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Some communities hiring private patrol officers www.privateofficer.com
Some communities hiring private patrol officers http://www.privateofficer.com
If positive feedback helps make a happy employee, William Quinn is pedaling himself positively ecstatic.
When Quinn cycles through an East Memphis neighborhood, residents often wave and sometimes stop to chat, offer him cookies or tell him to knock on the door if he needs anything.
It’s not because he’s doing handstands or popping wheelies.
He and other bicycling security guards are giving residents a little two-wheeled peace of mind.
Since Friday, the employees of Corporate IQ Inc. have patrolled the Audubon Park Community Association, where leaders hope to stem fears of increasing crime in the comfortable neighborhood where a young Elvis Presley once owned a home.
Outfitted in a yellow shirt and black shorts with handcuffs and a gun on his belt, Quinn perches on his bike, meeting as many neighbors as he can — and that’s not difficult, because they often come to him.
Minutes after Rev. Noland Pipes, 71, stopped to shake Quinn’s hand Monday morning, another woman waved from her Lexus, and yet another pulled up in a Mini Cooper to offer encouragement: “Y’all are running them off, aren’t you?”
Quinn’s bosses think the bikes give their officers the ability to meld with the community, in addition to providing nimble transportation that can roll right to the action.
In Quinn, 41, they’ve got an officer who brings a different level of training to the task.
He’s just back from a 20-month National Guard stint in Arizona, where he helped U.S. Border Patrol agents fight drug trafficking and illegal immigration.
He said it taught him to play a constant game of “what if?” — “You’ve got to expect the unexpected.”
Corporate IQ charges each participating resident $65 a month, although prices vary according to whether customers want to prepay.
The company needs about 100 customers to make the service viable, said president Michael McCune. Nearly 80 have signed up so far.
The neighborhood association’s boundaries are Park on the north, Cherry on the east, the University of Memphis’ south campus on the west and Rhodes Avenue on the south.
Pipes, who took part in the association’s decision to hire Corporate IQ, is no stranger to crime.
His impeccably tidy home on Haverhill has been broken into three times, twice while he was there.
The last time, he said, the intruder ran away while Pipes ran to get his shotgun.
Earlier, as Pipes walked down Audubon with Tucker, his daughter’s Boston bull terrier, he took a last look over his shoulder at officer Quinn.
“We’re glad you’re here.”
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Norridge police and security busy with shoplifter arrests www.privateofficer.com
Norridge police and security busy with shoplifter arrests http://www.privateofficer.com
Police lodged numerous theft calls and a felony arrest at an area Kohl’s.
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Walgreen’s employee charged with thefts www.privateofficer.com
Walgreen’s employee charged with thefts http://www.privateofficer.com
According to police, employee, Nathan C. Walker, 20, of the 100 block of West Foundry Street, was charged Monday with shoplifting and theft.
Police responded to the pharmacy on North High Street about 6:24 p.m. Monday for a report of theft by a store employee.
Scott McMullen of the Walgreens loss prevention team told police Walker was ringing up one or two items in a customer’s cart and then letting them leave the store with other items that weren’t paid for. McMullen also said Walker would ring up sales, round the totals to the nearest dollar and then pocket the money after voiding transactions once customers left the store.
McMullen told police he had documentation showing the total value of the items Walker failed to charge for was $570.84, but McMullen said Walker told him he had been “under-ringing” items for about a year and the actual value was about $5,000.
A search of Walker’s bag by police turned up papers that contained “gang paraphernalia” related to the Bloods street gang, according to a police report.
Walker was processed and released on a summons.
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Comedian not laughing after shoplifting arrest www.privateofficer.com
Comedian not laughing after shoplifting arrest http://www.privateofficer.com
Local stand-up comedian Annette Pollack probably isn’t laughing much these days.
Pollack, 52, isn’t as well known as Hollywood actress Winona Ryder, who was arrested and charged with shoplifting in Beverly Hills in 2001.
