Safe and Secure Detroit, Inc.

Severe Weather

As spring begins here in Michigan, remember that severe weather can develop quickly. Severe weather warnings are issued by the National Weather Service and generally last 4 hours.  Should you hear a warning for your area, make plans to get you and your family to a secure location immediately. 

 

Tornadoes

Tornadoes do occur in Southeastern Michigan and can develop quickly out of thunderstorms.  If you should see or tornado, get to safe location immediately.  Basement and Bathrooms with no windows are the safest places to be when dangerous weather strikes.  When heavy rains occur, flooding can cause extensive damage to property and lives.  Basement flooding should be reported to the water department in your area within 48 hours.  Do not drive through deepwater as cars may stall or be swept away.  Use caution and seek higher ground-when the rains come. 

Power Outage

Warm weather brings sever storms- and power outages. Keep spare batteries, bottled water, and canned food in good supply at all times.  Prepare to have enough supply on hand to last 72 hours. A transistor radio is a great item to have to tune in for the latest updates

Construction Season

Now that spring is here, many more construction projects are underway on our roads.  As you approach areas under construction, slow down to posted speeds to insure the safety of workers and other motorists. In 2000, 1,093 people died in highway construction zone fatalities.  Do your part in highway safety by slowing down when you see the orange barrels of progress; after all – they’re only making the road safer to you.   

Road Rage

Warm weather is here and road rage might be on the upswing. To keep your emotions in check any time of the year, follow these courtesy tips:  1)Loosen up; getting yourself worked up while driving won't get you there any faster; 2)Recharge-Consider your trip a timeout from the rat race and an opportunity to regroup. 3) Make your journey heavenly-Pleasurable travel depends on the mood inside your car. Lastly, allow yourself a margin of extra time for traveling so that anything that slows you down - congestion, other drivers, or pedestrians - will not trigger anger. Steering clear of Highway Madness will help make your tomorrow a little safer.   

Home Safety Plan

I have a couple of questions for you regarding your home safety plan: Does everyone in your house know where the safest room is in your house?  Do you have flashlights, batteries, and a transistor radio available for emergencies? Do you have an established place that your family meets outside the home should a fire occur?  What are the best ways to exit your house if the main doorway is blocked?  Who is your out of town contact in case of extreme emergencies so that your relatives know that you’re ok? The answer to these questions could save the lives of you and your loved ones- so make sure you have the answer.  

Electrical Outlets

Electrical Outlets can pose a danger to your loved ones at home. The Consumer Protection Safety Commission estimates that electric receptacles are involved in 5,300 fires, which claim 40 lives and injure 110 consumers annually. Electrical outlets within the reach of children should be covered with child-resistant covers. Replace damaged receptacles which feel hot, emit smoke, sparks, or have loose fitting plugs where lamps flicker or fail to light. Never unplug appliances by pulling on the cord at an angle, as it may break away live parts of the receptacle exposed.   

Kids in cars – in the summer

• From 1998 - 2004, there were 230 children who died in the United States from hyperthermia after being left in hot vehicles. Children’s bodies warm at a rate 3 to 5 times faster than an adult’s. “Cracking” the window has little effect on cooling a car in sunlight.  A car’s interior will rise nearly 20 degrees above the outside temperature in 10 minutes of sunshine.  Never leave your children in the car while running errands, even for a minute.    

Senior Safety

• Seniors are a precious gift to our lives.  Let’s do all we can to honor their years of devotion to us by following a few safety tips:  Monitor all prescription drug usage for negative reactions and expiration dates; watch for signs of food illness as our bodies weaken with age, change phone book entries to first initials to protect against identity theft; assist seniors making travel plans to include health contacts as certain health coverage plans don’t provide services at all travel destinations.  

Identity theft reporting

• If you believe that you have been a victim of identity theft, please take the following measures: Contact the fraud department of any major credit bureau to place a fraud alert on your credit file; This requires creditors to contact you before opening any new accounts or making any changes to your existing accounts. Your three credit reports will be sent to you free of charge.  Close the accounts that you know or believe have been tampered with or opened fraudulently. File a police report and give a copy to your creditors. Lastly, File your complaint with the Federal Trade Commission national database of cases used by law enforcement agencies for investigations.   

Identity Theft prevention

 

• Identity theft cases rose to nearly 640,000 crimes in 2004. Uses these methods to insure the safety of your identity:  Protect Your Social Security number and check your credit report regularly. Use a shredder to destroy all financial statements and credit card offers before discarding them.  Remove Your Name from Marketing Lists, whenever possible. Don’t carry your Social Security card and make a copy the contents of the important items in your wallet. Have as little information printed on your personal checks as possible and monitor billing statements closely. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.   

Planning for Travel Safety

• As you make plans for traveling this summer, use these tips to stay safe while traveling: Look for rooms on interior hallways with electronic key cards, to make it harder for criminals to track your movements and enter your room. Carry valuables and medications in carry on baggage.  Watch your bags, especially as people bumping into you could very well be pickpockets or diversions to steal your baggage.  Know where the emergency exits are in case of fire.  Teach your kids important information should they be come separated or lost from you and keep recent photos on hand.  When traveling-Proper planning prevents personal losses.