Black Friday Safety Tips

Black Friday is considered one the biggest shopping days of the year. There are tons of great deals that we are happy to wait in long lines, just for a chance to get! Here is nine safety tips to help you shop smart and stay safe this Black Friday!  

1. BE ALERT! Always be alert of your surroundings when walking to and from your car. You never know who is watching.

2. LIMIT THE BAGS YOU CARRY! Don’t buy more than what you can carry. Always have a friend with you to assist with carrying packages or have a store employee assist you with large or heavy items.

3. CONCEAL YOUR PACKAGES! Do not leave packages visible in your car. Lock them securely in your trunk or take them directly home. Visible packages are very tempting for untrustworthy individuals.

4. WATCH FOR PICKPOCKETS! Keep your guard up for pick pocketers. We recommend that men carry their wallets in a front pocket, rather than a back pocket. Purses and handbags are most secure when the strap is worn cross-body.

5. HAVE YOUR KEYS READY! Have your keys ready when you get to your vehicle. Always check the backseat before getting in your car.

6. HAVE A SHOPPING PLAN! Plan your shopping day ahead of time. This will save you time and money. Make sure to let someone know your plan for emergency purposes.

7. KEEP YOUR CASH CONCEALED! If you plan to pay with cash, make sure to only take out the amount needed for that transaction. A safer option would be to use your card instead, just make sure to keep it concealed from wandering eyes.

8. CHECK IN! If you get caught up in the shopping extravaganza and are going to be home later than planned. Make sure to check in to let someone know you are running late.

9. AVOID SCAMS! Watch out for scams.  Always shop at stores you trust and know are reputable. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.

HAVE FUN! Have fun and enjoy the biggest shopping day of the year. We hope you find the best deals on all of the items on your shopping list!

Careful on the Road!

Woah there. Caution is definitely a necessity on the road. In today's news, a washington woman escaped serious injury after teepee poles impaled her Toyota camry while driving. Talk about freaky. Luckily, this blessed woman avoided serious injury after several dozen poles broke through her front windshield. It was recorded that approximately 50 wooden bars entered through the front windshield, bending the roof of the vehicle upwards, then exiting through the car's rear. How did this happen you may ask? Well, it was said that the man driving the station wagon that was pulling the trailer loaded with the poles was slowing down to a stop in order to allow a dump truck to turn. The 36 year old woman, slammed into the trailer baffling the police towards how she did not see the station wagon slowing down. There seems to be a little more to the story as to why she seemed impaired in preventing this accident. Perhaps, she was texting while driving causing her to be distracted? Who knows. This whole incidents recalls that movie Final Destination 2 when the main character had a vision that played out in the movie showing her van being penetrated by a log sliding off the truck transporting a large amount of logs. Unfortunately things didn't turn out so clean in that movie's scenario as it did in this real world occurrence. This definitely deserves gratitude on behalf of the woman who did not suffer any fatal injuries. This event in washington certainly was preventable if only the woman had been paying better attention to her surroundings as so any other driver on the road. Maybe we'll all think twice about traveling behind a vehicle with such a hazardous load. Below is a picture of the accident in washington.

via huffingtonpost Below is a picture of the accident in the movie Final Destination 2.

via http://www.kenya666.com/2012/06/23/top-6-outrageous-hollywood-car-crashes/ Driving is risky business! Be safe! Written by Briana Ali

Thought zombies were just in the movies?

Alert! Alert! Zombies are believed to be infaltrating Florida. Yes, I said zombies. According to the word traveling around town, cannibalistic incidents are being justified by there being a zombie apocalpyse occuring. Uh oh is right. This whole zombie craze seemed to start on Saturday, May 26th when Rudy Gene, 31, was killed by cops while in the process of savagly eating almost the entirety of a homeless man's face. Luckily, the victim survived, but doctors are still trying to figure out a way to mend the man of his brutal injuries. This flesh eating incident has not been the only zombie-like occurence; they are numerous situations sprouting up truly questioning the validity of this zombie belief. Are they really zombies or just humans gone mad? Much of the public appears to be hoping that this is indeed a case of a zombie attack. What could be more exciting to distract people from a routine life? Apart from those people willing to band together in a zombie butt-kicking league, others are contemplating plans of evacuation or even hiding spots in their own homes. Hey, how do you think an alarm would help in this case. Imagine being in your home, zombie trudging towards your door, they bust the door down, and BOOM the alarm goes wild. The zombie frantically turns its head around and around in confusion from the piercing sound and SNAP its head falls right off and the zombie is dead. Afterall, zombies are the living dead, they're fragile ya know. Look at that, the alarm just saved you. Oh dang, you didn't even get to use your newly bought zombie defense weapon. Well let's just save it for the next zombie. Hmmm a zombie apocalypse...we'll feel like actors in a hollywood hit...except without the stunt doubles. Written by Briana Ali http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6vnM9I7HIo

Protection is a Natural Instinct

Have you ever considered how perfect nature is? From the tiniest amoeba to the giant blue whale, every living thing on our planet seeks to protect itself. We have that instinct inside us, put there by the creator to keep us safe and able to carry on with our life’s work.

