physically fitted for a mask, everyone’s face and head is shaped differently, but they generally come in small, medium and large sizes.
What is the age of the mask? Would you put 20-year-old set of tires on your vehicle? No, then why would you be willing to put a 20-year-old rubber gas mask on your face? It doesn’t make sense to me.
Have you had any type of training? Can you acquire some training or is reading on the Internet enough?
Do you have any facial hair? If you do, a gas mask won’t work, sorry. You can’t obtain a proper seal. For those of you who have been snorkeling or scuba diving I’m sure you can relate. Facial hair might not be a problem with a Hood system though.
Maintenance on the mask is vital. Numerous filters have a 5 to 10 year shelf life; this implies “unopened” in the original packaging. We used to replaced our filters every 6 months like clock work, why? To be of any use the filter needs to be opened and removed from the manufactures packaging and placed on the mask, once its open the filter’s life cycle is reduced.
While you might think that the filters are the most critical element of any gas mask, you would be wrong. The most important part of any gas mask (if it has them) is the “O” rings. The “O” rings sit/attach in-between the mask and filter itself. If these rings are damaged, crimped, dry rotted, etc., the mask is worthless. When you breath in, air will be drawn in from the path of least resistance and if you have a damaged “O” ring, I promise, you will be sucking in unfiltered air.
Cost? What does the mask cost and then what are the reoccurring costs such as filters and “O” rings.
Early warning detection system, do you have one? I never did! For whatever reason the agency I worked for didn’t think it was important. The rule of thumb was and probably still is, if you see birds falling from the sky or animals and humans falling to the ground, it’s a good indicator of a chemical attack. Of course, my colleagues and I used to joke that if we happened to see this, its probably too late.
Some chemicals or agents require a full body suite for protection? I was issued a suit with my gas mask; it came with the body suit, gloves, and booties. Interestingly enough, it did not come with any type of tape to seal up the suit. I guess it never dawned on them that this might be important to get a good seal!
This article is quickly becoming long! We could go on and on with this subject and discuss the different types of chemicals, prevailing winds, topography, ambient temperatures, but I’m not. I’m done!
Thanks
Security Guy
I get a lot of questions from people concerning security issues, but one that always pops up is, “Do you think I need a paper shredder?” My answer is always the same “YES” you need a paper shredder and it doesn’t matter if you live in a single family home or a high-rise apartment building.
Shredders come in all types and prices, choose one that best fits your personal needs and remember. Personal security is about adding layers of security between you and criminals, and a shredder is just one more layer.
Every day it seems that society makes it easier for criminals to steal our valuable personal information and nine times out of ten “we” exacerbate the problem. How you ask? By not guarding our personal information like we would guard our cash. Identity theft is probably one of the easiest crimes to commit. It’s not very complicated and most times we don’t even know it has occurred.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) provides us with a pretty good list of how criminals obtain our information, while not all-inclusive it’s a good start.
Dumpster Diving (my personal favorite!) – They rummage through trash looking for bills or other paper with your personal information on it.
Skimming – They steal credit/debit card numbers by using a special storage device when processing your card.
Phishing – They pretend to be financial institutions or companies and send spam or pop-up messages to get you to reveal your personal information.
Changing Your Address – They divert your billing statements to another location by completing a change of address form.
Old-Fashioned Stealing – They steal wallets and purses; mail, including bank and credit card statements; pre-approved credit offers; and new checks or tax information. They steal personnel records, or bribe employees who have access.
Pretexting – They use false pretenses to obtain your personal information from financial institutions, telephone companies, and other sources.
How to help prevent identity theft?
Start a habit of shredding “any” document with your personal information. This includes junk mail, newspapers, flyers… anything that represents you.
Check your credit report once a year
Don’t carry your social security card in your purse/wallet or anything that contains your SSN. Less is more.
What to do if you become a victim of identity theft?
The Privacy Rights Clearinghouse has an extensive fact sheet on what you should do if you become a victim of identity theft, click on the link below.
http://www.privacyrights.org/fs/fs17a.htm
The U.S. Department of Justice also has some great information as well.
When we hear people speak of being financially secure, we tend to think of wealthy individuals with a large portfolio in the stock market. But what happens when something goes wrong? Personally, when I think of financially security I think of someone who has positioned him or her self to withstand a financial disaster and is able to come out of it relatively unscathed. Financial problems have many faces and can occur in many different forms, job loss, natural disasters, illness, divorce, etc.
In the last few years we have witnessed some devastating natural disasters in this country, 75 major disaster declarations to be exact. How long could your family survive on one salary or worse yet, no salary?
A study conducted by Harvard in 2001 found that illness and the associated bills caused half of all bankruptcy. Interestingly, three quarters of these people had medical insurance. We can extrapolate a few things from this data just by making a few assumptions. One, the insurance wasn’t very good to begin with. Two, they were under insured or three, they just plain exhausted there insurance benefits. I’m no expert, but I would imagine that the high cost of medical care just became too much.
Questions that everyone might want to ask themselves, what can I be doing right now to ensure that my family and myself are prepared during a time of crisis? A good place to begin would be a self-audit to ensure you are prepared for whatever life can throw at you! Below is a list that might help you get started, I’m sure you can add more.
Plan – Write down ahead of time what you will do in a time of emergency. Where will the money to live come from until you are back on your feet.
Savings – Having three to six months of salary in a high interest bearing account.
Emergency Money – In times of natural disasters cash is king and the electricity isn’t always working, ATM’s are useless. Have some money on hand, preferably in low denomination bills and coins.
Debt – Start reducing your debt. In a time of emergency it’s great not to have to worry about paying off car loans and credit cards. Make it a priority! The web is full of great ways to start reducing your debt.
Insurance – In times of emergency insurance can make you or break you. How many times have we heard horror stories from people who lost everything due to not being insured? Make sure you have the right kind and the right amount to include:
Health insurance
Homeowners and renters insurance
Auto
Life
Disability
Flood
Will – For some reason people are scared to death (sorry of the pun) to talk about wills. This one document can save your loved ones additional stress and heartache in the event of a death. Plus, it ensures that your assets go where you wanted them to go. Do you have one? Is it up to date? Don’t forget about a living will too!
Important papers – Are your important records organized and in a safe place in the event of a fire or flood? Consider a safety deposit box or a fireproof lock box.
Important numbers – Have all your important accounts numbers and phone numbers in a spreadsheet or something similar. Keep it in a safe place. It might be a good idea to have both a hard copy and a soft copy, possibly on a thumb drive.
Backups – When is the last time you conducted a backup of all of your important information on your computer. If you haven’t, you should consider making this a priority. Automatic backups are the best! Don’t forget about encryption.
Recent Comments