Protect Our Families

Safety for You and Your Family

admin — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0000

The threats of natural disasters are not the only evils lurking to impose upon the safety of loved ones. Burglars or rowdy teens mishaps occur with or without consent. A family must be prepared.

Simple situations like family safety and security can be quickly disregarded in busy lives, but if you begin with a family meeting at a family dinner, you may establish the foundation for a safer household. With elementary rules, ensure that your family remains safe even when they forget simple tasks.

The first and easiest manner in which to maintain safety for the whole family would be a quality security alarm system like adt atlanta. Security systems monitor houses when you forget to. Tips include discussing with the family an escape route in case of a fire. Communicating with the family about what needs to be turned off or checked occasionally is a necessity for the welfare of the household.

It involves everyone’s help and cooperation, beginning with sitting down with the family and talking over the easily overlooked dangers. Start with the simple and work toward the larger, more life threatening.

You and your family warrant a safe life and the safe life starts at home.

Shopping Safely

www.protectourfamilies.com — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0000

As millions of families head to the local shopping mall to gear up for the Christmas season, the increased crowds will also put shoppers in increased safety risks. Use these tips to make sure your shopping experience goes off without a hitch.Put wallets in front pockets Just like any crowded street or bus train, a crowded mall looks ripe to the picking for pickpockets. Shop when the sun is up Stores may offer extended hours, but that doesn’t mean it’s best to take advantage of them. It may help to beat some of the lines but it could also put you in danger as ill intention folks can use the darkness to gain the element of surprise or effectively conceal their identity.Make sure children have a way to get in contact with you If you are a parent, a crowded mall can be an easy place to lose track of a child, particularly when eye-grabbing potential present displays can easily tempt a younger person to wander. Make sure all cell phones are charged and if your child is too young for a cell phone, consider a walkie-talkie.Don’t buy everything at once Carrying large sums of cash makes any sort of robbery attempt that much more painful. If a thief approaches you on your way out of the store, with hands full of big bags you are also less quick to defend yourself or turn to run, as your pile of purchases could hinder your clear vision and mobility. Also, in terms of basic value, more stuff more money to thieves.Maintain standard parking precautions Though the mall might be more crowded and more cars are around, this does not mean you can simply leave your car unlocked or leave valuables showing. Furthermore, with more cars in the parking lot you might be forced to park in a less desirable, poorly lit space. Try doubling back around, instead, to see if something opens up. Travel safely Winter weather combined with waiting until the last minute can be a fatal combination. Don’t rush to the mall on Christmas Eve as snow and ice cover the road, just to see a smile the next morning. After all, family members would much rather see your face smiling back at them that open up any shiny new gift.

Social Network Safety

www.protectourfamilies.com — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 15:57:35 +0000

Social networking has quickly become a national phenomenon, as evidenced by this weekend’s release of the movie The Social Network. However, while everyone loves catching up with long lost friends, the ability to stay in touch with minimal effort and streaming updates on everyone’s personal matters, far too few social media users take the necessary precautions to use the medium securely. Follow these simple tips to maintain yourself, your identity and all other personal information stays safely out of harm’s way.

Use Discretion Perhaps discretion is a loss art in this time of online transparency, whether intentional or unintentional, but just because you know have the capability to broadcast every thought, status and/or location to wide following of friends and strangers alike doesn’t mean it’s always the best idea. Be extremely cautious when posting any personal information, even things that may at first glance seem trivial such as job/title, company name, birth date, family details, schedule information and phone numbers.
Update Privacy Settings There are many things you might tell a friend but wouldn’t consider sharing with a complete stranger. Many users do not update privacy settings with regularity, a problem considering the regularity with which Facebook, for example, changes its interface. Many times, new privacy developments will automatically opt you in to sharing information with a group of people, making it necessary to manually go in and change your settings in order to restrict viewership. Whether it’s “everyone,” “your networks,” or “friends of friends,” you are automatically opening up your life to people you may not know. In fact, do you even know who some your so-called “friends” are on Facebook?
Be Careful “Checking in” Foursquare and now Facebook “Places” allow you to create a map of where you are and where you’ve recently been. While this is fun for friends in order to literally keep tabs on each other, in hands with unsavory intentions it provides a coordinated map for ill-willed wrong-doers. Use such capabilities at your own risk, with fully knowledge that disclosing where you are at all times makes your home vulnerable when you aren’t there and your person vulnerable when in unsafe surroundings.

