December 27, 2011 at 9:09 pm By Roz Potter
Drastic cuts to federal, state and municipal budgets mean fewer law enforcement personnel at the very time that reductions to social programs and safety nets will hit individuals and families already stressed by unemployment, lack of health insurance, home foreclosure, and higher costs for basic necessities. A perfect set-up for crime.
Through lecture, discussion and exercises, this beginning level workshop will introduce you to crime prevention concepts and practices that can help you prevent or evade assaults, robbery, identity theft and burglary. Learn information and methods that can help you:
- evaluate and alter personal and environmental factors that can place you at higher risk
- recognize criminal thinking, strategies and methods
- evade predator ploys
- use situational awareness
- recognize and act on your intuition
Taught by law enforcement and security guest lecturer, along with Roz Potter, RN, MA, CIC. $75 ($15 discount for prior workshop participants and seniors) Scholarships available.
Posted in Identity Theft, Personal safety, Personal security, Public Safety | No Comments »
November 19, 2011 at 12:01 am By Roz Potter
Dear Readers,
In just a bit over two weeks, in the space of 6 hours, you have an opportunity to jump-start disaster preparedness. The event is the Earthquake / Disaster Readiness Expo. The Expo is being held Saturday, December 3rd 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.at the at the John Muir Inn, in Napa. .
If you’re prepared for disaster, you can react more quickly, safely and decisively to a number of situations that can arise in a heartbeat.
1. You hear the hiss and smell of natural gas, should you turn off the gas or run? Do you know where and how to turn off the gas?
2. Lamps have fallen over in an earthquake, is it safe to touch them? Should you unplug them or turn off the main breaker?
3. You must evacuate, should you leave your pets behind? What should you take with you, if there is time?
4. You smell natural gas, is it safe to flip a light switch?
5. Water is running down the street from broken water pipes. Should you turn off your water? Does this mean that sewer pipes are also broken? Do you know how to protect your home from massive sewer backups that happen after disasters?
6. Electricity has been out for 4 days. Is it safe to eat food from the freezer? Burglars are taking advantage of the situation. How can you protect your home? Are candles safe to use for extended periods?
7. Phone, cell and internet services are out. How can you communicate with family members, friends or neighbors?
8. Some roads are damaged and impassible. Do family members know where to go if they can’t get home?
9. You’re running low on water. What is the safest method of water purification? What water sources are safe to use, safest to purify?
LEARN essential skills and information from live demonstration and presentations, such as how to:
- purify water
- handle utility emergencies
- shelter in place
- use safety. self-defense, and earthquake protection devices
- fight a fire
- select worthwhile lighting, communication, sanitation, first-aid, food and water supplies
SEE what’s inside those off-the-shelf 3-day “Go” bags and First-Aid kits, and if they’ll really take care of your needs
TASTE 3 brands of emergency food bars and, 5 year shelf life water
BUILD 3-day “Go” bags for yourself, family members or for gifts – we’ll have the carriers and supplies
PUT TOGETHER your own disaster plan with the comprehensive documents we provide
PARTICIPATE in a 2.5 hour lecture that’s full of stories, historic photographs and lessons from past disasters
$60 fee includes lecture, demonstrations, Defying Disaster’s preparedness documents including communication, reunification, utility emergency, medical information and pet plans, 3-day “Go” bag supply lists for home, car, school and work, and a Defying Disaster tote bag.
$10 discount for prior Defying Disaster workshop participants, full-time students, seniors over 65, and individuals from the same address. Scholarships are available ($20 full cost).
For details and to save a place, call 707-255-7146. I hope to see you there.
Posted in Disaster preparedness, Personal safety, Personal security, Training | No Comments »
October 7, 2010 at 7:13 pm By Roz Potter
The title of this post is adapted from one of Gavin De Becker’s brilliant rifts on behavior. Gavin is one of the top security professionals in the world. His firm protects kings and heads of state. His software protects the U.S. Supreme Court Justices. His work is an important part of our offerings in personal safety.
