Home Security and Safety Blog

How to Protect Your Home

protectyourhome — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 16:51:49 +0000

No home is impenetrable but we can do everything possible to keep our family and our valuables safe. Not only from burglary but also from fire and flood. Here are a few home safety tips to get ideas generating for your family’s safety and security.

First, protect your home from burglary by thinking like a thief. Or, simply go outside and think like yourself without a set of keys to get in. How would you break in if you absolutely had to get in without calling a locksmith? Do you have a home alarm system that is activated? Is there a window that you know you can jimmy open? If so, a thief will find it. Is there a rock in the garden that is easy to stand on to gain access into the kitchen window? It’s an invitation to crooks. Do you have a broken window in the garage that you’ve been meaning to fix but since it’s “just in the garage” you’ve been letting it go? Access to the garage is still access to your home if it is attached to your house. Many families do not lock the door between their garage and interior, which means it’s an easy, open entry.

Build layers of security between the outside of your home and the inside. Start with Holly bushes or thorny vines in the garden near the windows that are hard to get through, place protective decorative bars on the lower floor’s windows and entries. Get a home alarm system that will also protect you from fire and flood emergencies. When an alarm is activated, most burglars will immediately run away without entering the property. Usually, you might have damages of only a broken window or door entry. Continue layering your security by placing valuables inside a safe or hidden in a concealed case of some sort. Books, shelves, concealment canisters and decorative items are made today that look like simple household items but they’re really safes for jewelry, cash, bonds, etc.

The more layers of security you have, the less likely it is you will be robbed. The harder it is for a criminal to gain access to your home, the longer it takes, which means the more apt they are to be caught. They’ll move on to the next house without a security system or without bars on the windows.

Security bars on the windows can be opened from the inside in case of a fire and a home alarm system can alert your family and the fire department in the event of a fire. Some home security systems even have flood alerts that can be added in highly flood prone areas or in homes with old pipes and basements.

Layering protection for your home is just like layering protection for yourself from the elements. The more protected you are, the safer and healthier you and your family will be.

How To Give CPR and Save a Life

protectyourhome — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 20:51:28 +0000

This past week, I’ve done a couple of posts on heart attacks and recognizing the symptoms of when you’re having one. See, a friend of mine just had one the other night at only 45 years old. It’s scary and it brings my own mortality before my eyes. Well, I veered off track yesterday with a post about kids and fire safety but I want to get back to the heart issue. If someone you know has a heart attack while you’re with them and they go into cardiac arrest, do you know how to give CPR? Do you have an AED device handy and do you know to ask a public establishment for one? An AED is an Automatic External Defibrilator, which can give a person in cardiac arrest a shock to get their heart going again. It’s very simple for any lay person to use because it literally will either talk you through the steps, or it will have lights that show you what to do next each step of the way. Also, remember to always call 911 FIRST in an emergency. Often, the dispatch operator can talk you through the proper steps for CPR and for using an AED. Frequently, when the real-life situation is facing us, even those of us with training can panic and freeze. Having that authoritative voice on the phone reminding us of what to do and guiding us in each step can keep a victim alive until help arrives.

CPR is literally three simple steps.

Check the victim for responsiveness, if there is no response, call 911.
Tilt their head back, lean forward and listen for breathing. If they are not breathing normally, pinch their nose closed and cover their mouth with yours. Blow into their mouth for at least one full second until you see their chest rise. Do this twice.
If the victim is still not breathing normally, does not begin coughing, and does not move their body, begin chest compressions. Press down on their chest 1 ½ to 2 inches deep, 30 times in the very center of their chest. Try and go a little faster than one compression per second.
Repeat the two breaths and 30 chest pumps until help arrives or until the victim becomes responsive. If two people are performing CPR together, the person pumping the chest must completely stop while the person giving breaths breathes into the victim’s mouth. Only one person works at a time.

If you’re concerned about breathing into a stranger’s mouth, some first aid kits have breathing devices or pieces of plastic that can keep the rescuer’s mouth away from the victim’s mouth. If you’re in public, when you’re asking if the establishment has an AED, tell the person to bring the First Aid kit, where you can also find aspirin. If the victim is conscious, they can chew or swallow one for good measure.

The Cardiac Arrest Survival Act (CASA) has been passed through Congress that to protect the lay rescuer when trying to help a victim, so don’t think that you shouldn’t help out because you’re afraid you could get sued if you do something wrong. If someone is dying, do whatever you can to save their life.

