Winter 2003   

INSIDE this ISSUE..............

 FEATURE:  Privacy Manager May Impede Alarm Dispatch

| Talking With Children About War and Terrorism | Ways to Reduce Shoplifting |
| Common Sense Safety Tips | Are You a Prime Target for a Break in? |
| Safety Tips For Do-It-Yourselfers | Security Success Stories | Contact Us |

This email newsletter can be seen in its entirety at URSecure.com.
Welcome to the Winter edition of The Security Seeker Newsletter.  The Seeker is published exclusively for security-minded consumers and is viewable solely on the Internet. For the best in security advice, statistics and stories, seek the Security Seeker.  If you find this email interesting, forward it to a friend and keep your friends secure, too!   

 Privacy Manager may Impede Alarm Dispatch

 Talking With Children About War and Terrorism

It is sometimes easy to forget how children are affected by current affairs covered in the news. The National Crime Prevention Council offers the following tips on how to talk with children about war, terrorism and other current events in an effective manner. 

Listen Carefully and Ask Questions 
Listen carefully and calmly express your emotions—remembering that a composed demeanor will provide a greater sense of security for children.  Ask what the child knows about current events. It is important to clarify distortions and that children receive clear information. Encourage children to talk by asking them "What was the hardest thing about today for you?" or "What were people talking about at school today?"

Identify Safe Places  
Because concerns for personal safety might be first and foremost on children's minds, reassure them that people are working to keep them safe and that together, you will all be safe. Identify safe places for your family to be, such as their schools and your work place. This will help them understand that family members will be out of danger even when you are not together.

Monitor Television Viewing  
Many wonder whether or not children should be watching the news. The answer is that it is okay for them to watch news programs with parental guidance. Naturally, parents should allow what they are comfortable with, but it is far better for children to watch with parental guidance than to do it alone or with peers.

Talk on Their Level
When talking to children, remember that each child develops differently and what may be appropriate to say to one child may not be the case for another. Keep this in mind and stick to appropriate topics.

Ways to Reduce Shoplifting

Although it is nearly impossible to prevent shoplifting, there are some practical ways to reduce your losses.  Shoplifters assume they won't get caught.  So a good strategy is to prove them wrong.  The following tips should be considered by all business owners.

• Assign zones for staff coverage so that floor personnel don’t leave vulnerable areas unattended.

• Instruct employees to greet or acknowledge every customer who enters their department and to make a pleasant comment to every customer about the item(s) being taken into the fitting room so that the customer is aware of what is expected to be either returned or purchased.

• Lower displays around the cash register which block the cashier’s view of the selling floor.

• If your store is large in size, make frequent announcements over the public address (PA) system, such as "Security to area 4," even if your store doesn’t have security personnel or an area 4.

• Instruct employees to greet or acknowledge every customer who enters their department and to provide personal customer service to as many customers as possible.

• Instruct floor personnel to make frequent eye contact with customers who wish to browse on their own.

• Issue a criminal trespass warning to all known shoplifters who you want to be prohibited (by law) from entering your store again. Let shoplifters know, by work and deed, that your store prosecutes all offenders.

Commonsense Safety Tips 

There are many devices on the market to enhance personal safety.  While gadgets and devices may be useful and handy, the following commonsense safety tips can save you money and provide a proactive means of protecting yourself.

• Keep track of current issues, both locally and nationally.

• Carry a cell phone. If you encounter a stranger who makes you uncomfortable, call someone, or pretend you're talking to someone to make the stranger less likely to approach you.

• Monitor the repairman's progress if you are having work done in your home or business. Never leave strangers in an area where equipment and other belongings could be removed easily.

• In building or telephone directories or on your mailbox, use only your first initial and last name.

• Never announce on your home voice mail that you are away.

• Stop newspaper delivery, have a neighbor pick up your mail, and set your telephone bell to the lowest volume before you leave for a vacation.

• If you advertise something for sale, do not list your address. If you want to meet a private buyer or seller, arrange to do so in a public place.

• Landlords are legally required to provide adequate hallway lighting and deadbolt locks on individual apartment doors. Window locks are required in some situations. Complain if these things are missing or inadequate.

• In the elevator, stand near the side control panel or alarm button. If someone who seems suspicious gets on, push other buttons so that the elevator will stop at all floors.

Are You A Prime Target For A Break In? 

If your house has not been "burglar-proofed," you just might be. To a thief, breaking into your house is as easy as 1-2-3. Here's how the average burglary occurs and what you can do to prevent it:

1. Burglars look for an easy access point into your home, like a window hidden behind tall bushes or trees. If the area is concealed or dark, their job is that much easier.
 
2. After gaining entry, the first stop is usually the master bedroom. Here the thief will waste no time turning your room upside down looking for cash, jewelry, cameras or other valuables. Next, the burglar will quickly run through the house to look for "gifts" -- that's burglar-speak for small appliances like TVs, laptop computers, VCRs or stereo systems.

