Computer Security - E-Mail Tracker Programs

The man that sent this information is a computer tech.  He spends a lot of time clearing the junk off computers for people and listens to complaints about speed.  All forwards are not bad, just some.  Be sure you read the very last paragraph.

By now, I suspect everyone is familiar with snopes.com and/or truthorfiction.com for determining whether information received via email is just that:  true/false or fact/fiction.  Both are excellent sites.
 
Advice from snopes.com   VERY IMPORTANT!!
1) Any time you see an email that says "forward this on to '10' (or however many) of your friends", "sign this petition", or "you'll get bad luck" or "you'll get good luck" or "you'll see something funny on your screen after you send it" or whatever --- it almost always has an email tracker program attached that tracks the cookies and emails of those folks you forward to.  The host sender is getting a copy each time it gets forwarded and then is able to get lists of 'active' email addresses to use in SPAM emails or sell to other spammers.  Even when you get emails that demand you send the email on if you're not ashamed of God/Jesus --- that is email tracking, and they are playing on our conscience.  These people don't care how they get your email addresses - just as long as they get them.  Also, emails that talk about a missing child or a child with an incurable disease "how would you feel if that was your child" --- email tracking.  Ignore them and don't participate!
 
2) Almost all emails that ask you to add your name and forward on to others are similar to that mass letter years ago that asked people to send business cards to the little kid in Florida who wanted to break the Guinness Book of Records for the most cards.  All it was, and all any of this type of email is, is a way to get names and 'cookie' tracking information for telemarketers and spammers -- to validate active email accounts for their own profitable purposes.

You can do your Friends and Family members a GREAT favor by sending this information to them.  You will be providing a service to your friends.  And you will be rewarded by not getting thousands of spam emails in the future!

Do yourself a favor and STOP adding your name(s) to those types of listing regardless how inviting they might sound! Or make you feel guilty if you don't! It's all about getting email addresses and nothing more.
 
You may think you are supporting a GREAT cause, but you are NOT!
 
Instead, you will be getting tons of junk mail later and very possibly a virus attached!  Plus, we are helping the spammers get rich!  Let's not make it easy for them!

ALSO:  Email petitions are NOT acceptable to Congress of any other organization - i.e. social security, etc.  To be acceptable, petitions must have a "signed signature" and full address of the person signing the petition, so this is a waste of time and you are just helping the email trackers.

Home Security - Securing Your Windows

Sometimes we need more than a window latch to secure our windows. Yes, if a thief really wants to get through, the window will be shattered and entrance is inevitable; however, have a simple security lock as an extra precaution will deter the majority of your common thieves. Some thieves are quick yet lazy but with some smarts. There are some locking mechanism out there that may deter home break-ins through your sliding or double-hung windows.

Home Depot has the following locks for your Sliding Windows.



Casement windows can be closed with a door-bolt-like device that operates with a key. Screw the lock to the window and slide the bolt into a metal cup that mounts in the sill.

Key lock



Drive a screw into the top of the upper track to keep thieves from lifting a gliding window out of its track. To keep the window from sliding, drive a screw horizontally through the track.

Screw lock


A stop slip over the window track where you turn the lever one way to lock the window is out there as well.

Key track stop


This is a key track stop that you can attach anywhere on the track, even if you want to have the window cracked for some safety or ventilation (good for those with swamp coolers to include Master Cool systems).

Stop Slip over Window Track Lock












Home Depot has the following locks for your Double Hung Windows:



The lock pin. This has the lock pin go through on sash and into the next to keep thieves from lifting the sash. There are some that screw though a hole you drill. There are others that you drive in and out with a special key that comes with them.

Lock Pin Lock











Ventilating locks. They screw to the side of the top sash an inch or so above the meeting rail.

Ventilating Lock Screw












Hinge wedge lock. It nails in the window track of a double-hung window. Choose a position for the wedge that lets you open the window to your liking. When in place, the window will only rise up to it. When you swing the wedge out of the way, the window opens freely.

Hinged wedge lock












Key turnbuckle. This can be use to replace your normal latch with a key lock one. A child safety latch also replaces the original latch. It is similar to the childproof medicine caps, but easier to use. In order to open the window, a child has to be able to squeeze a lever while turning the latch.

Keyed turnbuckle lock

Carbon Monoxide and Detectors

Very good article from Ann Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D. (About.com):

According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, carbon monoxide poisoning is the leading cause of accidental poisoning deaths in America . Carbon monoxide detectors are available, but you need to understand how they work and what their limitations are in order to decide whether or not you need a detector and, if you purchase a detector, how to use it to get the best protection.

What is Carbon Monoxide?

Carbon monoxide is an odorless, tasteless, invisible gas. Each carbon monoxide molecule is composed of a single carbon atom bonded to a single oxygen atom. Carbon monoxide results from the incomplete combustion of fossil fuels, such as wood, kerosene, gasoline, charcoal, propane, natural gas, and oil.

Where is Carbon Monoxide Found?

Carbon monoxide is present in low levels in the air. In the home, it is formed from incomplete combustion from any flame-fueled (i.e., not electric) device, including ranges, ovens, clothes dryers, furnaces, fireplaces, grills, space heaters, vehicles, and water heaters. Furnaces and water heaters may be sources of carbon monoxide, but if they are vented properly the carbon monoxide will escape to the outside. Open flames, such as from ovens and ranges, are the most common source of carbon monoxide. Vehicles are the most common cause of carbon monoxide poisoning.

How Do Carbon Monoxide Detectors Work?

Carbon monoxide detectors trigger an alarm based on an accumulation of carbon monoxide over time. Carbon monoxide can harm you if you are exposed to high levels of carbon monoxide in a short period of time, or to lower levels of carbon monoxide over a long period of time. Carbon monoxide detectors require a continuous power supply, so if the power cuts off then the alarm becomes ineffective. Models are available that offer back-up battery power.

Why is Carbon Monoxide Dangerous?

When carbon monoxide is inhaled, it passes from the lungs into the hemoglobin molecules of red blood cells. Carbon monoxide binds to hemoglobin at the same site as and preferentially to oxygen, forming carboxyhemoglobin. Carboxyhemoglobin interferes with the oxygen transport and gas exchange abilities of red blood cells. The result is that the body becomes oxygen-starved, which can result in tissue damage and death. Low levels of carbon monoxide poisoning cause symptoms similar to those of the flu or a cold, including shortness of breath on mild exertion, mild headaches, and nausea. Higher levels of poisoning lead to dizziness, mental confusion, severe headaches, nausea, and fainting on mild exertion. Ultimately, carbon monoxide poisoning can result in unconsciousness, permanent brain damage, and death. Carbon monoxide detectors are set to sound an alarm before the exposure to carbon monoxide would present a hazard to a healthy adult. Babies, children, pregnant women, people with circulatory or respiratory ailments, and the elderly are more sensitive to carbon monoxide than healthy adults.

Where Should I Place a Carbon Monoxide Detector?

Because carbon monoxide is slightly lighter than air and also because it may be found with warm, rising air, detectors should be placed on a wall about 5 feet above the floor. The detector may be placed on the ceiling. Do not place the detector right next to or over a fireplace or flame-producing appliance. Keep the detector out of the way of pets and children. Each floor needs a separate detector. If you getting a single carbon monoxide detector, place it near the sleeping area and make certain the alarm is loud enough to wake you up.

What Do I Do if the Alarm Sounds?

Don't ignore the alarm! It is intended to go off before you are experiencing symptoms. Silence the alarm, get all members of the household to fresh air, and ask whether anyone is experiencing any of the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning. If anyone is experiencing symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning, call 911. If no one has symptoms, ventilate the building, identify and remedy the source of the carbon monoxide before returning inside, and have appliances or chimneys checked by a professional as soon as possible.

Additional Carbon Monoxide Concerns and Information

Don't automatically assume that you need or don't need a carbon monoxide detector. Also, don't assume that you are safe from carbon monoxide poisoning just because you have a detector installed. Carbon monoxide detectors are intended to protect healthy adults, so take the ages and health of family members into account when assessing the effectiveness of a detector.

Also, be aware that the average life span of many carbon monoxide detectors is about 2 years. The 'test' feature on many detectors checks the functioning of the alarm and not the status of the detector. There are detectors that last longer, indicate when they need to be replaced, and have power supply backups -- you need to check to see whether a particular model has the features you require. When deciding whether or not to purchase a carbon monoxide detector, you need to consider not only the number and type of carbon monoxide sources, but also the construction of the building. Newer building may have more airtight construction and may be better insulated, which make it easier for carbon monoxide to accumulate

ATM Robbery - No One is Immune

Although this happened years ago, the following video shows a woman robbed at gunpoint while withdrawing a small amount of cash from an ATM at night. Apparently she did not do her near and far security scan, before she pulled up or while waiting for the machine to work.

This shows that nobody,...NOBODY is safe from crime and ATM locations, plus people's ability to access money at all hours present many opportunities for criminals.

