Happy St. Patrick's Day to all!
I ended the last personal safety article with a question - "Next time - what if someone does come into your house and he or she has bad intentions! Are you prepared to do what is necessary to maintain your personal safety?" Well, are you?
Once again, most of us live in, or at least think we live in a safe bubble that no bad person can invade or bad thing can happen - our personal safety will never be threatened. And, probably, for the majority of the population this is true. But, please tell me me what is wrong with doing a little proactive preparation for the possibility of a threat to your personal safety? In today's social and economic environment, bad things can and DO happen at any time, at any place to anyone. I am not suggesting anything bad will definitely happen - I am simply stating that there is a possibility. So, why not invest a little time to do whatever preparations may be necessary to enhance your personal safety, as well as the safety of your loved ones, no matter how remote the possibility may be? What do you have to lose? Wouldn't this small investment of time and effort provide some peace of mind for you? OK! Lecture over! Now to an initial answer to the introductory personal safety question - "Are you ready?".
Keep in mind that this personal safety hint is not just about a potential intruder in your home, it could also be about what to do if some other type of situation makes the inside of your home unsafe (fire, gas leak, etc.).
Have you ever thought about what (and where) potential escape routes exist in your home? Have you discussed this with all occupants of your home - where to go, when to go there, what to do, how to do it? If you haven't done this, you should. Do not wait for a personal safety issue to arise (an intruder, a fire, etc). Think about it - if you have small children in your home, how would you handle an escape from a second floor? Is everything (ladder, rope, bed sheets, cell phone, whatever you might need!) in place that would be needed to make a safe exit from your home? Do you have an agreed upon meeting place outside the home in a situation where occupants might get separated during an exit from the building?
At the moment something bad happens and your personal safety is at risk, your adrenaline will be pumping and your ability to think clearly and react immediately could be compromised. Prepare a "personal safety" plan, discuss it with anyone living in your home, practice all details of the plan (not just once - do it on a scheduled basis) and even let close friends and relatives, who live outside your home, know what your plan of action would be (this information could help first responders).
In the next article, I plan to discuss some other specific items that would be more related to dealing with an intruder who enters your home - tools you can use (but never thought about before) to keep your level of personal safety at a high level!
Thanks! Hope you have a great week! Remember, - One Body, One Life, One Choice...Be Smart & Be Safe!
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