Keep Kids Safe

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It seems like almost every other day there are reports of children being abducted. The problem has reached the point that most states have introduced Amber Alerts systems. These systems activate billboards along the highway with descriptions of the missing child.

One company’s answer to the problem is the creation of the iSAFE backpack. Backpacks have become a staple, not just for children, but adults as well. When traveling, I always have a backpack. I wonder how anyone got along without one.

Hidden in the strap of this backpack is a device, that when the wearer feels threatened and pulls the pin, it activates a siren, instantly drawing attention.  This will usually be sufficient to chase away the attacker and summon help.

This website is about personal safety and I am always looking for products that fulfill that purpose. I am proud to offer this product. I not only recommend it for families with children, but for adults as well.  It is the perfect for traveling.

I found the following video featuring the iSAFE backpacks.


iSafe Backpacks & Bags give you Mobile Personal Security
everywhere you go. You’ll have Peace of Mind knowing that you’re protected with the World’s Loudest Personal Alarm System . It’s Like Having a Bodyguard with You All the Time.

Remember: Your Safety Is Up To You!

Safety Tips at Home-The Safe Room

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By Gregory Colvin

As promised in my earlier article about safety at home, here is additional information about how to prepare for a determined intruder or severe weather. Though rare, there are times that someone could enter your home when you are present. There is a haven that you can invest in that can protect you and your family if this occurs. This investment is the safe room. The safe room is a secure internal room in the house that the burglar cannot enter.
A well designed safe room should have a metal door and frame, making it harder for the intruder to kick in the door or tear it from the frame. The door should be equipped with a keyless deadbolt.
This room must contain a telephone.  A land line is good. During inclement weather, the phone company continues to have power to operate the phone. However, in the case of a home invasion, a cell phone is better. Land lines to the house are often the first thing that the intruder will disable. Be sure that the cell phone is charged. The power to the house may also be disconnected.
An emergency first aid kit is important. Check the kit periodically, replacing outdated supplies. Children love to play with bandages, so it is a good idea to check and resupply as needed.
Usually the crisis is over very quickly, most burglars don’t want spend a long period of time in someone else’s home. This only increases the likelihood that they will wind up in jail. Their intention may be kidnapping. If kidnapping is their aim, you may be in the room for an extended period awaiting rescue.

The safe room is also an excellent haven in the case of hazardous weather. Many commercially built safe rooms can withstand tornadic force winds. If you live in an area of the country that experiences tornadoes or hurricanes, you may want to seriously think about investing in a well constructed safe room.

You will want to keep some, if not all, of the following supplies:

• Fire extinguisher
• A week’s worth of drinking water
• A week’s worth of food
• Flashlights, at least two
• Extra batteries
• A battery powered lantern or two
• Toilet facilities.   They can be an installed commode or a portable toilet
• Bedding or cots for sleeping
• Stove.  You may not have electricity for a period of time, in the case of a severe storm. The stove should be a camping type. A note of caution: Be sure that the room has adequate ventilation.
• A portable radio so you can monitor weather conditions.
• Candy and snacks make life in the room more bearable.
• Books and magazines help pass the time.
• You may want to keep some defensive weapons. If children are present in the house, the weapons should be unloaded and locked until needed. If the weapon is a firearm, take a course to familiarize yourself with its operation. Occasional practice wouldn’t hurt either.
The safe room is an excellent investment.
Remember: Your Safety Is Up To You!

Safety Tips at Home

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By Gregory Colvin

Crime strikes at home, literally, anytime a burglary or home invasion occurs.  An intrusion into your home will leave you feeling violated, because, after all, your home is your sanctuary from the evils of the outside world. That sanctuary comes under question when it is invaded by a stranger.

Let’s look at some ways to protect your home and prepare for the worst.  The old saying goes, hope for the best, prepare for the worst.

The first line of defense against a would-be intruder is a good set of locks. That should include a deadlock lock at each entrance to the residence.  Check each of the following: the front door, rear door, garage doors, patio sliders or French doors, any exterior gates and swimming pool gates.  These doors should be locked even when you and the family are at home.

On the subject of locks, each window should have a locking mechanism and they should be locked at all times that the windows are not open for fresh air.

Hiding a key under the front door welcome mat is convenient when you lock yourself out, but it is the first place a burglar will look.  It is best to ask a trusted friend or a relative to keep a key for you.


Some homes have the electrical breaker box or fuse box located on the side or back of the house.  These need to be locked.  Without the lock, an intruder can shut off power to the house, when you go check on the breaker box, you can become the intruder’s hostage.

It is a good idea to have a burglar alarm installed in the home.  It is also best to have a system that is monitored.  If you have it installed, use it.  It doesn’t work if you don’t set it.