First - don't use ATM's at night.
Second - scan as far as you can see around the facility before you drive up to the machine. This is a far cane as you are looking for suspicious vehicle(s) and persons loitering. Dark areas next to corners of building and behind parked cars and garbage dumpsters would be prime hiding locations.
Third - as you pull up to the machine, do a near scan, say within 50 yards and maintain checking this near scan perimeter through the transaction. Some people may tell you keep your vehicle running and engaged in drive, but this is a two edged sword. Better to drive off if you see something suspicious.
To many people park at the machine then go fishing through their wallet or purse for their ATM card, and not scanning - use your mirrors but don't rely on them 100%.
Beware of dark out of the way locations with a vehicle parked in front of you. This could be a ruse to get you to pull in right behind the vehicle in front. It is easy for a person to exit the parked car, or come from a hidden location, and stick a gun in our face, robbing you of your cash and valuables, but your card as well, even your life.

Be aware, Be suspicious, Be safe.

Personal Protection - Firearms 101

Whether you are looking to carry a firearm to protect yourself or your family, choosing a handgun, shotgun or rifle for protection requires some research. I knew someone who was in the military for a while and never owned a gun. Now married and with a family, there are at least two guns in that household. The following are just a few checklist items that were followed.

Check 1: Research your state gun laws. A good place to start is your local law enforcement department, whether it’s the Police or Sheriff’s department. You can check online, but things in cyberspace sometimes are not updated – local law enforcement is your best bet!

Check 2: Your gun of choice. That is a personal preference. Revolvers are almost always reliable alongside shotguns. In this day and age there are semi-automatic handguns and different type of caliber guns! Getting comfortable and knowing the pros and cons of the weapon is a plus!

Check 3: Training and gun safety. Taking a gun course that covers everything from your state gun laws, gun safety, and shooting is the right way to go to cover your basis. a concealed weapons class and permit may be the right thing to do - expose yourself to other people concerned enough to own and carry guns as well as get some extra training.

Check 4: Maintenance. This requires proper cleaning and firing of your gun. This is best taught by somebody knowledgable.

Check 5: Fire your weapon. Go to a local gun range and fire your gun! The more you practice, the more comfortable you will feel with it and become better equipped to handle a dangerous situation like a home invasion. Seek some competent training. Some gun clubs offer friendly practical shooting competition for all skill levels - this is a great place to learn.

There are many programs and to start visit the NRA website or its blog site, http://nrablog.com.

Student Invasion of Privacy - Potential Identify Theft Issues

Some Universities Make Millions Of Dollars From Initiative of Selling Student Information

From WSMV News, Channel 4 Nashville, Tennesse, Reported by Caroline Moses

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- E-mails, cell phone numbers and home addresses are all information people like to keep private. But a Channel 4 I-Team investigation found that information is for sale. It turns out state universities are selling students and alumni personal information to companies.

It's not that the information should be kept secret; it is, after all, public record. But it's the lengths to which some schools go and just how much money they make helping companies solicit alumni and students.

Jennifer Edwards has many more junk e-mails to delete these days, thanks to her alma mater.

“I appreciate all the extra trash e-mails I have to go through now, thank you,” said Edwards.

Solicitors send Edwards mailers and e-mails as well as call her cell phone ever since she started school at Middle Tennessee State University . She said she never knew how the businesses had her information.

“I've received e-mails from some of these companies that I have no dealings with, that I know there’s no way I gave you my e-mail address,” said Edwards.

Administrators at MTSU, the University of Memphis and all of the schools in the University of Tennessee system sell student information.

MTSU alone has sold student information just in the last year to everything from apartment complexes to churches to book stores. The university doesn't keep specific records of how much profit it makes selling this kind of information.

But UT does. It has made more than $20 million since 1998 selling Tennessee students' information to Chase Bank. School officials said the bank primarily wants alumni names, but as part of that contract, they get students' names too. That means if anyone or their children attended UT any time after 1998, the bank likely has their information.

“I wish I could get, like, a piece of it for my name, like $100 or something, maybe $200,” said student Eton Moore.

Businesses sometimes request students' names and addresses. Other times, they request tailored lists of student information to fit their interests. For example, a textbook business asked only for new freshmen and transfer students' information. Another business, an apartment complex, asked for a list of all students still living on-campus.

Students the I-Team spoke with said it's an invasion of privacy.

“To know if I live on campus or not, I don’t want people to know that without me giving them the OK,” said Edwards.

So why do schools sell this information? UT told the I-Team by phone that the issue was "common" and "old."

MTSU said it has no choice. If businesses want student information, under the state’s open records law, universities have to provide them with students' names and addresses.

And MTSU's Vice President of Business and Finance John Cothern knows the businesses want it badly.

“We have, if you will, a captive audience, and everyone has been sensitive to that. We don’t want our students to be hounded commercially,” said Cothern.

But at the same time, for a fee, MTSU often provides student information on mailing labels, making it even easier for students to get solicited in the mail.

“When you become a student here, you have to give them all of that information, which you think is just in a records office somewhere, not being sold to many companies,” said Edwards.

After the I-Team started asking questions, school officials now say they will charge lower and more uniform rates for student information and stop catering to marketers by printing mailing labels for them.

“Some of it has continued on, and we've instructed the offices now to no longer do that,” said Cothern.

“I didn’t know anything about that,” said Moore .

“If it's going on, we should know,” said incoming junior Ethan Walden.

In a written statement, a UT spokeswoman said, "Students are not allowed to be solicited for credit card information until they become alumni."

As for the school's $26 million profit, school officials said it's used for scholarships and alumni-funded projects. But again, no one told the students or alumni about this because there are no rules or laws requiring them to do so.

“They're paying for our names? Yes, it's not right at all,” said Moore .

“I just assumed the university would have it on their file or whatever. That's kind of, you have to give them that information,” said Walden.

“I did not know this was going on, and it frustrates me. I pay a lot of money to go here and would at least like to know if you are going to do that,” said Edwards.

There is something students can do. At the beginning of each semester, they can opt out of inclusion in the student directory. That means no one would see their information -- neither businesses nor other students.

Also, federal laws passed in 2008 now basically eliminate student solicitation for credit cards. But UT officials said this contract was "grandfathered in."

The University of Memphis sold student information only to branches of the military, charging two cents per enrolled student for a total of about $400.

Cell Phone Spy - Part II Text Messaging

You need to know about this technology. It may be used against you, or you may be inclined to use it for your children or your spouse (hope you don't have to).

A device from Brickhouse Security allows users to download text messages from someone else's phone. Even deleted text messages are made available by the "Cell Phone Spy."

Parents are using new software to keep tabs on their kids. The Cell Phone Spy also works for suspicious spouses watching the moves of cheating partners.

Brickhouse Security said the Cell Phone Spy is popular among parents with teenagers. The device costs around $150 but allows users to download and read test messages from a SIM card, even those that have been deleted.

Users simply remove the SIM card from a phone and place into the spying device, which is plugged into a computer's USB port. Once inserted into a computer all messages quickly download into a folder. The process takes less than 2 minutes.

Todd Morris, CEO of Brickhouse Security, said many people also use the cell phone spy to check on their spouses.

"Certainly the fear of not knowing if someone is cheating on you can be quite strong," he said, "and if you seriously suspect that and you can't sleep at night until you find out, a tool like this might give you that peace of knowledge you need to have."

Citizens can protect themselves from being spied on in this way by using a cell phone that doesn't have a SIM card.

For more information about this product, click here

Cell Phone Spy Software

Cell phone spy technology is, like any other technology, can be used for you and your obojectives and against you and your interests. In order to understand the technolgy we'll going to look at one company, called Cell Phone Spy,to understand how it can be used.

Cell Phone Spy (http://www.spyphoneguy.com ) For the latest cell phone spy phone news and spy phone resources. This spy phone software news story on spy phones is a great overview of where the spy phone technology is today. Included are details on what spy phone software is, how to detect spy phone software such as flexispy and e-stealth, and possibly get rid of it.

Don't Walk Into the Middle of A Convenience Store Robbery

How many of you stop at convenience stores on the way home,...after all they are convenience stores intended for us to quickly stop and get something we may have forgotten at the grocery store the other day,...or to get a lottery ticket,....

How many of you actually scan the parking lot and look into the store to see what is going on before you exit your vehicle and enter the store? If not, then start doing so now.

A vehicle running near the store, especially not parked "front in"; absence of store clerks or presence of people hanging around the cash register counter without merchandise in their hands; "customers" looking nervous and scanning around; customers wearing hoods and or hands in pockets;.....all could be indicators of a robbery in progress.

Don't walk into a store if you can't see the clerk(s) and if the clerks do not appear to be normal. Abnormal is a clerk staring at a "customer" and seemingly frozen, or quickly opening the till and handing money to the robbers.

If you see something like this, your roll is to be nothing more than a good witness; get back into or stay in your car; make note (if you can) of the vehicle make, model and license plate and any description of the robbers. Staying in your vehicle and exiting the area is the best choice.