The two women, however, now have something in common: Both have been accused of shoplifting.
Police said Pollack was at Filene’s Basement at South Shore Plaza on Monday night when she was seen stuffing a watch, two sets of earrings, four pairs of socks and four bottles of perfume into a handbag and then left the store without paying.
The $314.88 take also included a ring that Pollack allegedly put on a finger.
Store security caught up with her in the parking lot and called police.
Pollack, who is also an actress, comedy show producer and certified public accountant, is now looking for a lawyer to handle her case.
The Patriot Ledger profiled her last month in the WoMYnZONE section of the newspaper.
Only last week, Pollack put on a comedy show at Jimbo’s South restaurant.
Contacted at her Braintree home Wednesday, Pollack declined to comment on her arrest.
She pleaded innocent Tuesday in Quincy District Court to a charge of larceny of property worth more than $250.
Judge James McGovern released Pollack on her own recognizance and told her to stay away from Filene’s Basement.
Pollack, who didn’t have a lawyer at her arraignment, was ordered to return to court Oct. 21. She listed herself as being self-employed in court papers.
A police report filed in court stated store security saw Pollack removing sensors on items and then hiding them in her handbag. The report said she used pliers to rip a tag from a Kenneth Cole watch.
Before leaving Filene’s Basement, Pollack stopped at the register to make a small purchase, police said.
Ryder, 36, who has a star on the Hollywood “Walk of Fame,” received worldwide notoriety following her shoplifting arrest at a Saks Fifth Avenue store in December 2001.
Ryder was sentenced to 480 hours of community service and three years’ probation and ordered to pay $3,700 in fines and $6,355 in restitution.
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Barrington police make shoplifting arrests www.privateofficer.com
Barrington police make shoplifting arrests http://www.privateofficer.com
Last Tuesday, Alex J. Moore, also known as Aleksey Joseph Moore, 18, of 30 Washington Rd., was arrested for shoplifting for the second time in a month. Both cases involved male personal care products.
In last week’s incident, he was charged with going to Shaw’s Supermarket several times and taking a six pack of Mountain Dew, a steak and cheese sandwich and a can of Axe deodorant, a brand whose marketing campaign that suggests that use of the product will make the wearer irresistible to women.
He was caught at Veterans Memorial Park, where he recovered the can of deodorant, where he told the police he had tossed into the woods.
On July 30, he was arrested and charged with shoplifting a can of Blade Diablo body spray from CVS.
He is awaiting trial on a felony charge of second-degree sexual assault after allegedly molesting a 16-year-old girl on multiple occasions, often in public.
In another shoplifting case, Justin Peter Cabral, 20, of 15 Cutler St., apartment 7, Warren, was charged Sunday with one misdemeanor count of shoplifting after he reportedly took pills of Coricidin, a cough and cold medicine, from CVS.
A surveillance tape showed a young man with a Mohawk haircut taking the medicine from the shelf, going to an adjacent aisle, removing the pills and returning the empty box.
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Scottsdale police dog shot by officer www.privateofficer.com
Scottsdale police dog shot by officer http://www.privateofficer.com
A Scottsdale police dog was shot and killed by his handler on Friday, but police say they think the death was accidental.
This is the first time a police dog has died in the line of duty in the department’s 45-year history, said Chief Alan Rodbell.
“Certainly we don’t think it was intentional,” said Sgt. Mark Clark
Sgt. Chris Coffee shot Striker, a 6-year-old Czech shepherd, while they were searching a home about 3 a.m. near 104th Way and Dynamite Boulevard, police said.
Striker and Coffee were called to the house by officers who had discovered an open door, police said.
Striker was on a leash while conducting the search, and that’s when Sgt. Coffee shot Striker.
No intruder was found.
Striker was rushed to the emergency animal clinic, but his wound was fatal.