Let’s define terms. Here, relationship means the formation of a continued interaction between people. This includes our babysitters and our boyfriends or wives. It includes the contractors we hire and the companies we decide to do business with. De Becker is referring to relationships we choose, not the ones chosen for us. He is calling attention to our ability to predict behavior, to decide who’s a good sort and who’s a bad sort, when we decide to form a relationship. And, as evident from the title, to the often long-term and disastrous consequences of those decisions.
At this point you may be asking what this could possibly have to do with disaster preparedness and response. But that is only part of our work. Another large part is focused on personal safety, hence today’s topic. And, you may not want to know this, but should a catastophic disaster befall us, making good predictions about our neighbors could be very significant indeed to the quality and course of our lives. Disasters do indeed bring out the best and worst in people.
De Becker’s voice can be added to those of wise people everywhere who see the terrible consequences of making bad decisions about people we choose to be close to us or to our children. We discount a lot of good, telling clues in the interest of getting along, going along, or just getting a decision made.
We may ignore how these ”partners” treat others, thinking we are somehow immune — we would not be lied to, stolen from, deceived, or abused as we see hapens to others. We ignore the strong stirrings of our intuition. We believe their words, knowing full well that it is always behavior that is most telling.
And in the end, predictably, we find we’re not so special after all. We join the victim’s club. Whether we terminate these relationships or not, they have far-reaching consequences for our aspirations, feelings of self-worth, happiness, safety, security, and other aspects of our lives. Consequences we could have predicted and avoided.
Here are some tips for improving predictions:
1. Don’t rush into any relationship. It takes time to uncover deceit. Time to catch serial lies. Time to get the thorough background check. Time to tune in to our own invaluable intuition. Due dilligence has never been more necessary. Give yourself time to do the research – all of it.
2. Don’t count on others’ opinions about a company or person. People are easily duped. They’re busy. They don’t want to believe what they see. They don’t want to say anything negative. In other words, most people don’t want to know the truth.
In some cases, people with bad intentions are highly duplicitious. They are clever enough to act differently in the company of some individuals, particularly people they know to be opinion leaders. They may surround themselves with shills who create an aura of respectability. They acquire glowing references by dint of their intelligence, personality or talents, which they then use to gain the trust of people without influence. The latter can be easily discredited — and less likely to be believed if they should become victims and complain about it. This may make minority opinions about otherwise highly regarded individuals worth listening to.
If you are uncomfortable with the soccer coach, the dance teacher, the babysitter, the contractor, the employer, co-worker, friend or relative, take action. Listen to disparate opinions and make up your own mind. Listen carefully to your children. Don’t hesitate to change teachers, coaches, teams, sitters, or jobs. Limit interactions, have others with you, leave early. Speak up. Above all, protect yourself and loved ones.
3. Ask the hard questions. You know, the ones that seem intrusive, impolite, or tactless. The ones you’re sure won’t be answered honestly. You owe it to yourself and people you love to ask tough questions, give yourself the opportunity to hear the answers, and to analyze them. Questions like,” have you ever hit or abused a child?” or “have you ever been arrested or convicted of a crime”? Or, “what do others say about you – what do they like. What do they dislike?” We tell ourselves they wouldn’t tell us the truth. But by thinking this way, we discount what their words or body language or our intuition would tell us.
4. Related to #3 above, being polite and compliant is a victim qualification. You don’t have to answer any question that is asked of you. That discussion you’re having may actually be an ”interview” by someone with criminal or malevolent intent, who’s sizing you up. Practice saying ”no”, ”none of your business” or, “I don’t answer such questions”. Practice terminating an interview or an uncomfortable conversation. Interrupt, give your regrets, and walk away, without regret. Act tough, even if you don’t feel it.
There are many easy targets out there. Criminals and others with bad intentions look for easy targets. If you’re not one, they will go elsewhere, unless of course, there is a particularly big payoff. In that case, you should always seek expert help when making decisions about relationships. Any relationship.
Posted in Personal safety, Personal security | No Comments »
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