Don't try and follow the robbers, just note their general direction. The below video was a store robbery caught on CCTV, so you can see what goes on in that store and the potential for someone getting hurt. Do not place yourself in this situation.

Iowa's Solution to Internet Safety for Kids

New Internet Crime Web Site to Keep Kids Safe
From KCRG News, By Dave Franzman and Becky Ogann

CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA - A law enforcement group specializing in internet crimes against children is offering a new tool to both parents and police to help keep kids safe online.

Iowa’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force called a news conference on Tuesday in Cedar Rapids to promote a new website that will offer information, advice and even a police reporting tool to both parents and educators. The site, www.IaICAC.org, will give parents the latest information on sexual exploitation criminal cases in Iowa as well as internet safety tips for keeping kids safe.

The website will carry public service ads on the dangers of “sexting.” That’s the term for kids electronically sending revealing photos or sexual information about themselves to others. Law officers say that’s one of the more recent dangers than can expose minors to contract with online predators.

But the site will also give a direct link for anyone who suspects an actual internet-based crime is taking place. E-mailed tips will go to a central clearinghouse and then on to law enforcement internet specialists in a particular part of the state. And Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller said it may produce information in a more timely manner from people who would be reluctant to go directly to police.

“If people just have a suspicion or they’re not sure they might be reluctant to go to law enforcement. They can put it on the internet and we can use it as something to think about or coordinate with other knowledge, “ Miller said.

Miller said the new IaICAC web site replaces a similar site that was less accessible on the Iowa Department of Public Safety’s main web page. He’s hoping parents and police come to depend on it as a source of official information about internet predators in Iowa .

But an upcoming change in state law on Thursday also has Miller excited. Due to a court ruling, internet predators who responded to police posing as minors online could only be charged with a misdemeanor. Miller said that was making it more difficult for departments to keep pursuing internet crimes because it wasn’t worth the time or expense.

But on July 1st, undercover officers who snare predators trolling the net can charge them with a class “D” felony. That usually carries a term of up to five years in prison.

Be involved in your kid's internet browsing. Get smart about checking all their acounts: e-mail, facebook, myspace, and look at the history of the sites they are browsing.

Cyber Security - 201 Definitions

What is Internet fraud?

Internet fraud refers to any type of fraud scheme that uses email, websites, chat rooms, or any other Internet related means to present fraudulent solicitations to prospective victims, to conduct fraudulent transactions, or to transmit the proceeds of fraud.

What is Financial Fraud?

Financial fraud is any non-violent offense that is committed by or against an individual or corporation and which results in a financial loss.

Some examples include:

* Cross-Border Fraud
* Romance Schemes
* Advanced Fee Scams
* Charities Fraud
* Debt Elimination
* Investment Frauds
* Job Scams
* Nigerian "4-1-9" Scams
* Ponzi & Pyramid Schemes
* Sweepstakes/Lottery Fraud

What is a hacker, attacker, or intruder?

These terms are applied to the people who seek to exploit weaknesses in software and computer systems for their own gain.

What is malicious code?

Malicious code, sometimes called malware, is a broad category that includes any code that could be used to attack your computer. Examples of malicious code are viruses and worms.

What does anti-virus software do?

Anti-virus software scans files or your computer's memory for certain patterns that may indicate an infection. The patterns it looks for are based on the signatures, or definitions, of known viruses. It is important that you have the latest definitions installed on your computer since new viruses are released or old ones are changed frequently
.
How do I create a good password?

· Don't use passwords that are based on personal information that can be easily accessed or guessed.
· Don't use words that can be found in any dictionary of any language.
· Develop a mnemonic for remembering complex passwords (ex: I am the Captain of the football team = IatCotft).
· Use both lowercase and capital letters.
· Use a combination of letters, numbers, and special characters.
· Use passphrases when you can (ex: Iamtheleaderofthepack,...or Iamthebossofallthings).
· Use different passwords on different systems.

What do firewalls do?

Firewalls provide protection against outside attackers by shielding your computer or network from attack and subsequent intrusion by restricting the network traffic which can pass through them, based on a set of defined rules. Firewalls can be configured to block data from certain locations while allowing the relevant and necessary data through. They are especially important for users who rely on "always on" connections such as cable or DSL modems.

What are rootkits and botnets?

A rootkit is a piece of software that can be installed and hidden on your computer without your knowledge. It may be included in a larger software package or installed by an attacker who has been able to take advantage of a vulnerability on your computer or has convinced you to download it. Botnet is a term derived from the idea of bot networks. In its most basic form, a bot is simply an automated computer program, or robot. In the context of botnets, bots refer to computers that are able to be controlled by one, or many, outside sources. Your computer may be part of a botnet even though it appears to be operating normally.

What is a phishing attack?

Phishing attacks use email or malicious websites to solicit personal information by posing as a trustworthy organization. For example, an attacker may send email from a seemingly reputable company, financial institution or charity that requests account information, often suggesting that there is a problem. When users respond with the requested information, attackers can use it to gain access to the accounts. Attackers often take advantage of current events and certain times of the year, such as:

* natural disasters (e.g., Hurricane Katrina, Indonesia tsunami)
* epidemics and health scares (e.g., H1N1)
* economic concerns (e.g., IRS scams)
* major political elections
* holidays

What is file sharing?

File sharing involves using technology that allows internet users to share files that are housed on their individual computers. Peer-to-peer (P2P) applications, such as those used to share music files, are some of the most common forms of file-sharing technology. However, P2P applications introduce security risks that may compromise your information, computer or the entire network in jeopardy.

What are Honey Pots?

Honey pots are computers that are either intentionally or unintentionally left vulnerable to attack by hackers. They can be used to catch hackers or fix vulnerabilities.

Cyber Security 101

These are the baseline Cyber Security Procedures. 

1. Back up important files.  You can use thumb drives, CD/DVD's, or a host of on-line back up services like Carbonite.   

2. Protect your children online.  Make your knowing their log in's and paswords a condition for using the computer.  Conduct no notice inspections, where you check their content.  That will make them keep it clean. One of my child's friends was writing nasty things on e-mail.  I printed it out and threatened to send the messages to Grandma so she could see what type of friends my child has.  Boy, did that help her clean it up.  Also check privacy seting and information posted on facebook, etc.

3. Use security software tools as your first line of defense.  Norton, McAfee, etc.  Must have on your computer.

4. Use strong passwords or strong authentication technology to help protect your personal information.  Best passwords incorporate upper case and lower case letters, numbers and special characters.        Example:  Y s 8 * m K L 7 #

5. Learn what to do if something goes wrong.  Have some phone numbers for technical support handy.  They all go to someone in India anyway.

6. Know who you're dealing with online.  Predators and con artists will conceal their true identity; look for discrepancies in their messages.   Some, like the child predators are very good at telling children what they want to here.  Train your children to be wary.    

7. Keep your web browsers and operating system up to date.  Use the automatic update features, just ensure the website they are going to are valid.

Identity Theft 101

Having your information lost or stolen can be a frightening experience.  You worry about how the information may be misused.  You might be in this situation if, for example, your wallet was stolen; you responded to a phishing email; or you were notified that a company experienced a data breach and lost some of your data.  Fortunately, if your data may have been accessed without authorization, there are steps you can take to detect misuse that has already occurred and to help prevent potential future misuse.

What are the signs of identity theft?

Stay alert for the signs of identity theft, like,...

• accounts you didn't open and debts on your accounts that you can't explain.

• fraudulent or inaccurate information on your credit reports, including accounts and personal information, like your Social Security number, address(es), name or initials, and employers.

• failing to receive bills or other mail. Follow up with creditors if your bills don't arrive on time. A missing bill could mean an identity thief has taken over your account and changed your billing address to cover his tracks.

• receiving credit cards that you didn't apply for.

• being denied credit, or being offered less favorable credit terms, like a high interest rate, for no apparent reason.

• getting calls or letters from debt collectors or businesses about merchandise or services you didn't buy.

How do you find out if your identity was stolen?

Unfortunately, many consumers learn they their identity has been stolen after some damage has been done.

You may find out when bill collection agencies contact you for overdue debts debts you never incurred.

You may find out when you apply for a mortgage or car loan and learn that problems with your credit history are holding up the loan.

You may find out when you get something in the mail about an apartment you never rented, a house you never bought, or a job you never held.


What personal information should I monitor regularly?

Early detection of a potential identity theft can make a big difference. Keep an eye out for any suspicious activity by routinely monitoring:

Your financial statements. Monitor your financial accounts and billing statements regularly, looking closely for charges you did not make.

Your credit reports. Credit reports contain information about you, including what accounts you have and how you pay your bills. The law requires each of the major nationwide consumer reporting agencies to provide you with a free copy of your credit report, at your request, once every 12 months. If an identity thief is opening credit accounts in your name, these accounts are likely to show up on your credit report. To find out, order a copy of your credit reports.

