FIRE PREVENTION TIPS

FOR AN OBJECT TO IGNITE THERE should be the presence of heat, fuel and oxygen. Oxygen is present in the air while paper, grass and dried leaves can act as the “fuel.” Temperatures of fuels reach a certain critical point where ignition is possible. Without any one of these three essentials, no fire can result.

A house, in reality, is always theoretically fire prone. Your indoor kitchen provides a combination of heat, fuel and oxygen. Matches and other combustibles can be sometimes in reach of children.

To compound the risks are electrical systems that are often hidden from view. Faulty and worn-out wirings can lead to short-circuits (the critical ignition point of electrical systems), and when homeowners choose not to have licensed electrical engineers conduct fire safety inspections, this possibility of a fire caused by electrical wirings becomes an inevitability.

Home, lifesaving tips

From the Bureau of Fire Protection, here are home and life-saving tips:

• Put phone numbers of your nearest fire department near your phone.
• Eliminate fire hazards through good housekeeping: dispose waste paper, rubbish and other flammable materials regularly.
• Keep matches out of children’s reach.
• Oil or gas lamps and candles should be placed away from curtains. Do not light them near windows, fans or where children or pets may topple them. Put out the flame before going to bed.
• Do not keep flammable materials like gasoline, alcohol and paint inside the house.
• Regularly check your electrical installations, and have all frayed wirings and electrical fixtures changed or repaired by a licensed electrician.
• Do not overload electrical circuits by putting additional lights and appliances.
• Blown fuses should not be replaced with coins, wires or any other metal.
• Never leave a lighted cigarette/cigar/pipe unattended. This may fall on flammable materials.
• Keep a first-aid kit handy.

GENERAL STEPS TO KIDNAPPING PREVENTION:
In order to prevent the psychological and physical effects of kidnapping, and kidnapping in general, certain safety measures must be taken.

In general, parents are encouraged to:

1. Never leave their child unattended, however brief they mean to be.
2. Familiarize themselves with their child's friends (and their families), as well as their daily activities.
3. Insist that their children return home at a certain time (curfew).
4. Be alert to any person older than the child that is paying an unusual amount of attention, or offers exuberant gifts to, the child.
5. Teach their children to say "no" when they feel someone is wrong or making them feel uncomfortable.
6. Encourage that their children should report any approaches of anyone who made them feel uncomfortable

If parents have a need to hire a babysitter, certain precautions must also be taken:

1. Obtain and thoroughly check references if you are not familiar with the sitter.
2. Nonchalantly make unexpected visits.
3. Make sure that they understand that the child is not to be released, unless previously stated, to another person.
4. Ensure that he/she understands his/her responsibilities and duties, that he/she familiarizes him/herself with daily routines/activities, and that he/she is given a list of addresses and telephone numbers where you can be contacted. Babysitters should always make sure that all the doors are locked, that strangers should not enter the home, that information should not be volunteered over the phone, and that the child is carefully monitored (when awake as well as asleep).
5. Ask the babysitter of any occurrences that happened in your absence, including phone calls, unusual incidents, and the child's behavior/activity.
6. Ask the child of any occurrences that happened in your absence after the babysitter has left.
   

Parents should never place their children's names in visible places, such as on clothing, in lunchboxes, etc. They should never permit their children to sell material door-to-door, even for fund raisers.

There are a number of basic techniques that may efficiently prevent kidnapping, and that parents are encouraged to teach their children. If someone attempts to grab you:

1. Squat down (not away) and run away.
2. Pull out of the grabbed clothing (jacket, backpack, etc) and run away.
3. Strike the person in a vulnerable area (groin, throat, etc.) and run.
4. Grab hold of a static object (pole, hydrant, tree, etc.) and don't let go until someone assists you.
   

If someone pulls you into a vehicle:

1. Open the door and run when the vehicle stops in traffic, at a stop light, store, or any other public area.
2. Attempt to jump into the back seat when the vehicle is in motion. The driver cannot control both you and the vehicle at the same time. When the vehicle stops, open the door and run.
3. If forced into a trunk, damage the taillight bulbs.
   

DON'T BE A VICTIM

Be alert and take extra precautions.

Another modus operandi called “Dugo-dugo” (literally, Blood-blood) has been very effective. The gang, instead of breaking into the house, would just persuade the person (usually a domestic helper) left in the house to deliver the goods to them. They would call or personally visit and introduce themselves as relatives or friends of the owner of the house. Then, they would break the news that the owner has been involved in an accident and in the hospital and instruct the helper to look for money, jewelries, or other valuable things purportedly for the payment of hospital and medical expenses.

Robbers, thieves, burglars, holduppers, carnappers, carjackers, and another criminals are just on the look-out for their next prey and waiting for the right opportunity to strike.