3. Last stop is the garage. Here the burglar will proceed to load all your possessions into your car, which he'll then use for a quick get-away.

Lights On

One of the best ways to prevent burglary is to create the illusion of activity in the house. Purchase at least two plug-in timers for lamps and set them to run on different cycles. You can also get programmable timers for your televisions, audio systems and household appliances. 

Don't forget your outdoor lighting. Set timers to come on at dusk and go off at dawn. And to scare away intruders before they get too close, use motion detector spotlights. They protect the perimeter of your house at night by coming on when triggered by motion in front of the sensor beam.

Lock up 
While this might seem obvious, many people forget to lock up the house completely. This means making sure the windows are latched shut, the doors bolted and all the curtains drawn. Remember, a thief is just as comfortable using your window for access as you are using the front door. If you have a sliding glass door, cut a two-by-four to fit the inside track and prevent the door from opening.

Get Wired for Sound
Alarms are another smart option for preventing intrusions. They come either hard wired or wireless, and monitored or non-monitored. 

Neighborhood Watch 
One of the most effective and inexpensive ways to secure your home at the property line is to turn on the eyes and ears of your neighborhood. Community policing programs like Neighborhood Watch have shown great success in reducing property crime around the world. Burglars know when they're being watched. And they don't like it.

Safety Tips for Do-it-Yourselfers

As the number of people choosing to perform home improvement projects on their own continues to rise, so does the number of injuries. A fatal injury occurs in the home every 18 minutes and a disabling injury every 4 seconds.  What can begin as a dream project can end up as a nightmare if aspiring do-it-yourselfers are not properly prepared. 

Use these tips so that the threat of connecting hammer to thumbnail doesn't stop you from tackling a home improvement project.

Work within your ability: 

Perhaps the most vital piece of advice is to never underestimate the difficulty of the job. Get someone else to do it if you feel it's beyond your level of skill. If a job is too much, call in a professional. While home improvement projects can help save you money, the economics won't add up if an emergency room visit becomes necessary.

Avoid shortcuts: 

Home improvements are a labor of love and can't be rushed. If you decide to take on a project, however small, don't rush.

Planning makes perfect: 

Planning out your project can save time, money and maybe even your life. Don't under-estimate how long a job will take. If you do begin to run out of time, don't be tempted to rush or take a short cut. Fatigue is a big factor in many accidents, so take time for a break.

Read and heed: 

Read all instructions and warnings, especially if you're using a piece of equipment or product for the first time. If you've bought a new tool or product, don't neglect to send in the registration card. Registering your ownership with the manufacturer may be the only way they'll know how to reach you in the event a safety problem is discovered and a recall or modification becomes necessary.

Avoid making do: 

Choosing the right tools and protective equipment for the job is critical. Slipping a pipe on the end of a wrench to increase leverage may work in the movies, but if the wrench snaps a serious injury may occur. If you don't own the right tool, consider renting it. Renting tools is surprisingly cheap and can make the job safer.

Hear Ye, Hear Ye: 

Hearing protection is a must when using power tools. Tool noise can easily exceed the hearing damage threshold. If noise from tools is so loud you must raise your voice to be heard, you're taking risks with your hearing. Watch your eyes: According to the American Optometric Association, hospitals treat more than 25,000 patients with injuries related to power tools use each year. Workshop grinders, drills and saws are among those named most often. In addition, caustic chemicals used for cleaning, painting or polishing cause a significant number of eye injuries as well. Keep in mind that injuries can occur not only to the person working with the tool or chemical, but "helpers" who are hurt by flying debris and particles. Make sure all involved take eye safety precautions.

Clear the air: 

When tackling projects involving dust, paint or other pollutants, protect your lungs by using an appropriate respirator mask. A good rule of thumb is if you can smell or taste the substance you are working with, you will need respiratory protection.

For more information on how to stay safe at home, see the National Safety Council's website at http://www.nsc.org.

Security Success Stories

Our Operators Provide Excellent Customer Service!

An EMERgency 24 dealer recently wrote to commend one of our operators for a job well done. One of the dealer's customers called regarding a message he received from EM24 and was unsure how to respond. The customer’s wife was on her way home, and in a 3-way conversation the operator instructed him to tell his wife not to enter the house until the police arrived. As it turns out, the police caught two people as they were leaving the customer’s home. “She handled the situation very effectively and put our customer at ease. This is just one example of her excellent customer service,” the dealer wrote.

And that's another success story from your central station.

Do you have a success story you would like to share with your central station and other security minded people! Send us an email and let us know!

CONTACT INFORMATION

The Security Seeker is a customer service publication designed for security-minded consumers.  If you have any questions or suggestions of how we might better service your security needs or have a success story you would like to submit for consideration, please contact Editor Tia Harrison at (773) 725-0222 or (800) 827-3624, ext. 6033. Visit our web site: www.ursecure.com.