Once you get your reports, review them carefully. Look for inquiries from companies you haven't contacted, accounts you didn't open, and debts on your accounts that you can't explain. Check that information, like your Social Security number, address(es), name or initials, and employers are correct. If you find fraudulent or inaccurate information, get it removed. See Correcting Fraudulent Information in Credit Reports to learn how. Continue to check your credit reports periodically, especially for the first year after you discover the identity theft, to make sure no new fraudulent activity has occurred.


How do I get my free annual credit reports?

An amendment to the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act requires each of the major nationwide consumer reporting companies to provide you with a free copy of your credit report, at your request, once every 12 months.

To order your free annual report from one or all the national consumer reporting companies, visit www.annualcreditreport.com, call toll-free 877-322-8228, or complete the Annual Credit Report Request Form and mail it to: Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281 , Atlanta , GA 30348-5281 . You can print the form from ftc.gov/credit. Do not contact the three nationwide consumer reporting companies individually; they provide free annual credit reports only through www.annualcreditreport.com, 877-322-8228, and Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281 , Atlanta , GA 30348-5281 .

Under federal law, you're also entitled to a free report if a company takes adverse action against you, such as denying your application for credit, insurance or employment, and you request your report within 60 days of receiving notice of the action. The notice will give you the name, address, and phone number of the consumer reporting company that supplied the information about you. You're also entitled to one free report a year if you're unemployed and plan to look for a job within 60 days; you're on welfare; or your report is inaccurate because of fraud. Otherwise, a consumer reporting company may charge you up to $9.50 for any other copies of your report.

To buy a copy of your report, contact:

Equifax: 800-685-1111; www.equifax.com

Experian: 888-EXPERIAN (888-397-3742); www.experian.com

TransUnion: 800-916-8800; www.transunion.com

Should I use a credit monitoring service?

There are a variety of commercial services that, for a fee, will monitor your credit reports for activity and alert you to changes to your accounts. Prices and services vary widely. Many of the services only monitor one of the three major consumer reporting companies. If you're considering signing up for a service, make sure you understand what you're getting before you buy. Also check out the company with your local Better Business Bureau, consumer protection agency and state Attorney General to see if they have any complaints on file.

Children Gun Safety - the NRA Eddie Eagle Program

Parents play a key role in developing safe practices and are ultimately responsible for the behavior and safety of their children. Because isolated lessons and concepts can be quickly forgotten, repetition will help children remember standard safety procedures.

Parents can teach their children the Eddie Eagle program at home. Simply call the Eddie Eagle Program at 800-231-0752 and request a sample kit. Each kit includes a copy of the student workbook, instructor's guide, program statistics, a description of materials, an order form, and the Parents' Guide to Gun Safety brochure.

PARENTS' GUIDE TO GUN SAFETY

This text is also available as a brochure. To receive a copy of the "Parents' Guide to Gun Safety" brochure, email eddie@nrahq.org or call (800) 231-0752.

The Parents' Responsibility

In a home where guns are kept, the degree of safety a child has rests squarely on the child's parents.

Parents who accept the responsibility to learn, practice and teach gun safety rules will ensure their child's safety to a much greater extent than those who do not. Parental responsibility does not end, however, when the child leaves the home.

According to federal statistics, there are guns in approximately half of all U.S. households. Even if no one in your family owns a gun, chances are that someone you know does. Your child could come in contact with a gun at a neighbor's house, when playing with friends, or under other circumstances outside your home.

It is critical for your child to know what to do if he or she encounters a firearm anywhere, and it is the parents' responsibility to provide that training.

Talking With Your Child About Gun Safety

There is no particular age to talk with your child about gun safety. A good time to introduce the subject is the first time he or she shows an interest in firearms, even toy pistols or rifles. Talking openly and honestly about gun safety with your child is usually more effective than just ordering him or her to "Stay out of the gun closet," and leaving it at that. Such statements may just stimulate a child's natural curiosity to investigate further.

As with any safety lesson, explaining the rules and answering a child's questions help remove the mystery surrounding guns. Any rules set for your own child should also apply to friends who visit the home. This will help keep your child from being pressured into showing a gun to a friend.

Toy Guns vs. Real Guns

It is also advisable, particularly with very young children, to discuss gun use on television as opposed to gun use in real life. Firearms are often handled carelessly in movies and on TV. Additionally, children see TV and movie characters shot and "killed" with well-documented frequency. When a young child sees that same actor appear in another movie or TV show, confusion between entertainment and real life may result. It may be a mistake to assume that your child knows the difference between being "killed" on TV and in reality.

If your child has toy guns, you may want to use them to demonstrate safe gun handling and to explain how they differ from genuine firearms. Even though an unsupervised child should not have access to a gun, there should be no chance that he or she could mistake a real gun for a toy.

What Should You Teach Your Child About Gun Safety?

If you have decided that your child is not ready to be trained in a gun's handling and use, teach him or her to follow the instructions of NRA's Eddie Eagle GunSafe® Program. If you find a gun:

STOP!

Don't Touch.

Leave the Area.

Tell an Adult.

The initial steps of "Stop" and "Don't Touch" are the most important. To counter the natural impulse to touch a gun, it is imperative that you impress these steps of the safety message upon your child.

In today's society, where adult supervision is not always possible, the direction to "Leave the Area" is also essential. Under some circumstances, area may be understood to be a room if your child cannot physically leave the apartment or house.

"Tell an Adult" emphasizes that children should seek a trustworthy adult, neighbor, relative or teacher -- if a parent or guardian is not available.

The NRA's Eddie Eagle GunSafe Program includes an instructor guide, activity books, poster, and an animated video to explain its four-step safety message. For more information about the program, visit www.nrahq.org/safety/eddie or call (800) 231-0752.

Basic Gun Safety Rules

Although the NRA has complete gun safety rules available for specific types of firearm use (hunting and competition, for example), the following three rules are fundamental in any situation. Whether or not you own a gun, it is important to know these rules so that you may insist that others follow them.

* Always keep the gun pointed in a safe direction. Whether you are shooting or simply handling a gun, never point it at yourself or others.

Common sense will tell you which direction is the safest. Outdoors, it is generally safe to point the gun toward the ground, or, if you are at a shooting range, toward the target. Indoors, be mindful of the fact that a bullet can penetrate ceilings, floors, walls, windows, and doors.

* Always keep your finger off the trigger until ready to shoot. When holding a gun, rest your trigger finger outside the trigger guard alongside the gun. Until you are actually ready to fire, do not touch the trigger.
* Always keep the gun unloaded until ready to use. If you do not know how to check to see if a gun is unloaded, leave it alone. Carefully secure it, being certain to point it safely and to keep your finger off the trigger, and seek competent assistance.

Where to Get Training

The time may come when you or your family members want to learn how to handle and shoot a gun safely. In the case of a child, his or her attitude, learning ability, and physical and emotional maturity are some of the factors to be weighed before allowing formal instruction to begin.

When a parent decides a young person is ready, many training opportunities are available. For more information on Youth Programs, call (703) 267-1505.

Providing instruction in the safe handling, use, and storage of firearms is one of the NRA's most important functions. Basic Firearm Training Courses, taught by over 54,000 NRA Certified Instructors, are offered in every state. A program called "FIRST Steps" (Firearm Instruction, Responsibility, and Safety Training) provides a three-hour orientation to your specific firearm. For more information about taking any of these courses, call (703) 267-1430.

Gun Owners' Responsibilities

Most states impose some form of legal duty on adults to take reasonable steps to deny access by children to dangerous substances or instruments. It is the individual gun owner's responsibility to understand and follow all laws regarding gun purchase, ownership, storage, transport, etc. Contact your state police and/or local police for information regarding such laws. If you own a gun and do not know how to operate it, do not experiment with it. Point it in a safe direction, keep your finger off the trigger, and store it securely. Seek competent assistance and instruction at once. An untrained adult can be as dangerous as a curious child.

Store guns so that they are inaccessible to children and other unauthorized users. Gun shops sell a wide variety of safes, cases, and other security devices. While specific security measures may vary, a parent must, in every case, assess the exposure of the firearm and absolutely ensure that it is inaccessible to a child.

The Eddie Eagle GunSafe® Program
National Rifle Association
11250 Waples Mill Road
Fairfax , VA 22030
(800) 231-0752
eddie@nrahq.org

Keeping Kids Safe - Gun Safety

Courtesy of ezinearticles.

With 40% of American Families possessing firearms, the matter of protecting our children from Gun Accidents is a huge concern in America.

It is possible for parents to keep their children safe when they choose to own weapons and keep them in the home. Children or teens cannot be responsible for their own safety; it is the responsibility of the parents or adults of the household.

When you make the decision to own a firearm, you must be totally informed on the most effective methods for assuring your family and visitors in your home are safe. The gun owner alone carries this responsibility. The risks are significant. The method you choose to secure the gun cannot be considered lightly; it is a serious situation which requires great planning and thought to avoid a tragedy. Unfortunately, where firearms are concerned, you rarely get more than one chance to get it right.