The Top 3 Home Security Systems

admin — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 14:31:59 +0000

Though property crime rates are slowly decreasing (partly due to these great security systems), statistics show that there are still over 2 million burglaries occurring every year. The average dollar loss associated with these home burglaries are over 2,000and you can’t even begin to put a price on personal safety. It is a proven fact that the majority of criminals bypass better protected homes and focuses on homes without security systems. Protect yourself and your family from being victimized by installing one of these top notch security systems:

Protect America: this state of the art home security system is both extremely affordable and completely reliable. Offering a selection of five wireless home security plans, Protect America’s most basic equipment includes a talking control panel, internal siren and door chime, battery backup, one button arming, lifetime warranties, window decals, and a yard sign. The different plans (copper, bronze, silver, gold, or platinum) vary in prices ranging from 29.95 to 36.95 per month for monitoring. With cutting edge technology that is easy to understand and customer friendly, you’ll feel good about placing your families’ safety in the hands of Protect America.
ADT: This familiar home security provider scores high marks in reliability and quality. ADT’s numerous plans can accommodate land lines or cell phones, fire detection, or simple intruder protection. While somewhat pricey, the basic home security package offers a wireless touchpad, 3 entry point sensors, a motion detector, and a wireless keychain remote for a fee of 299.00 plus a 34 monthly monitoring fee. Their systems are dependable but require spending a little extra money than other systems like Protect America.
Lifeshield: Though lesser known, Lifeshield security systems are hassle-free and non binding. The upfront cost for equipment is 299.99 (including 8 sensors) and the monthly fee is 29.99, but there are no contracts associated with the monthly plans so you are free to end the service whenever you want.

Protect Your Kids from Online Predators

admin — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 19:07:23 +0000

In many ways the omnipresence of the internet has improved daily life and increased our abilities to learn, communicate, and create new content. However, one of the downfalls of the internet revolution is the emergence of online predators. Kids are using the internet at younger ages and spending more time online than ever before. According to I-safe.org, in a study of 36,000 kids in grades 5 through 12, 80 of students said they spent at least an hour online every week. 55 of these kids also said they have given out personal information to someone they met online.The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children conducted a study in 2006 to measure the prevalence of online sexual solicitation. Of the children surveyed, 34 said they were exposed to unwanted sexual material and 40 said someone online had asked them for nude or sexually explicit photographs of themselves. Kids are such an easy target because they are often happy to receive attention and might not recognize the danger of such a situation. The innocence of a young child could also lead them to look past the dangers of having a conversation with an unknown adult, who claims to want to be their friend.At times it can be difficult for parents to monitor their children’s online activity, but doing so is imperative to keeping them safe. In an effort to combat this problem, many internet companies are working to create systems that allow parents to check and monitor what sites their children are visiting. Blocks can be placed on certain websites that are deemed explicit or unsafe for a child. Limiting the amount of time your child spends on the internet is another way to prevent them from being solicited by a cyber predator. Open and honest conversations with your kids explaining what information they should never give out and what is and is not appropriate is one of the best ways to avoid having this problem.

Property Crime Rates Declining in the US: Help Continue the Trend

admin — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 19:05:07 +0000

While violent crime rates are holding steady or even increasing, in the last several decades, the occurrence of property crimes is decreasing. Property crimes include burglary, larceny, and motor vehicle theft. In 1980 there was a total of 12,064,000 property crimes nationwide, according the U.S. Census Bureau. By 2007, this number was done around 25 to 9,843,000. The incidence of burglary, larceny, and motor vehicle theft were all lower. One of the likely causes of this positive trend is the advancement of home security systems. Thirty years ago these devices were much less common, now the majority of new homes built have some sort of security system. With communication technology that immediately notifies the security company and local law enforcement, homes armed with a security system are much less likely to be attacked. Many studies have shown that just the presence of a security sticker on a window or a sign in the yard is enough to send an unwanted guest on to another house. The best way to protect your home from an intruder is with a security system, but there are additional things you can do to deter burglars. Never leave anything valuable outside or within view of an intruder. Tool boxes, purses laying on a kitchen counter, or bikes in an open garage are all very appealing sites to a thief. Make sure to keep your garage door closed at night and when you are not at home, because this is a place from which items are often stolen and many alarm systems do not cover a garage area. Also make sure that you don’t let trees and shrubbery grow to high over your windows as this can provide a burglar with cover and protection. A house that is very visible, inside and out, to passersby is least likely to be robbed.