Sunday I was pruning my Alamanda bush, which begins to get unruly in the summer, when I noticed a bird’s nest balanced in the branches. It wasn’t too well put together and I mistakenly assumed that it was an old nest, unoccupied. Was I wrong!! As I continued to manhandle my plant, a mother mockingbird came out of nowhere and started FREAKING OUT! If you have ever had an encounter with a mockingbird protecting her babies, you know what I am talking about. She was squawking and flapping her wings, acting very aggressive. I finally went into my house, leaving the door open so I could watch her. Well, that little bird perched herself on a branch facing my door and took on a very threatening posture, moving her wings up and down and chirping in a very angry tone, until I finally went away.

My little mockingbird friend was displaying behavior that is natural to all of us. Every living creation on this earth will do whatever it takes to protect itself. And in the case of mammals, most will sacrifice themselves to protect their babies. Human beings are no different, But, we have the ability to reason and think for ourselves, so we don’t usually run away from danger. Being “intelligent” we look to overcome our threats and danger.

It’s like in the old horror movies, when the characters hear a noise and instead of running away, they go in search of the danger. Crazy! But we are all guilty of investigating and even pursuing those things that could cause us harm. Just the other day, my grandmother was awoken from a deep sleep to a beeping sound. Immediately, she jumped in to action, grabbed her gun and started investigating! Thankfully, she realized that she was safe because her alarm was on. She finally discovered the beeping was coming from a low battery warning on her smoke detector. Can you just picture the scene of this spry, 70 something woman brandishing her pistol, going room to room, just to be sure? Funny, her first instinct was not to call the police, but to protect herself. It’s who we are, how we are wired.

That is why having a first line of defense in our homes makes so much sense. An alarm system is that early warning system we need to alert us to danger. It can alert authorities to send help when we are in trouble. We can relax a little, feel secure that our home is a safe haven and not easily disturbed. And unlike my mother mockingbird, we don’t have to hide in the bushes, laying in wait, to protect our homes and families. That’s a nice feeling.

Until next time,
Be Safe

www.AllAmericanAlarm.com

Hoodlums, Hooligans and Delinquents…Oh My!

It’s summertime and that can only mean one thing! Unsupervised teenagers with nothing better to do than to create havoc in your home. Of course we are not talking about all kids, really only a few. But a few are quite enough! Unless you have a monitored alarm system, while you are on vacation or at work, your home has an open invitation. It’s like there is a giant billboard over your house that says, “Come on in, take whatever you like, and while you're at it, go ahead and wreck all my stuff.”

Unfortunately, this is not the “Good Ol’ Days” when the teenage boys in your neighborhood would drag their lawn mower down the street soliciting neighbors for yard jobs to make pocket cash. Kids, these days, are bored and broke and they are looking for the easy way to get some quick bucks. Welcome to the age of entitlement. While the mom’s of these kids are working three jobs to make ends meet, their little darlings are in your bedroom, stealing your jewelry to sell to one of those “Cash for Gold” places on TV. Yikes!

I know, I know, you have neighbors, dogs, good locks, whatever…. Kids are very sophisticated and resourceful. Lassie isn’t going to put up much of a fight and since most neighbors are gone too, no one is home to hear or see a thing. Did you know that you can go on a website and buy a bump lock for a few dollars that can open almost any lock. Crazy as it sounds, it’s possible and all the criminals know about them.

So what is the best repellent against these summertime pests? A healthy dose of prevention. Keep your bushes trimmed, so there are no hiding places around your doors and windows. Get to know your neighbors, so they could notice if something is out of the ordinary. And for goodness sake, put in a monitored alarm system. It’s really the only way to discourage the attention of the folks up to no good. And it’s not expensive. For about the cost of a family BBQ, you can secure your house with a GE security system.

So enjoy your summer and have some leisure time without worry. These kids can go buzz around someone else.

Until next time,
Be Safe

www.allamericanalarm.com

Pro-Active or Paranoia?

I don't know about you, but I believe that nothing bad is ever going to happen to me. I don't think that I'm a target to be mugged or robbed or worse. You probably don't either. So why do I have an alarm system in my home? In case I'm WRONG. The inevitable WHAT IF?? that creeps in to all of our minds on occasion.

My partner came home one afternoon to discover that his 13 year old daughter had been home alone with the front door unlocked and the alarm off. Of course, he was shocked! He is in the alarm business, after all. When he asked her what was she thinking? her reply short-circuited him.

She said, “I’m not like you… I don’t think anyone is out to get me.” Don’t you just love the logic of teenagers? So he proceeded (calmly?) to explain to her the realities of crime in our area and the ramifications of being home alone and unable to protect herself. There may have been a few horror stories thrown in for emphasis. And after their “discussion” she never leaves the door unlocked or the alarm off.

Want to know what he told her?

Being prepared is our duty and protecting ourselves is our responsibility. Having an alarm system in your home is like buying auto insurance and arming the alarm system is exactly like wearing a seat belt. You don’t leave the house expecting to get into an accident, but just in case….

Is that paranoia? Some would argue that it’s the law. Either way, you, the government, your family and GEICO are all very happy that you are wearing your seat belt.

Having an alarm system is no different. Knowing that your alarm is protecting you, your family, and your possessions, gives you the same peace of mind.

And by the way… your homeowner’s insurance company likes that you have an alarm system, too. (Like, they will actually give you some money for being pro-active!)

So, my alarm is on 24/7, when I’m home and when I’m not. Just in case….

Did you hear that?


Until next time, be safe!


www.AllAmericanAlarm.com