ADT home security systems wants to take care of your family and is concerned about your safety. Your local ADT professionals could be running specials like free installation or discounted equipment. Protect your home and your family with a home alarm system that has a live monitoring system like ADT’s live interaction operators. The control panel has a programmable panic button that can summon immediate help in a medical emergency and remote control buttons for key chains are available, too. Your health and safety tips are brought to you by the folks at ADT.

How to Keep Kids Safe From Fire

protectyourhome — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 20:27:23 +0000

Prevention is the key….

Even though summer is nearing an end and most kids will be going back to school soon, there are still a number of reasons to review safety tips for when they’re home alone. Especially since while school is in effect, many kids are home alone until a caregiver is home from work.

One of the most common household safety issues is fire. Kids that are home alone often get hungry and want to cook something, so a stove fire can start. Or, curious kids get bored and might play with matches, lighters, grills, electricity, or other flammable objects and suddenly sparks ignite a fuel source, and a fire grows out of control.

Review with kids what they need to do in the event of an emergency. Also, be sure they understand the basic facts about fire. Knowing what starts a fire and how it burns is half the battle to preventing a fire.

Ingredients for a Fire:

HEAT from matches, sparks, friction, or sunlight. Let kids know that playing with matches can start a fire! Using a magnifying glass and paper in the sun really can start a fire that can grow out of control!

OXYGEN is in the air, and it allows flames to ignite. You breathe it in everyday. Plants breath it out. Fanning embers in a fire pit or grill will help a fire to reignite.

FUEL is what catches on fire. Fuel can take the form of a number of different things, like wood, gas, paper, or grease. Never leave something like lighter fluid where kids can reach it.

As soon as one of these three ingredients is removed, the fire will burn out. A fire can’t burn if it doesn’t have all three ingredients. Teach kids how to remove one of the three ingredients. Make sure they know where the fire extinguisher is, show them how to smother a grease fire with flour, teach them how to use the hose to soak a grass fire. But most importantly, teach them to ALWAYS dial 911 first!

How to Recognize When You’re Having a Heart Attack

protectyourhome — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 12:02:30 +0000

I’d mentioned in yesterday’s post how a friend of mine had a heart attack at the age of 45. The American Heart Association says that at the first onset of symptoms of a heart attack, chewing an aspirin can save a person’s life. The only problem with my friend’s situation was that he didn’t realize he was having a heart attack. He only had a sore throat! When the pain became too great and I suppose it radiated to his chest, he knew he had to get to the doctor.

Normally, a heart attack comes on quickly and it is typical for the victim to wait too long to get help. This is why an ambulance is so often needed when a person has a heart attack. Having a home alarm system with a panic button or monitoring station can be a real lifesaver in this type of emergency.

Recognizing the symptoms and chewing an aspirin will make all of the difference when you’re involved in a cardiac emergency.

The first and most easily recognizable symptom is chest discomfort. Most heart attacks create a tightness in the middle of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or that goes away and returns. The discomfort can feel like squeezing, pain, tightness, or pressure.
Other areas of the body that feel tightness, pain and discomfort often include one or both arms (it’s a misnomer that it’s only the left), the jaw, neck, stomach, or back.
A victim in cardiac arrest can experience shortness of breath and yet not have any chest pain at all, or they might have chest discomfort. Either way can be a signal.
Clamminess, cold sweats, nausea and/or vomiting, dizziness, or lightheadedness all can be symptoms as well. Women are more likely to experience these symptoms in addition to potentially feeling chest pain.

Basically, if something feels really wrong and any of these symptoms are present, it won’t be too harmful to chew or swallow an aspirin and seek medical attention. Frequently, heart attack victims wait too long before pressing the panic button or calling 911. My friend was lucky, he went to the doctor for a sore throat and they immediately sent him to the hospital.

Heart Healthy

protectyourhome — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 09:14:18 +0000

A friend of mine had a heart attack last night. He’s only 45 years old, he works out on a regular basis and yet, he had a 99% blockage in one of his valves that caused a heart attack. That’s entirely too young and too random of a person for heart disease to attack. I know he’s been under a great deal of stress, working a full-time job and doing several additional odd jobs to make ends meet. I honestly can’t say I know what his eating habits were like but with as healthy as he was in working out, I assume he had to have taken some amount of care as to what he put into his body. Yet, somehow, he had a blocked valve and it caused a heart attack.

The doctors had to place a stent in the valve, which I was really not sure about what it is. I’ve heard the term many times before, so I went to the American Heart Association’s website and looked it up.