“This is being fully investigated,” Rodbell said at a news conference to announce the dog’s death.
“You can feel the sadness in the hallways here at headquarters,” Rodbell said.
“This is a loss not just for our police department. It’s a loss for our city government. It’s a loss to the community.”
Coffee, with the department for 10 years, is on a minimum 72-hour leave, a standard department policy.
Coffee has been in charge of the K-9 unit for two-and-a-half years and worked with Striker during that time.
Striker had been in the unit for four years and was one of six police dogs.
“Anyone that has pets and has a lost a pet can imagine how this man is feeling,” Rodbell said.
“They live together, they play together, they train together, and they spend their entire tour of duty together,” Rodbell said. “They’re best friends.”
The dogs take risks for officers, he said.
“They go in the door in lieu of us going in the door,” Rodbell said.
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Internet ads used as bait to rob men www.privateofficer.com
Internet ads used as bait to rob men http://www.privateofficer.com
Investigators have charged three men and two women after receiving reports that several men were robbed when responding to online advertisements for sex or massage.
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Shoplifter leads police on wild chase www.privateofficer.com
Shoplifter leads police on wild chase http://www.privateofficer.com
The man drove over police-deployed spike strips at least twice during the pursuit that never saw speeds of more than 55 mph, police said.
The car pursuit began when Portland police received a report of a shoplifter at the Winco on NE 122nd Avenue, officers said.
Officers and store security chased Robert Duvall Cooper, 26, out to his SUV and the alleged shoplifter nearly ran over a security guard as he fled the store’s parking lot, police said.
Officers said they followed Cooper onto Interstate 205 and after forcing him over spike strips twice they ended the chase using what is known as a PIT maneuver, where officers slam their patrol car into the rear fender of the vehicle, causing it to spin and come to a stop.
When the car came to a stop and the man was in custody, it became apparent that the man had driven until his tires had completely detached and he was driving on the rims, police said.
Cooper was arrested on charges of assault, attempted theft, reckless driving, reckless endangerment and attempt to elude, police said.
An Oregon Department of Transportation camera caught most of the chase including the dramatic conclusion.
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School fight quelled with pepper spray www.privateofficer.com
School fight quelled with pepper spray http://www.privateofficer.com
A school security guard pepper-sprayed several students at Sarah T. Reed High School to quell a large fight in the cafeteria Thursday.
A group of about a dozen students began fighting during lunch, said Eddie Compass, director of security for the Recovery School District. At the time, about 500 students packed the cafeteria.
Recovery School District Superintendent Paul Vallas said school officials expelled 12 students as a result of the incident
Rhondra Hunter, a senior at the eastern New Orleans school, said she was accidentally sprayed in the face after a student she does not know punched her. Hunter said the initial fight involved more than 12 students, estimating the number at closer to 30.
Medical workers treated the students who were sprayed. Compass said about 20 students were hit or stung by the spray.
About eight students who were not involved in the fight got the spray in their eyes once the spray entered the air, Compass said. Hunter said one of the students affected by the spray is pregnant.
Compass said the guard used the spray to stop the fight from spreading. It’s “justified when an officer feels that he is in danger, and others are in danger,” Compass said.
The spray stopped the fight in less than two minutes, he said, and no students were hit directly in the eyes. Hunter said it took about 30 minutes for EMT workers to arrive at the school and begin treating students. She said medics treated her face with milk. She was able to go home with an aunt, but said other students were kept through the afternoon if their parents could not come for them.
Jeb Tate, a spokesman for the city’s Emergency Medical Services, said staff arrived 14 minutes after receiving the call, and that first responders from the Fire Department were already at the school at the time of the incident responding to a fire alarm.
He said EMT workers would not have treated the injuries with milk, but declined to state how they were treated, citing health confidentiality laws.
“The kids were treated appropriately,” he said.
