Car Keys Alarm

This is a good safety tip--please read! It's easy to do!!

Put your car keys beside your bed at night

Tell your spouse, your children, your neighbours, your parents,

your Dr's office, the check-out girl at the market, everyone you run

across. Put your car keys beside your bed at night.

If you hear a noise outside your home or someone trying to get

in your house, just press the panic button for your car. The alarm will

be set off, and the horn will continue to sound until either you turn it

off or the car battery dies.

This tip came from a neighbourhood watch coordinator. Next time

you come home for the night and you start to put your keys away, think

of this: It's a security alarm system that you probably already have

and requires no installation. Test it. It will go off from most

everywhere inside your house and will keep honking until your battery

runs down or until you reset it with the button on the key fob chain.

It works if you park in your driveway or garage. If your car

alarm goes off when someone is trying to break into your house, odds are

the burglar/rapist won't stick around.

After a few seconds all the neighbours will be looking out their

windows to see who is out there and sure enough the criminal won't want

that.

And remember to carry your keys while walking to your car in a

parking lot. The alarm can work the same way there. This is something

that should really be shared with everyone. Maybe it could save a life

or prevent a sexual abuse crime.

September is National Preparedness Month in Washington State

Washington State is observing National Preparedness Month and NOAA Weather Radio Awareness Month this September. Special events and promotions are scheduled across the state to focus individuals and businesses on the importance of preparing for disasters and emergencies.

These events include:
· State Capitol Campus Safety and Preparedness Fair, Sept. 11.
· A statewide Drop, Cover and Hold earthquake drill at 10:15 a.m. on Sept. 16.
· Statewide “GETS” Card test on Sept. 24.
· Special retail promotions on Sept. 6 to encourage disaster preparedness and the use of all-hazard weather radios.
“Citizens, companies and governments agencies should review individual preparedness plans, contact information, and emergency kits” so they can be ready in the event of an emergency, said Gov. Chris Gregoire. These actions should enable citizens “to be self-sufficient for a minimum of three days following an act of terrorism, natural or man-made disasters.”

Everyone knows that they need to get prepared but the magnitude of the process can be overwhelming. How can we manage to do it all? Preparedness month information materials including current H1N1 Flu information, Drop, Cover, Hold drill instructions and 72-hour comfort kit fact sheets are all available from the Washington Emergency Management Division web site. The web site also includes a list of additional preparedness events to be held around the state as well a plethora of information to help you prepare for emergencies and disasters.

This website even provides an Action Plan that will help you to take the first steps now and plan to be totally ready in 1 year. Doing something is always better than doing nothing and people with good preparations in place for their home life will always find it easier to manage coming to work or staying at work if a disaster strikes.

A NOAA Weather Radio is an important preparedness tool for all. The radios are personal all-hazard warning systems. They help protect lives and property with a warning alarm feature that activates for immediate life-threatening events such as windstorms, tsunamis and hazardous materials releases. The goal of the Weather Radio campaign is to make All-Hazard Weather Radios as common and necessary as smoke detectors in the home, workplace and classroom. Special retail weather radio promotions will be offered September 26 in multiple locations.

Preparedness is not a new topic and sometimes we may be feeling like we’ve got our own plans and supplies in order and therefore when a disaster strikes all will be well. Most immediate assistance during a disaster comes from citizens themselves as emergency responders will be stretched beyond their ability to be there for all who need them. If you have an interest in being prepared to assist your family and others, the Citizen Corps provides options for you. The Citizen Corps partner programs give citizens the opportunity to get involved and enhance the capabilities of first responders through the use of volunteers. The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) educates people about disaster preparedness and trains them in basic response skills.

We’ve given you the tools – it’s now up to you. Are you ready for work today?