“A stent is a wire metal mesh tube used to prop open an artery during angioplasty. The stent is collapsed to a small diameter and put over a balloon catheter. It’s then moved into the area of the blockage. When the balloon is inflated, the stent expands, locks in place and forms a scaffold. This holds the artery open. The stent stays in the artery permanently, holds it open, improves blood flow to the heart muscle and relieves symptoms (usually chest pain). Within a few weeks of the time the stent was placed, the inside lining of the artery (the endothelium) grows over the metal surface of the stent.” This sounds really painful but apparently, the surgery is very minor and it’s something from which my friend will be leaving the hospital within a couple of days!

It’s really true that during a heart attack or stroke chewing an aspirin can save the patient’s life. With as young as my friend is, I’m going to carry some tablets with me from now on. I know my body is relatively healthy, my blood pressure is low, and I eat well. I thought my friend was in the same condition.

This is yet another reason why having a home alarm system is so beneficial. In an emergency situation like this, calling for medical help is simply a button press away.

Vacation Cautions

protectyourhome — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 18:05:43 +0000

Summertime is vacation time for many of us and this means traveling. Sure we all start out healthy on our vacations and we might even get certain vaccinations if we’re going to foreign countries, but what if you get sick while you’re traveling? What do you do?

Before you even reach your destination, if you get sick in the air:

Let a flight attendant know immediately.
If you have flu-like symptoms and you’re coughing, they might ask (or insist) that you wear a surgical mask to cover your mouth and nose.
If you’re in a serious condition, such as a dire illness or having a heart attack, the crew may move you to a different part of the plane. In some cases, they might even redirect the flight so that you can exit at the nearest airport and receive medical care.

If you’re on a cruise, you have a little bit better of a facility at your disposal. Usually, there is a small medical center on the ship and a trained staff of some sort. Again, let the crew know immediately. If you’re in a seriously dire situation, they might arrange to get you to land so you can get to a hospital.

Pay attention to your health and what you eat, drink, and wear while you’re traveling. Your clothing can prevent sunburn, insect bites, and you can avoid picking up germs on exposed skin.

If you’re outdoors, use sunscreen with both UVA and UVB protection.
Use insect repellent (with DEET or picaridin) on uncovered skin when outdoors, especially during the day.
If you’re in an area where malaria is present, wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants when you’re outside. Especially at night.
Don’t forget, you can spray your repellent on your clothing, a good one to use on your fabrics is one that contains permethrin or another EPA-registered repellent. However, do not use permethrin on your skin!

Prevention and awareness are key factors in staying healthy and injury-free while on vacation.

Teens and Driving (Pt. 2)

protectyourhome — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 18:48:55 +0000

Yesterday’s post was about teen drivers and the risks associated with their first year or so as a driver, I’m going to continue that theme because I’ve found such great information from the CDC’s website about teen driving.

Here is a list of facts from their website that I’ve paraphrased and shortened or elaborated on:

Teens speed. There’s no doubt about that. They create shorter headways or nearly “clip” the tail of one vehicle to pass the other, they drive recklessly when doing so. The presence of male teenage passengers increases the likelihood of this risky driving behavior.
Male drivers between 15 and 20 years of age who were involved in fatal crashes in 2005, 38% were speeding and 24% had been drinking.
Teens have the lowest rate of seat belt use. In 2005, 10% of high school students reported they rarely or never wear seat belts when riding with someone else.
In 2005, 23% of drivers ages 15 to 20 who died in auto crashes had blood alcohol levels of 0.08 or higher. This is very drunk.
A national survey conducted in 2005, reported that nearly three out of ten teens had ridden with a driver who had been drinking alcohol within the past month. One in ten reported that they were actually the driver who was doing the drinking.
Same survey reported that three out of four teen drivers killed in auto crashes after drinking and driving were not wearing a seat belt.
That survey also reported more than half of teen deaths happened on weekend nights, including Sunday night.

If you haven’t spoken with your teen about drinking and driving, and your teen never would do it…don’t underestimate your teen’s friends. Talk to them, before they leave the house tonight.

Teen Drivers

protectyourhome — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 18:33:58 +0000

Do you have a teen in your life that is about to get their license to drive on their own and at night? If you don’t have one directly in your life, you probably have one in your neighborhood or nearby, which by proxy, puts them in your life…or at least in your pathway.

Auto accidents are the leading cause of death for teens in the US, which adds up to be more than one in three teen deaths. In 2005, 12 teens ages 16 to 19 died every day from motor vehicle injuries. EVERY DAY! That’s a sad fact and that’s a bunch of families mourning the loss of family members and friends.