Hunter said the fight stemmed from a fight at the school Wednesday. She said the building went into lockdown mode on Wednesday, and students were sent home early because one of the boys involved threatened to “shoot up” the school.
Vallas said no one threatened to shoot, and that the Wednesday fight was off school grounds.
Compass said the cause of Thursday’s fight is under investigation. One student had a seizure after the incident, but did not appear to have been affected by the pepper spray, Compass said.
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Cleveland school security connect to police dispatch www.privateofficer.com
Cleveland school security connect to police dispatch http://www.privateofficer.com
Prior to Monday, security dispatchers had to use a phone to let police know about emergencies in schools. Now, security dispatchers can monitor police radio traffic as well as speak directly to the police dispatchers. The city recently installed communication equipment that links both departments.
Cleveland officials say that officers do respond to a lot of different types of emergencies throughout the school system and having two way radio capibility will assit in faster response and better communication between school dispatchers and police dispatchers. Officers in zone cars can listen and respond immediately to a school. The arrangement eliminates the delay from a call taker gathering information and entering it into the computer before a dispatcher can broadcast it, said Lt. Thomas Stacho.
Safety Director Martin Flask ordered the city to coordinate dispatch efforts between the police and the schools after the shooting last October at Success Tech Academy.
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Police charge man with murder of security officer www.privateofficer.com
Police charge man with murder of security officer http://www.privateofficer.com
Federal prosecutors on Thursday charged a man in connection with a bungled bank robbery in Kansas City two years ago that left a 70-year-old security guard dead.
Kansas City police and FBI agents arrested Iralee French, 21, in St. Louis on Wednesday. They interviewed him until midnight.
Court records accuse him of being the man who shot Dwight W. Mayhugh on Feb. 24, 2006, as the guard arrived for work at UMB Bank, 7901 Wornall Road. Mayhugh died in a hospital the next day.
Authorities tracked down a second suspect this week in a St. Louis jail, where he is awaiting trial on an unrelated armed robbery. That 21-year-old man has not been charged in Mayhugh’s death.
Information generated from the largest-ever canvass in a criminal case two weeks ago helped authorities identify French and the second suspect. But authorities needed more evidence before making arrests.
Investigators spent recent days following leads, conducting interviews and requesting subpoenas before interviewing the suspects Wednesday and Thursday, police said.
Court records gave this account:
French and his partner scouted out the bank on Feb. 23, 2006.
The next morning, French called a taxi cab to pick them up at his partner’s girlfriend’s house near 23rd Street and Oakley Avenue and take them to the area of the UMB Bank.
The partner waited across the street from the bank. French wore black clothes and hid near the bank’s underground parking garage with a shotgun waiting for bank tellers to arrive.
Instead, about 6:40 a.m., Mayhugh pulled in and parked. French and his partner approached Mayhugh’s car, and Mayhugh reached for his gun.
French allegedly “panicked” when he saw Mayhugh’s gun and blasted the guard through the car window. Shotgun pellets hit Mayhugh’s neck and chest.
The robbers took Mayhugh’s keys and dragged him to the doorway because they wanted him to open the safes.
Once inside, Mayhugh tried to turn off the alarm but could not.
The robbers put Mayhugh in a corner, hopped in his car and fled with no money. Mayhugh walked across the street to summon help.
Authorities later found Mayhugh’s car abandoned in the 2300 block of Oakley Avenue. It was only a half-block from where a bank teller’s car had been dumped after a robbery at the same bank two weeks before.
Authorities said at the time that the robberies were connected, but no charges have been filed in connection with the first one, which occurred Feb. 9, 2006. In that case, two gunmen confronted a teller, stole her teller drawer and ordered her into the trunk of her car. She refused, and they fled in her car.
Shortly after Mayhugh’s death, FBI agents canvassed a small area on the block where both cars were abandoned. At a house near 23rd Steet and Oakley, they interviewed a young man who now is identified as the second suspect.