Research shows that 40% of homes with children have a gun in the home and 1 in 4 of these guns is loaded at all times. Research also shows that a large majority of deaths due to guns happened in the home. All the more reason for us to carefully evaluate how we store our guns.

With this information in mind, it should go without saying when there are children or teens in the home, there should never be a loaded gun in the house. The gun should always be in a secure storage where it is impossible for the children to access.

If it is necessary for a gun to be kept in the bedroom, a secure vault should be used. There are vaults available that are small and able to be mounted on the bedframe, or near the bed. Vaults with Biometric or digital access are best. This technology allows the gun owner to access the vault very quickly and easily but keeps everyone else out.

Keep in mind that children are naturally curious and often listen to the encouragement of their friends instead of the good sense of their parents. Keep all guns securely away from children and in a storage that will not allow the access under any conditions. Even though you have had the necessary conversations with your children and you feel they understand you, do not become complacent in this area. Your complacency can kill.

Here are a few safety tips to assist you:

* Guns should not be loaded when in the home
* Keep guns in a vaulting system to prevent accidental access or theft
* Guns in vehicles (based on the individual laws of your state) should be kept in a vault designed for vehicle gun storage.
* Never assume your children will make the right decision when they encounter access to a gun.

It is your responsibility to protect your children. Take the necessary steps today.

KwikVault Gun Safes

Keeping kids safe is a priority for most adults. By using keyless entry systems (digital or fingerprint), children can not access the KwikVault and therefore the gun or prescription drugs inside.

Law Enforcement Officers, Hunters and Concealed Carry Holders nationwide are very excited about the uses of KwikVault systems in Home, Automobile or even Sporting Vehicles. Not only keeping valuables safe, but making immediate access as easy as fingerprint recognition with this size appropriate and high tech application.

Wanda Grindstaff
Director of Sales and Marketing
http://www.KwikVault.com

Lock Bumping - Vulnerability to Your Home

This news video story from Memphis tells how about 90% of all home locks can be easily picked (even by a kid), using an easily made Bump Key. Guess it’s a new thing sweeping the Internet. All Home owners need to be aware of this. The solutions for door locks is better locks. Medeco and Primus are good examples, visit Brickhouse Security for more information.

Home Fire Safety - Smoke Alarms

Another good piece of advice from the U.S. Fire Administration

One of the most important fire safety devices for the home is the smoke alarm. After becoming generally available in the early 1970's home smoke alarm sales grew rapidly and the price fell, so that by 1991, 88% of US homes had at least one, and alarms could be purchased for under $10.

Several studies have concluded that when working smoke alarms are present, the chance of dying from the fire is cut in half. The smoke alarms currently in place have saved thousands of lives, but several problems exist. First, the 12% of homes without alarms have more than half of the fires; second, it is estimated that a third of the smoke alarms in place are not working, often due to failure to replace a worn out battery; and third, many homes do not have as many smoke alarms as are needed to protect the occupants properly. In this section, we will examine how to protect your family with smoke alarms.

How Many Alarms Do You Need?

The primary job of our smoke alarm is to protect you from fires while you are asleep. Thus, your alarms should be located between any sleeping persons and the rest of the house ' outside bedrooms or sleeping areas. But tests conducted in the 1970's clearly showed that this might not be enough.

In multi-story homes, fires on a floor level without a smoke alarm can grow to dangerous conditions before sufficient smoke can rise in a stairway to set off an alarm on the upper floor. Based on this observation, most codes require that additional smoke alarms be located on each floor level of the home.

A closed door provides protection from smoke on the other side, but will also prevent smoke from reaching a smoke alarm. This is particularly a problem in bedrooms. If you sleep with your bedroom door closed, you should add a smoke alarm in the bedroom; particularly if you smoke in the bedroom or there is a TV, air conditioner, or other major appliances in the bedroom that might start a fire. If you sleep with the bedroom door open, the alarm in the hall outside will detect a fire in the bedroom or elsewhere.

There are a few places where a smoke alarm should not be placed. These include kitchens and garages (cooking fumes and car exhaust are likely to set them off) and unheated attics and crawl spaces (where it can get too cold or hot for the electronics to work properly). Fires beginning in these areas are generally detected by the other smoke alarms in enough time to escape safely. If an alarm is desired in these spaces, heat detectors are available. But remember that the smoke alarms are the primary safety devices in any home protection scheme.

What Kind of Smoke Alarm Should You Get?

There are two types of home smoke alarms available; the ion type and the photoelectric type. The ion type reacts faster to open flaming fires and is usually the least expensive. The photoelectric type reacts faster to smoldering fires and is less likely to react to cooking. Both types provide good protection and can be used without worry. If you need more than one alarm, you might get one of each. There are also multiple ways to power smoke alarms. Most operate on a battery (usually 9 volt), which should be replaced at least once a year. When the battery needs changing, the smoke alarm will begin to "chirp" every 20 seconds or so, this will persist for a month.

This is most likely to start in the middle of the night (when the temperature in the house drops) causing you to get up and remove the battery so you can sleep. To prevent this nuisance you should pick a special day and give your alarms new batteries once a year. Some fire safety organizations promote "change your clocks, change your batteries" when the change is made back from daylight savings time each fall. Always make sure that you use the right battery ' the required battery type is marked on the alarm near where the battery goes. Smoke alarms installed in a house may be operated from the household electrical power and not need battery replacement. This type of alarm has a "power on" light to tell you that the alarm has power. Smoke alarms are available which run on house power but also have a battery in case the main power fails. Both types of alarms need to be tested monthly and batteries should be replaced yearly just as with the battery-only operated type.

How Should Smoke - Fire Alarms be Installed?

Smoke alarms are normally installed on the ceiling or high on the wall, with the top of the alarm not closer than 4 inches nor further than 12 inches from the ceiling. Alarms should be no closer than 3 feet from supply registers of forced air heating systems (that might blow on the alarm preventing it from seeing smoke) and no closer than 3 feet from the door to a kitchen or a bathroom containing a shower (steam can set the alarm off when the door is opened).

If an alarm is mounted on an exterior wall or a ceiling below an unheated attic that is poorly insulated (the surface gets noticeably cold in the winter and warm in the summer), the temperature difference can prevent smoke from getting to the alarm. Placing the alarm on an inside wall avoids the problem. In desert climates where evaporative coolers are being used, mount smoke alarms on walls 12 inches below the ceiling. These coolers add moisture that can cause the smoke to drop.

Older adults may have difficulty reaching alarms on the ceiling to change batteries. If hard-wired alarms are impractical, wall mounting 12 inches down should be considered.

Can You Hear Your Alarms?

The ultimate test for smoke alarms is their ability to wake you when you are asleep. This generally means that the nearest alarm to the bedroom can be no further away than in the next room with the intervening door open.

Hard-wired alarms can be connected together (with a wire) so when one alarm activates, all interconnected alarms go off. Many alarms in new homes have this feature. It means any alarm in the home can awaken you in your bedroom if the nearest alarm is loud enough to do so.

For homes with battery-powered alarms, there are models that contain a radio transmitter that will activate a receiver that can be placed in the bedroom. An advantage of this type is that, when you go on vacation, you can give the receiver to a neighbor who could call the fire department if a fire starts. Of course, these are a lot more expensive than the simple alarms.

All battery-powered and most hard-wired smoke alarms use a high-pitched electronic horn which is difficult for some people to hear. Test alarms before installation to make sure that all members of the household can hear them clearly.

People with hearing impairments can get smoke alarms with bright, flashing lights or vibrating signals. To awaken you, the light needs to be over the head of the bed and should be rated at least 110 candles. Such bright lights must be powered from house power, so if it is battery operated, it is probably not bright enough to use in the bedroom.

Alarm Testing and Maintenance

Smoke alarms should be tested at least once a month. All smoke alarms have a test button that you push to check out the entire alarm, including its sensitivity (how much smoke it takes to set it off). If the testing mechanism does not work properly, the alarm should be replaced immediately. Never use open flame devices to test an alarm.

Older adults and the physically impaired may have problems reaching their alarms to test them. There is one brand of smoke alarm on which the test feature can be activated by shining a flashlight on it. Another brand has an automatic test that activates at the same time and day, once a week. These models can be used where proper testing might not otherwise be done.

Smoke alarms need no maintenance other than changing batteries (in those that have batteries) and an occasional vacuuming of dust or cobwebs. Every smoke alarm comes with a homeowner booklet, which describes how to use and take care of that particular alarm. You should read that booklet and keep it in a safe place for future reference.

What if Your Alarm Malfunctions (false alarm)?

Smoke alarms are highly reliable but can sometimes be fooled by cooking or steam. If it sounds when there is not fire, it may need to be moved a few feet to a new position where it is not in the way of cooking vapors or steam. It may also have insects in it, so you should take it down and vacuum it out. If it continues to act up, simply replace it with a new alarm. They are inexpensive and can be purchased at any local hardware store.