Know What You’re Up Against: National Violent Crime Trends

admin — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 19:01:46 +0000

Every parent’s biggest fear is something terrible happening to their children. The recent emergence of online predators has just added one more thing to the long list of worries for moms and dads around the country. America has a bad reputation of having very high crime rates, and unfortunately there doesn’t seem to be much improvement in the number of violent crimes in this country. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 1980 there were 1,345,000 violent crimes nationwide and it 2007 that number was up slightly to 1,408,000. Violent crimes are defined as murder, forcible rape, robbery, or aggravate assault. One piece of good news, there was a peak in crime from about 1990 to 1997, but most of the numbers reported during that time period have since fallen. To understand these numbers on a smaller scale, in 2007, for every 100,000 people there were 467 violent crimes.The good news is that despite these daunting statistics, home security technology is constantly advancing. The scene in so many movies where “the bad guy” cuts a wire and disables an alarm system, are over. Most modern security systems use wireless technology that instantly sends a signal to the security company if the alarm is set off or disturbed. Another advancement in home securities is the communications capabilities. Many home security systems can be set up to allow text message or email notifications to be sent if the alarm goes off. You can’t always be home or with your children every waking moment of the day, but having a way to know if anything happens at home offers incredible peace of mind. Whether you are buying your first home security system or updating an old one, search through a range of products and find the system that will best protect the people you love most.

Cyber Bullying is A Growing Problem in the Online Community

admin — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 18:45:31 +0000

The presence of online sexual predators has been receiving national attention for years, but a recent trend of online bullying is starting to spread throughout the country. A number of media stories have raised awareness about the devastating affect this abuse is having on young children, in some cases even leading to suicide. The younger generations in our society have access to a plethora of social networking sites. MySpace, Facebook, and AOL Instant Messenger are all mediums for kids and teens to communicate with each other. These sites can be great tools for sharing ideas and staying in touch, and while this usually starts as a harmless activity, when unsupervised, these sites can also be used to abuse and humiliate one another. A 2004 survey conducted by I-Safe.org reported that of 1,500 kids in grades 4-8, 42 had been bullied while online and 35 had been threatened while on the internet. One of the reasons this is becoming such a widespread problem is because of the anonymity a bully can hide behind. Unlike face-to-face bullying, there is no immediate risk of physical retaliation by the victim. There is also the problem of a lack of supervision by parents of their children’s online activity. Furthermore, because this is a generation that has grown up using the internet, they may actually know more about it than their parents, making it easier to get around restrictions. Discussing the consequences and effects of cyber bullying is one way to prevent your child from being either a victim or perpetrator of this type of abuse. Many Internet companies are now coming out with more advanced ways for parents to monitor and regulate what sites their children visit. Limiting time spent online is another preventer of cyber violence. Most importantly be aware of the signs of this issue and know what steps to take if you suspect your child of being on either end of cyber bullying.

Beware of the Silent Killer: Protect Your Home Against Carbon Monoxide

admin — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 18:37:05 +0000

When you think of all the dangers to your family, you may not consider carbon monoxide (CO), but it is actually an easily over-looked threat in many homes. Unlike a fire, which can be seen or smelled, CO is colorless and odorless, and if undetected can be fatal. CO is found in combustion from things such as stoves, cars, and heating systems. If released into an enclosed space your body will pick up CO, and at a faster rate than oxygen. If enough CO gets into your blood, it will block out the oxygen, damaging tissue, and if bad enough, will lead to death. Every year in the U.S. approximately 400 people die from accidental carbon monoxide poisoning and at least 20,000 go to the Emergency Room. If exposed to CO you may experience symptoms such as dizziness, nausea or chest pain.The winter months can be a time of increased risk, because many people will use flameless heaters or generators indoors when it gets extremely cold or if there is a power outage. These heaters should never be used indoors because of the CO they emit. You should also have your home heating systems and any appliances that burn gas, coal or oil serviced annually and have any damages repaired. Many states have now passed laws requiring CO detectors in homes. These devices are a great way to avoid CO poisoning without having to constantly worry about if there are any unknown sources of CO in your home. Another source of CO is the exhaust from an automobile. Never run a car or truck in a closed garage because with no flow of fresh air you are at risk for CO poisoning.Regardless of whether or not it is required in your area, you should purchase and install a CO detector in your house so that no one in your family will become a victim of this easily-preventable problem.