When planning a vacation or trip out of town, limit the number of people you tell, especially on social media websites.  People know people, who know people, who know people that they shouldn’t.  I’m just saying…wait until the vacation or trip is over before announcing it to the world.

If you are going to be away for more than two days, stop the newspaper and mail delivery.  Nothing says “empty” house like a pile of newspapers sitting on the driveway or front porch. Two newspapers say you are lazy.  Same with an overflowing mail box.  To the mail carrier’s credit, if the mail begins to pile up, they will usually contact the police.  In many cases, this act has saved many people, who would have died alone. It is better to avoid that kind of attention to your home.

On the subject of the police, some departments have a program for vacationing residents. Depending on the department, this would involve officers either driving by your home and performing a visional inspection or an officer or auxiliary officer walking around the house and checking the doors and windows.  Check with your local police department

When leaving the home for an extended period of time, it is a good idea to purchase timers for your lights and televisions.  Monitor your usual habits at night around the house and place the timers in the rooms and set them for the times that you occupy them.  A dark house or one light on throughout the night in one room is usually a indication that no one is home.

These tips can help deter an intruder  Most are looking for an easy target.  In our next article, we will look at tips to survive a home invasion.

Remember: Your Survival Is Up To You.

Gregory Colvin is a former police officer and author who has noticed how few people observe their surroundings.    He writes personal security and safety articles on the web.

Personal Safety Tips for Hotel Stays

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By Gregory Colvin

Criminals like targeting hotel guests.  They know that people often get a false sense of security and let down their guard when they are staying in a hotel, because most are on vacation.  Guests in hotels usually are more relaxed and let down their defenses.  Vacations are a chance to meet new people and have fun.  Inhibitions are loosened.

Business guests are busy attending meetings and making appointments.  All these distractions avert attention away from personal security.

Here are a few tips to keep you safe during your hotel stay.

When selecting a room, try to secure a room on the third to fifth floor of the hotel.  I know that the view is better the higher the floor you stay, but safety should trump view every time.

These floors are usually out of the reach of criminals.  A ground floor unit is easier to access than a third floor, unless the criminal likes a challenge.

In many municipalities, the fire department’s ladder truck may not reach beyond the fifth floor.  This would make rescue a little more dicey in the case of fire.  On the subject of fires, on the back of the door of most hotels, the ones you want to stay in, is  a map of fire escape routes. For safety’s sake, glance at the map.  Those of you who really care about getting home again, will study the escape route and know where to go when the fire alarm sounds.


In the case of fire, touch the door to your room.  Is cool? It may be that the fire has not reached your floor.  If it’s hot, in fact, too hot to touch, the fire is outside your room. Celebrate the fact that your room is in reach of the fire department’s ladder truck.  It is important that the fire department know that you need to be rescued.  If you have a balcony and it is safe, I would go there  with a sheet and attempt to signal the fire department .

During World War II there was a slogan, “Loose lips sink ships.”  Keep that in mind when in public places.  Discussing your travel plans could alert someone as to the times that you will out of your room.

A chance meeting in a bar usually doesn’t make for long standing friends.  As interesting as these “new friends appear to be, use some common sense.  The “locals only restaurant, bar, private party” could, and in many cases, is a decoy to a date with robbery or worse.  From personal experience, we were in Alaska on a cruise. We stopped in a local historic saloon.  We met a couple who were very friendly.  They invited us to a cookout on a nearby beach.  Our ship had a set departure time and we certainly didn’t want to miss that.  The couple told us that they would easily get us back in time.  An alarm went off in my head.  It was time to get back to the boat and, as much as we would have liked to experienced a beach fish fry, something didn’t seem right.  Many times it is better to err on the side of safety.

When you leave the hotel room, it is a great idea to put your valuables in the room safe.  If the room doesn’t have a safe, check with the front desk for a hotel safe.  If neither are available, then you are in the wrong hotel.   Move quick.

On the subject of lost valuables,  many hotel guests leave the rooms looking like a hurricane just blew through when they leave for the day.  It’s easier to tell if something is missing if you keep the room tidy.

It is always best to use the door chain or door latch when in the room.  If the room has a deadbolt, use that as well.  And never just open the door when someone knocks.  Look through the peephole, and if you don’t know who the person is, don’t open the door. Call the front desk.

Don’t mention your hotel room number in public.  The reason hotels got away from the numbered keys is if the guest loses the key, whoever finds it will not know which room the key goes to.

By keeping these tips in mind, you can enjoy a safe stay in hotel.

Remember:  Your safety is up to you.

Gregory Colvin is a former police officer. He writes personal safety articles on the web.