How Long Should Your Smoke Alarm Last?

Smoke alarms have a useful life of about ten years. At that age they should be replaced, even if they seem to be working. This will assure that the alarm will be working when you need it.

Even though prices of today's smoke alarms are less expensive than you might have paid some years ago, today's alarms are more reliable. Thus, it is usually not worth keeping an old alarm rather than buying a replacement.

Contact Your Local Fire Department

If you need information about smoke alarms (how many, where to put them, when to replace them) contact your local fire department. If you need smoke alarms and cannot afford them, ask your local fire department if they have a program that can help. Many fire departments participate in free smoke alarm distribution or installation programs. Often these are targeted at high-risk groups like older adults (people over 65), families with young children, and recent immigrant groups, often dependent on the funding source.

4th of July Fireworks Safety

The 4th of July is coming up, day after tomorrow, with the resultant celebration often involving alcohol for thee adults and fireworks for the children.

84% of emergency room visits involve the use of approved fireworks. Well, somebody is doing something wrong to send that many people for treatment. This totals as many as 15,000 people a year with injuries and more than just a few deaths.

Fireworks Safety Tips. If you’re going to use fireworks:

Fireworks are associated with serious injuries, including blindness, third degree burns and permanent scarring [3]. If you’re going to use fireworks, take preventive measures to reduce these risks.

* Don’t use fireworks and sparklers indoors.
* Obey local laws. If fireworks aren’t legal in your area, don’t use them. Not only are you breaking the law, but you run the risk of injury and, if you have children, aren’t setting a good example. Your children should look to you as a role model.
* Light fireworks on a smooth, flat surface away from homes, dry leaves and brush and flammable materials.
* Always have water, such as a garden hose or bucket, nearby.
* The adult lighting the fireworks should always wear eye protection.
* Fireworks and alcohol aren’t a safe combination. Just like a designated driver, have a designated shooter that hasn’t been drinking.
* Ensure that other people are out of range before lighting fireworks.


Another good site to visit for safety and fireworks statistics would be: Mom Logic

With the adults celebrating, especially with the coming Monday July 5th a holiday for some, alcohol may be flowing freely. Ensure people who are drinking at you house or event are not driving. Drunk drivers not only place people on the roadway at risk, but it greatly increases your liability as a home owner serving alcohol.

One last safety tip involves grilling. Take steps to ensure children are not playing around the grill. Years ago a buddy of mine had his 3 years old daughter get severely burned by grabbing a piece of hotdog off the grill which was slightly higher than her line of sight. Terrible thing hearing a baby scream with pain.

On that note,....have a Happy and Safe 4th of July.

Home Fires

More excellent information from the U.S. Fire Adminstration

Home Fires

Most home fires occur in the kitchen while cooking and are the leading cause of injuries from fire. However, they are often extinguished with only minor damage since a person is generally present. Common causes of fires at night are carelessly discarded cigarettes, sparks from fireplaces without spark screens or glass doors, and heating appliances left too close to furniture or other combustibles. These fires can be particularly dangerous because they may smolder for a long period of time before being discovered by sleeping residents.

Most victims of fire succumb to the smoke and toxic gases and not to burns. Fire produces poisonous gases that can spread rapidly and far from the fire itself to claim victims who are asleep and not even aware of the fire. Even if residents awaken, the effects of exposure to these gases can cloud their thinking and slow their reactions so that they cannot make their escape. This is why it is so crucial for you and your family to have sufficient warning so that you can all escape before your ability to think and move is impaired. In addition, more than half of fatal fires in homes occur when people are asleep ' this represents only a third of a 24-hour day. Therefore, any fire protection system must be able to protect people who are asleep in their bedrooms when fire starts.

Furthermore, nearly half the people killed in home fires each year are either preschool children or adults 65 years old or older. Add people with physical, mental, or emotional handicaps, and it is clear that home fire protection must be designed for people with limitations. That is why every fire safety program should include provisions for people with special needs.

Fire and Older Adults

The risk of death from fire for Americans age 65 and over is two times greater than the risk for adults under 65, and hospital stays of more than 40 days are common for older burn victims. Thus, older people need to be especially careful with fire. People can become victims of fire by falling asleep smoking, either in bed or in a favorite chair especially after consuming alcohol or taking medication. Ashtrays emptied before smoldering materials are completely out also start a number of fires in homes of smokers. Cooking is a major cause of fire injuries among older persons when loose fitting clothing is ignited as the wearer reaches over a hot burner or slips and falls onto the stove.

Children and Fire Safety

another article from the U.S. Fire Administration

Children and Fire

Children playing with matches or lighters is a leading cause of home fires and one in which the children and others present are often hurt. Children have a natural curiosity about fire and are tempted to play with matches or lighters left within their reach. In many cases, children who start fires have a history of fire setting. Many fire departments offer counseling programs for juveniles who set fires. If your child is setting fires, you should contact your local fire department for information about counseling before the situation gets out of hand and your child gets hurt. Nevertheless, the most important thing you can do is to keep all matches and lighters out of the sight and reach of children. Store them up high, preferably in a locked cabinet.

Even though they have a natural curiosity about fire, children may become frightened and confused in a fire and hide rather than escape to safety; especially if they started the fire. Children are often found hiding in closets or under beds where they feel safe. Therefore, it is crucial for your child's safety that you hold fire drills in the home at least twice a year to let them practice the right things to do in a fire emergency.

Clothing fires are a significant cause of fire injuries to children (and to adults too). They set their clothes on fire by getting too close to heat sources such as open fires or stoves, or when playing with matches or lighters. Here too, the best defense is a respect for fire and training in what to do if their clothes do catch fire. Their natural reaction is to run ' which will make the situation worse. STOP, DROP, and ROLL is taught as the correct action and has saved many lives in clothing fires. The moment clothes start to burn, stop where you are, drop to the ground, cover your face with your hands and roll repeatedly to smother the flames.

Of course, young children should never be left alone in the home. Even if they don't play with fire, unattended children can accidentally start a fire by attempting to cook something or by using a heater or electrical appliance in the wrong way. All too often, tragic fires occur when young children are left unattended, for even short periods.

Children's Sleepwear

In the 1970's, the hazards of accidental ignition of sleepwear on young children were addressed through federal legislation. The Flammable Fabrics Act required that children's sleepwear (sizes 0-6X) be flame retardant. In a short time, this had a dramatic impact on deaths and injuries reducing them by 95%.

Recently, an increase in injuries has been reported among children sleeping in garments classified as "daywear" such as tee shirts and jerseys. These garments look just like sleepwear but are not fire retardant. The only way to tell the difference is by careful examination of the garment label. Therefore, parents should be careful to buy only fire retardant sleepwear for their children in order to enjoy the fire safety benefits of these garments.

Basic Fire Escape Planning

Your ability to get out depends on advance warning from smoke alarms and advance planning. Practice your plan!

From the NFPA.

Pull together everyone in your household and make a plan. Walk through your home and inspect all possible exits and escape routes. Households with children should consider drawing a floor plan of your home, marking two ways out of each room, including windows and doors. Also, mark the location of each smoke alarm.

Install smoke alarms in every sleeping room, outside each sleeping area and on every level of the home.

Everyone in the household must understand the escape plan. When you walk through your plan, check to make sure the escape routes are clear and doors and windows can be opened easily.

Choose an outside meeting place (i.e. neighbor's house, a light post, mailbox, or stop sign) a safe distance in front of your home where everyone can meet after they've escaped. Make sure to mark the location of the meeting place on your escape plan.

Go outside to see if your street number is clearly visible from the road. If not, paint it on the curb or install house numbers to ensure that responding emergency personnel can find your home.

Have everyone memorize the emergency phone number of the fire department. That way any member of the household can call from a neighbor's home or a cellular phone once safely outside.

If there are infants, older adults, or family members with mobility limitations, make sure that someone is assigned to assist them in the fire drill and in the event of an emergency. Assign a backup person too, in case the designee is not home during the emergency.

If windows or doors in your home have security bars, make sure that the bars have emergency release devices inside so that they can be opened immediately in an emergency. Emergency release devices won't compromise your security - but they will increase your chances of safely escaping a home fire.

Tell guests or visitors to your home about your family's fire escape plan. When staying overnight at other people's homes, ask about their escape plan. If they don't have a plan in place, offer to help them make one. This is especially important when children are permitted to attend "sleepovers" at friends' homes. See NFPA's "Sleepover fire safety for kids" fact sheet.

Be fully prepared for a real fire: when a smoke alarm sounds, get out immediately. Residents of high-rise and apartment buildings may be safer "defending in place."

Once you're out, stay out! Under no circumstances should you ever go back into a burning building. If someone is missing, inform the fire department dispatcher when you call. Firefighters have the skills and equipment to perform rescues.