Let's make our family and home safe! Here are some crime prevention tips from the Philippine National Police (PNP)

Keeping the Family Safe

• Make sure you and members of your family know the whereabouts of everyone for the day. Place a “whereabouts” board in the kitchen or family room where family members can post their schedules or destinations for the day.
• Instruct all family members and household help not to entertain strangers at the gate or on the phone. Children should be especially trained not to converse with strangers on the phone. Transactions, if any, should be done outside the gate. This will prevent closer observation of your premises or the household layout.
• Teach your family and household helps to verify the identity of phone callers before identifying themselves.
• Never give out information on the whereabouts of family members to just anyone on the phone. Friends or relatives should be politely asked to call again so they can personally talk to the person they are looking for. Should the unknown caller insist on asking to speak to each and every family member, ask for his name and politely say the message will be relayed and that he should call back again. Call the police for assistance if you
  repeatedly receive anonymous phone calls.
• Instruct family members and your house help that designated family member must be contacted in an emergency or if there are dubious characters at your door or on your phone. List the important phone numbers in the front or back page of your directory for easy access.
• Be aware of phone swindlers who call in and report that one family member has been in an accident and is asking for the family member or household help to bring cash or other valuable to a certain place. Verify with another family member before acting on this.
• Verify the identity of callers at your gate before opening the door. Use peepholes provided on gates and doors for this purpose. Should the stranger be a repairman, electrician or the like, verify his identity by calling the service office.
• Advise your children to refrain from playing/loitering on streets outside your residence where they are highly vulnerable to abduction. Advice your children never to leave home without telling you of their destination and expected time of arrival.

Keeping the Children Safe

• Do a background check of anyone you intend to employ i.e. baby-sitter, gardener, domestic helper, driver or security guard. It is possible that the kidnappers would be utilizing such persons to infiltrate your residence to acquire vital information on household valuable, routines, layout and patterns.
• Teach your children not to talk to strangers or accept anything from strangers, especially in school. Should they be approached, tell them to report the incident to school authorities.
• Ask your children’s school not to give out any information regarding your children to anybody. Insist that strict guidelines be followed regarding persons authorized to pick-up your children. Other than those duly authorized by you, your children should not be allowed to leave with any other person without prior authorization from you. For security, children should be asked to talk to the parent authorizing their release. This will help ensure protection against kidnappers who call and claim to be the child’s parents.

Crime Prevention Starts With You And Your Family

More often than not, crimes occur because we open ourselves and our families to criminal opportunities. Talking to strangers, absence of security procedures for anonymous callers, taking for granted one’s safety outside the home, etc. make us easy prey to criminals. In the fight against crime, knowing that the worst can happen makes you less prone to be a victim and more confident of avoiding disasters.

Protecting yourself, your family and your home is a matter of responsibility that cannot be taken on by anyone else. You can make the difference.

Securing your Home and your Belongings

There are three things you can do to help reduce burglary:

• Make your home burglar-proof.
• Mark your belongings that burglars are most likely to steal.
• Be alert to report suspicious persons and unusual activities to the police before a crime may occur.

What can you do?

• Ensure all doors and windows have locks in working condition. Keep only that is used to enter the house open, all other entry points to your household should be securely locked to prevent unnoticed entry into your home.
• Make it a habit to check that all doors and windows are locked at night before going to sleep. The dark of night is a most ready camouflage for robbers and other criminals.
• Outside your home: Prune lower tree limbs – don’t provide the thief with a natural ladder into second floor windows. Keep the view to your house open – criminals love to hide behind tall fences or overgrown bushes while breaking into your home.
• Keeps porches, yards, and all entrances to your house and garage well lighted. Leave lights on inside your house when you go out for the evening.
• Keep a record of the important information (especially make, model number, serial number) of all household facilities and equipment, such as TV, radio, video cassette recorder, refrigerator, VCR, washing machine. Have an inventory of your jewelry and other precious items and documents like birth, baptismal and marriage certificates.
• Store cash and other valuable in the bank. Hiding them inside locked drawers does not guarantee that they will be safe from the knowing eyes and practiced moves of robbers.
• Bring in all outdoor equipment (bicycles, garden hose, mower, etc.) at night. Leaving these valuables out in the garden or street is an open invitation to robbers and thieves.
• Protect your house from prying eyes by using curtains or drapes.
• Provide family members with their own keys to the house. This is safer than leaving the key in a “secret” place, one that can be discovered by any person who takes the time to watch your movements when you leave your home and come back at night.
• If you and your family are going on a vacation, ask a neighbor to watch your home, or ask a relative to stay in your home while you are away. An empty house is a prime target for criminal elements.

If you are under threat…

If there are suspicious sounds or shadows in your home, try to contract the police quietly so as not to let the intruders know that you are aware of their presence. Most robbers are after the property inside your home, and are more prone to working swiftly and quietly to avoid any physical or violent encounters.

If you awake to the sound of an intruder, you have several options:

• Lie quietly to avoid attracting attention to yourself, hoping that they will leave you undisturbed.
• You may choose to open lights and make noise by moving around thereby warning them that you are awake, and scaring them into leaving your home. Even if you are alone in the house, you may speak loudly to an imaginary companion.
• If you see signs of a break-in or suspicious persons inside your home, do not attempt to go in as the robbers may still be inside. Go to your nearest neighbor and call the police for immediate assistance.
• Remain calm and do not panic. Although a robber would prefer to avoid confrontation, they are easily agitated and more prone to uncalled for abuse or violence.
• Try to talk it out with the robbers. If you are up to it. This will delay them, and allow for alternative action on your part, if the situation allows.
• Note all peculiarities and mannerisms of the robbers, if you come face-to-face with them. Tattoo marks, physical defects, moles and speech mannerisms will help in giving the police a more solid description of the robbers