Newly licensed teens are very susceptible to crashes, mainly during their first year of driving. Teens driving with other teens as passengers are at greater risk of crash because they are unsupervised, distracted and showing off for their friends. Some states have laws as to how many passengers a teen driver is allowed to have in the car with them for this exact reason. Male drivers are the highest category of crashes and in 2005, the motor vehicle death rate for male drivers and passengers ages 16 to 19 was more than one and a half times that of female drivers in their same age group.

Another issue associated with poor teen driving is that teens are more likely than experienced drivers to underestimate dangerous and hazardous conditions or situations. The whole attitude of being invulnerable as a teen is in full effect and they don’t realize their own mortality yet. They haven’t skidded on enough black ice patches or nearly been washed away in enough high flood waters to know how dangerous these scenarios can be. They aren’t experienced and cool-headed enough to avoid them or take the proper action when they come across them.

Talk with your teen as these conditions present themselves and when you read about tragedies in the newspaper, don’t let the opportunity escape to explain to your teen that the same situation could happen to them or their friends if they don’t take their driving privileges seriously.

Children’s Oral Health

protectyourhome — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 02:48:19 +0000

Sticking with my oral health theme of the last few posts, I’m highlighting some tips for kids and adults to be aware of in order to maintain healthy teeth, gums and bone.

Tooth decay is one of the most common diseases of childhood – five times as common as asthma and seven times as common as hay fever. Teach children proper brushing habits early in life. Give toddlers a tooth brush to chew on as a toy. Practice good oral hygiene and set the example.

Childhood injuries, intentional and non-intentional, often involve trauma to the head, neck, and mouth. The leading causes of oral and head injuries are sports, violence, falls, and motor vehicle crashes. Use bit guards for sports and when enjoying recreational vehicle activities.

Tobacco-related oral lesions are common in teenagers who use dip (smokeless) tobacco. The lesions occur in 35 percent of snuff users and 20 percent of chewing tobacco users. Teach teens about oral cancer and how smokeless tobacco is just as dangerous as cigarettes.

During pregnancy avoid tobacco and alcohol, and check with a doctor before taking any medications. Some medications can cause stained teeth in children. Get prenatal care and eat a healthy diet with folic acid to prevent neural tube defects and possibly cleft lip/palate.

Do not use milk or juices in your baby’s bottle at bedtime or naptime. Use water only! Get them in this habit early and it won’t be an issue! Milk, formula, juices, and other drinks contain sugar. During sleep, saliva flow decreases, this means the sugar is sitting on teeth the whole time baby sleeps which increases the risk of tooth decay.

Protect your child’s teeth with fluoride. Use a fluoridated toothpaste, using only a pea sized amount on your child’s toothbrush. Some children do not know how to spit at an early age and they may swallow the tooth paste, if the amount is very small, it’s ok. Find out from your city if your water is or is not fluoridated, talk to a dentist or physician about the best way to protect your child’s teeth.

The CDC

protectyourhome — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 18:52:30 +0000

The government has a website devoted to distributing helpful and accurate information about disease control and outbreaks. It’s the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention site and there are so many helpful pages on it that I could literally spend days and days going over some of the helpful tips. So, I think I’ll begin with a few.

The first topic that caught my attention was the “Health and Safety” button. There are topics on:

Aging
Antibiotic Resistance
Birth Defects
Bone Health
Excessive Alcohol Use
Family Health Histories
Folic Acid
Genetics and Genomics
Mental Health
Nutrition
Oral Health
Overweight and Obesity
Physical Activity and Exercise
Reproductive Health
Sexual Health
Sleep and Sleep Disorders
Smoking and Tobacco Use
Vaccines and Immunizations
Water

Now, just recently, I posted a blog about dental health. Under this particular topic, the CDC goes into further detail and offers information on water fluoridation and which states have made regulations about the levels to which they fluoridate. There are quizzes and tip sheets for parents to give the kids as you’re training them to understand better dental health.

One important topic that is available for review is about periodontal disease. I didn’t get very far into that and it’s very serious because it can affect the rest of your overall health.

Periodontal disease creates massive infections around the gums and bone that surround and support your teeth. It starts out as gingivitis, which is swollen, red and bleeding gums. As it gets worse, it turns into periodontal disease, which can cause tooth loss and bone loss. The infections can spread throughout your body.

Think of this: if your hands bled every time you washed them, you’d rush to the doctor to find out why. Yet so many people think bleeding gums is normal and just “how it is” in their mouths. Bleeding gums is a sign of trouble.

Take a look at the CDC’s site and learn more about periodontal disease. I’ll be writing more tips from the site, too.