Putting your plan to the test

* Practice your home fire escape plan twice a year, making the drill as realistic as possible.
* Make arrangements in your plan for anyone in your home who has a disability.
* Allow children to master fire escape planning and practice before holding a fire drill at night when they are sleeping. The objective is to practice, not to frighten, so telling children there will be a drill before they go to bed can be as effective as a surprise drill.
* It's important to determine during the drill whether children and others can readily waken to the sound of the smoke alarm. If they fail to awaken, make sure that someone is assigned to wake them up as part of the drill and in a real emergency situation.
* If your home has two floors, every family member (including children) must be able to escape from the second floor rooms. Escape ladders can be placed in or near windows to provide an additional escape route. Review the manufacturer's instructions carefully so you'll be able to use a safety ladder in an emergency. Practice setting up the ladder from a first floor window to make sure you can do it correctly and quickly. Children should only practice with a grown-up, and only from a first-story window. Store the ladder near the window, in an easily accessible location. You don't want to have to search for it during a fire.
* Always choose the escape route that is safest – the one with the least amount of smoke and heat – but be prepared to escape under toxic smoke if necessary. When you do your fire drill, everyone in the family should practice getting low and going under the smoke to your exit.
* Closing doors on your way out slows the spread of fire, giving you more time to safely escape.
* In some cases, smoke or fire may prevent you from exiting your home or apartment building. To prepare for an emergency like this, practice "sealing yourself in for safety" as part of your home fire escape plan. Close all doors between you and the fire. Use duct tape or towels to seal the door cracks and cover air vents to keep smoke from coming in. If possible, open your windows at the top and bottom so fresh air can get in. Call the fire department to report your exact location. Wave a flashlight or light-colored cloth at the window to let the fire department know where you are located.

Encouraging families to prepare

Judy Comoletti, assistant vice president of NFPA's Public Education Division, not only emphasizes the importance of developing and rehearsing home escape plans, but suggests that parents activate their smoke alarms and conduct their drills at night, so they can better gauge the reaction of everyone in the household. Children and the elderly aren't the only ones at risk of sleeping through an alarm, she notes. Sleep-deprived college students, shift workers, teenagers, the hearing impaired, and anyone taking sedating medication, alcohol or drug-impaired individuals, might conceivably be affected, as well.

"Every family should know who will—and won't—wake up at the sound of the alarm so they can accommodate any special needs," she says. If someone is hard to rouse, Comoletti suggests installing additional hard-wired, interconnected alarms in every bedroom. If this doesn't work, she encourages families to design an escape plan that assigns an adult who awakens easily to rouse the sound sleepers.

"We all think we know our kids so well, and we think we know how they will react to A, B or C," says Douglas . "We think they're so smart they'll know just what to do. However, the reality is you don't know at all until it happens. You have to practice. It's like helping your kid prepare for a spelling test. You have to drill them."

Summer safety: Technology can help curb danger

From an on-line article written by María Cortés González of the El Paso Times.

When it comes to summer, children and the outdoors go hand in hand.

And most parents want their children to go outside and get exercise, instead of spending hours inside playing video games.

But before you send your children out to play -- whether on the swings or in a swimming pool -- make sure your backyard is safe.

It's not enough that the backyard fence is closed or that you think your yard is safe. Danger can lurk in the very places your children love to play.

Consider that 2.7 million children end up in the emergency room every summer from accidents in or around their home, according to Underwriters Laboratories. UL is a safety organization that offers information to parents for creating safer home environments.

Each year, more children ages 1 through 14 die in pool drownings than in car accidents. More than 4,000 children are injured or die due to drowning or near-drowning accidents in the United States , according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Unattended grills, broken children's play equipment and unchecked sandboxes can all cause preventable accidents.

John Drengenberg, director of consumer safety for Underwriters Laboratories, said parents try to keep their children safe, but are not safety experts.

"We can't blame parents, but we can talk about the type of hazards that might be in their back yard" and educate them, he said.

Pool safety

Swimming is one of most popular ways for children to enjoy their summer. Unfortunately, swimming pools are one of the leading danger zones for children.

An El Paso city ordinance states that a pools must have a fence around it that is at least 4 feet tall with a self-latching lock.

"Nothing beats adult supervision," Drengenberg said. He added that older children, such as teenagers, are not suitable replacements for an adult.

"The other thing is to follow the 10/20 rule. You should scan the pool every 10 seconds and be able to get to the pool within 20 seconds if there is an emergency," he said.

Drengenberg said when a child is missing for a few minutes, the first place to look is not in bedrooms, closets or neighbors' yards.

"The first place to look is the pool, because the sooner you find the child and get help, the better the chance of the child not sustaining brain injuries or death," he said.

Even small wading pools can be as deadly as a larger pool.

"Everybody knows a child can drown in one inch of water. When you're done with the pool, empty it and turn it upside down so it doesn't collect rain water," Drengenberg said.

Bob Ferguson, vice president of Water Systems at NSF International, said ill-fitting drain covers have also been known to cause dangerous accidents such as entrapping limbs or hair.

NSF International is a not-for-profit public health and safety organization.

"In the last couple of years, there have been some real changes in the type of equipment used in pools because people have gotten their hair caught in a drain. And people have nearly drowned," he said.

Ferguson said people need to make sure the drain and suction fittings on their pool are certified. And don't allow anyone to play in the pool if a drain cover is missing or broken until it is replaced.

Along with adult supervision, parents can use a variety of technology -- such as security cameras and wristband alarms -- to aid them in watching their children.

The Safety Turtle, for example, allows a parent to put a cute wristband on a child to use with a separate wireless base. If the child were to fall into the pool, the alarm would go off immediately.

Bridget Palmer, a product manager for First Alert, said outside security cameras are weather-resistant and can be used to view everything going on outside.

"You could mount it underneath an awning and have it pointed to a pool," she said.

The cameras, made by First Alert, also feature LED night vision technology.

Some other tips for pool safety:

* Keep toys out of the pool. A child may be tempted to try to get a toy and fall in.
* Keep tricycles or wheeled toys away from the pool, as children playing with these could fall in the water.
* Make sure the fence around the pool has a self-closing and self-latching mechanism to prevent unauthorized entry.
* Never stack any furniture near the pool that can be used as a steppingstone.
* Make sure that an emergency shut-off switch for the pump is installed nearby and that it is easily accessible. Everyone should know where these switches are located and how to use them.

Playgrounds

We all know the weather -- mainly the sun -- in El Paso is bad for our bodies. And it can also put extra wear and tear on items left outdoors.

If you haven't checked your son's playground equipment since you built it, you may be putting your child at risk for an injury.

Ferguson said parents need to maintain their children's play equipment by checking for loose screws.

"Go over the bolts and make sure they have covers so they won't cut their fingers. And the hooks that hold up the swings should be closed nice and tight so there's no chance of the chain slipping and the child hurting themselves," he said.

Also, make sure the playground equipment is away from trees, because children may be inclined to swing from their swing set and climb onto them. A 6-to-12-inch layer of mulch, such as chopped rubber tires or wood chips, also can provide a safe and softer cushion than a lawn.

Sandboxes, another fun place for children, can also appeal to cats and other critters. Make it a routine to check the sand for any sharp objects or other unwanted items before children play.

Spiders, scorpions

Plastic buckets, pieces of wood and boxes could all become toys in the hands of an imaginative child. But they can also be secret hideouts for scorpions and spiders.

It's a good idea to teach children how to safely pick up these items or others that have been lying around for a while.

Before handling any of these, children should always be sure to look at the exposed side of the object and then flip it over with something else to check the underside, according to Associated Content.

Flipping it over a couple of times is even better.

Teach them to get an adult when they see a spider or scorpion instead of trying to kill it. A spider and or scorpion can still bite or sting a person even if it's been smashed.

Mosquitoes, which can carry the West Nile virus, also can be a summer problem, mainly from dusk to dawn.

It's a good idea to use repellent with DEET and wear protective clothing, such as long-sleeved shirts and pants.

Also, change water in birdbaths, pet water bowls and wading pools regularly to prevent mosquitoes from laying eggs.

"The summer is a wonderful time for kids and parents to play together and spend time together," Ferguson said.

Parents just have to take the lead in being careful so their children can enjoy their summer, he added.

Levels of Awareness - First Step in Personal Protection

This report is republished with permission of STRATFOR, by Scott Stewart.

People typically operate on five distinct levels of awareness. There are many ways to describe these levels (“Cooper’s colors,” for example, which is a system frequently used in law enforcement and military training), but perhaps the most effective way to illustrate the differences between the levels is to compare them to the different degrees of attention we practice while driving. For our purposes here we will refer to the five levels as “tuned out;” “relaxed awareness;” “focused awareness;” “high alert” and “comatose.”

The first level, tuned out, is like when you are driving in a very familiar environment or are engrossed in thought, a daydream, a song on the radio or even by the kids fighting in the backseat. Increasingly, cell phone calls and texting are also causing people to tune out while they drive. Have you ever gotten into the car and arrived somewhere without even really thinking about your drive there? If so, then you’ve experienced being tuned out.

The second level of awareness, relaxed awareness, is like defensive driving. This is a state in which you are relaxed but you are also watching the other cars on the road and are looking well ahead for potential road hazards. If another driver looks like he may not stop at the intersection ahead, you tap your brakes to slow your car in case he does not. Defensive driving does not make you weary, and you can drive this way for a long time if you have the discipline to keep yourself at this level, but it is very easy to slip into tuned-out mode. If you are practicing defensive driving you can still enjoy the trip, look at the scenery and listen to the radio, but you cannot allow yourself to get so engrossed in those distractions that they exclude everything else. You are relaxed and enjoying your drive, but you are still watching for road hazards, maintaining a safe following distance and keeping an eye on the behavior of the drivers around you.

The next level of awareness, focused awareness, is like driving in hazardous road conditions. You need to practice this level of awareness when you are driving on icy or slushy roads — or the roads infested with potholes and erratic drivers that exist in many third-world countries. When you are driving in such an environment, you need to keep two hands on the wheel at all times and have your attention totally focused on the road and the other drivers. You don’t dare take your eyes off the road or let your attention wander. There is no time for cell phone calls or other distractions. The level of concentration required for this type of driving makes it extremely tiring and stressful. A drive that you normally would not think twice about will totally exhaust you under these conditions because it demands your prolonged and total concentration.

The fourth level of awareness is high alert. This is the level that induces an adrenaline rush, a prayer and a gasp for air all at the same time — “Watch out! There’s a deer in the road! Hit the brakes!” This also happens when that car you are watching doesn’t stop at the stop sign and pulls out right in front of you. High alert can be scary, but at this level you are still able to function. You can hit your brakes and keep your car under control. In fact, the adrenalin rush you get at this stage can sometimes even aid your reflexes. But, the human body can tolerate only short periods of high alert before becoming physically and mentally exhausted.

The last level of awareness, comatose, is what happens when you literally freeze at the wheel and cannot respond to stimuli, either because you have fallen asleep, or, at the other end of the spectrum, because you are petrified from panic. It is this panic-induced paralysis that concerns us most in relation to situational awareness. The comatose level of awareness (or perhaps more accurately, lack of awareness) is where you go into shock, your brain ceases to process information and you simply cannot react to the reality of the situation. Many times when this happens, a person can go into denial, believing that “this can’t be happening to me,” or the person can feel as though he or she is observing, rather than actually participating in, the event. Often, the passage of time will seem to grind to a halt. Crime victims frequently report experiencing this sensation and being unable to act during an unfolding crime.

Now that we’ve discussed the different levels of awareness, let’s focus on identifying what level is ideal at a given time. The body and mind both require rest, so we have to spend several hours each day at the comatose level while asleep. When we are sitting at our homes watching a movie or reading a book, it is perfectly fine to operate in the tuned-out mode. However, some people will attempt to maintain the tuned-out mode in decidedly inappropriate environments (e.g., when they are out on the street at night in a third-world barrio), or they will maintain a mindset wherein they deny that they can be victimized by criminals. “That couldn’t happen to me, so there’s no need to watch for it.” They are tuned out.

Some people are so tuned out as they go through life that they miss even blatant signs of pending criminal activity directed specifically at them. In 1992, an American executive living in the Philippines was kidnapped by a Marxist kidnapping gang in Manila known as the “Red Scorpion Group.” When the man was debriefed following his rescue, he described in detail how the kidnappers had blocked off his car in traffic and abducted him. Then, to the surprise of the debriefing team, he said that on the day before he was abducted, the same group of guys had attempted to kidnap him at the exact same location, at the very same time of day and driving the same vehicle. The attackers had failed to adequately box his car in, however, and his driver was able to pull around the blocking vehicle and proceed to the office.

Since the executive did not consider himself to be a kidnapping target, he had just assumed that the incident the day before his abduction was “just another close call in crazy Manila traffic.” The executive and his driver had both been tuned out. Unfortunately, the executive paid for this lack of situational awareness by having to withstand an extremely traumatic kidnapping, which included almost being killed in the dramatic Philippine National Police operation that rescued him.

If you are tuned out while you are driving and something happens — say, a child runs out into the road or a car stops quickly in front of you — you will not see the problem coming. This usually means that you either do not see the hazard in time to avoid it and you hit it, or you totally panic and cannot react to it — neither is good. These reactions (or lack of reaction) occur because it is very difficult to change mental states quickly, especially when the adjustment requires moving several steps, say, from tuned out to high alert. It is like trying to shift your car directly from first gear into fifth and it shudders and stalls. Many times, when people are forced to make this mental jump and they panic (and stall), they go into shock and will actually freeze and be unable to take any action — they go comatose. This happens not only when driving but also when a criminal catches someone totally unaware and unprepared. While training does help people move up and down the alertness continuum, it is difficult for even highly trained individuals to transition from tuned out to high alert. This is why police officers, federal agents and military personnel receive so much training on situational awareness.

It is critical to stress here that situational awareness does not mean being paranoid or obsessively concerned about your security. It does not mean living with the irrational expectation that there is a dangerous criminal lurking behind every bush. In fact, people simply cannot operate in a state of focused awareness for extended periods, and high alert can be maintained only for very brief periods before exhaustion sets in. The “flight or fight” response can be very helpful if it can be controlled. When it gets out of control, however, a constant stream of adrenaline and stress is simply not healthy for the body or the mind. When people are constantly paranoid, they become mentally and physically burned out. Not only is this dangerous to physical and mental health, but security also suffers because it is very hard to be aware of your surroundings when you are a complete basket case. Therefore, operating constantly in a state of high alert is not the answer, nor is operating for prolonged periods in a state of focused alert, which can also be overly demanding and completely enervating. This is the process that results in alert fatigue. The human body was simply not designed to operate under constant stress. People (even highly skilled operators) require time to rest and recover.

Because of this, the basic level of situational awareness that should be practiced most of the time is relaxed awareness, a state of mind that can be maintained indefinitely without all the stress and fatigue associated with focused awareness or high alert. Relaxed awareness is not tiring, and it allows you to enjoy life while rewarding you with an effective level of personal security. When you are in an area where there is potential danger (which, by definition, is almost anywhere), you should go through most of your day in a state of relaxed awareness. Then if you spot something out of the ordinary that could be a potential threat, you can “dial yourself up” to a state of focused awareness and take a careful look at that potential threat (and also look for others in the area).

If the potential threat proves innocuous, or is simply a false alarm, you can dial yourself back down into relaxed awareness and continue on your merry way. If, on the other hand, you look and determine that the potential threat is a probable threat, seeing it in advance allows you to take actions to avoid it. You may never need to elevate to high alert, since you have avoided the problem at an early stage. However, once you are in a state of focused awareness you are far better prepared to handle the jump to high alert if the threat does change from potential to actual — if the three guys lurking on the corner do start coming toward you and look as if they are reaching for weapons. The chances of you going comatose are far less if you jump from focused awareness to high alert than if you are caught by surprise and “forced” to go into high alert from tuned out. An illustration of this would be the difference between a car making a sudden stop in front of a person when the driver is practicing defensive driving, compared to a car that makes a sudden stop in front of a person when the driver is sending a text message.

Of course, if you know that you must go into an area that is very dangerous, you should dial yourself up to focused awareness when you are in that area. For example, if there is a specific section of highway where a lot of improvised explosive devices detonate and ambushes occur, or if there is a part of a city that is controlled (and patrolled) by criminal gangs — and you cannot avoid these danger areas for whatever reason — it would be prudent to heighten your level of awareness when you are in those areas. An increased level of awareness is also prudent when engaging in common or everyday tasks, such as visiting an ATM or walking to the car in a dark parking lot. The seemingly trivial nature of these common tasks can make it all too easy to go on “autopilot” and thus expose yourself to threats. When the time of potential danger has passed, you can then go back to a state of relaxed awareness.

This process also demonstrates the importance of being familiar with your environment and the dangers that are present there. Such awareness allows you to avoid many threats and to be on the alert when you must venture into a dangerous area.

Clearly, few of us are living in the type of intense threat environment currently found in places like Mogadishu , Juarez or Kandahar . Nonetheless, average citizens all over the world face many different kinds of threats on a daily basis — from common thieves and assailants to criminals and mentally disturbed individuals aiming to conduct violent acts to militants wanting to carry out large-scale attacks against subways and aircraft.

Many of the steps required to conduct these attacks must be accomplished in a manner that makes the actions visible to the potential victim and outside observers. It is at these junctures that people practicing situational awareness can detect these attack steps, avoid the danger and alert the authorities. When people practice situational awareness they not only can keep themselves safer but they can also help keep others safe. And when groups of people practice situational awareness together they can help keep their schools, houses of worship, workplaces and cities safe from danger.

And as we’ve discussed many times before, as the terrorist threat continues to devolve into one almost as diffuse as the criminal threat, ordinary citizens are also becoming an increasingly important national security resource.