He was not a suspect at the time, police said. He told agents he was asleep at the time of the crime.
French and the second suspect were staying at the suspect’s girlfriend’s home on 23rd Street in early 2006, according to court records.
The records said the suspect changed his pants before talking to FBI agents when they came door-to-door.
French and the suspect later left the house but returned later that day to retrieve their clothing and a long gun, the records said.
In the years after the crime, leads dried up and the reward fund for information in the case grew to $60,000.
The FBI agent in charge of the case eventually was assigned to the Kansas City Police Department’s Career Criminal squad, and the squad took over the investigation.
Earlier this year, a tipster called the TIPS Hotline with details that filled two pages regarding Mayhugh’s death. Members of the Career Criminal squad thought the tipster lived in the neighborhood where the cars were dumped or had connections to that neighborhood.
That’s why they decided to send more than 100 investigators to a large area near 24th and Oakley to knock on nearly 500 doors in search of fresh tips.
The publicity surrounding the canvass led someone outside of the neighborhood to contact authorities.
“We got a huge break,” said Sgt. Eric Greenwell of the Career Criminal squad.
Federal prosecutors said it was premature to discuss how the $60,000 reward would be distributed.
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Police identify security officer killed at nightclub www.privateofficer.com
Police identify security officer killed at nightclub http://www.privateofficer.com
Authorities released the name of the security officer who was shot and killed Aug. 28 while working the door at a Hyattsville-area nightclub, according to Prince George’s County Police.
Gregory Barron, Jr., 33, of the 5700 block of Queens Chapel Road in Hyattsville was taken to a local hospital after police found him outside of the Mustang nightclub with multiple gunshot wounds to his upper body, police spokesman Mike Rodriguez said. He was later pronounced dead.
Police are still unsure as to what led to the shooting on the 2400 block of Chillum Road, which is just outside of Hyattsville city limits.
Police responded to the club after someone called 911 and reported gunshots were heard at 11:50 p.m. and someone Rodriguez said. When officers arrived, they found one person shot and believe two people may have been involved in the shooting.
“The only thing we have right now is possibly an altercation ensued after one of the suspects was going to be pat down,” Rodriguez said. “Possibly the suspect had a problem with being pat down, maybe because had a gun or something.”
Police did not know if the security officer worked for a contract company or as an employee of the nightclub and they did not reveal if he was armed or not.
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Security guard arrested for making death threats www.privateofficer.com
Security guard arrested for making death threats http://www.privateofficer.com
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Severe Weather Facts and Tips www.privateofficer.com
Severe Weather Facts and Tips http://www.privateofficer.com
Central Dispatch Center
Atlanta GA. August 30 2008
SEVERE WEATHER FACTS AND SAFETY TIPS
Currently, we are in the midst of one of the most deadliest tornado seasons in many years. Severe weather outbreaks, storm related deaths and property damage seem to be at an all time record high and many people are not familiar with weather or weather terms.
Because of our active tornado season and the active hurricane season for those of us who live along the coast, we want to go over the weather facts, terms and safety tips that you can use to keep your family safe.
All thunderstorms are dangerous. Every thunderstorm produces lightning.
In the United States, an average of 300 people are injured and 80 people are killed each year by lightning. Although most lightning victims survive, people struck by lightning often report a variety of long-term, debilitating symptoms. Other associated dangers of thunderstorms include tornadoes, strong winds, hail, and flash flooding.
Flash flooding is responsible for more fatalities—more than 140 annually—than any other thunderstorm-associated hazard.Dry thunderstorms that do not produce rain that reaches the ground are most prevalent in the western United States. Falling raindrops evaporate, but lightning can still reach the ground and can start wildfires.
THUNDER AND LIGHTNING STORMS Facts About Lightning
•Lightning’s unpredictability increases the risk to individuals and property.•
Lightning often strikes outside of heavy rain and may occur as far as 10 miles away from any rainfall.
• “Heat lightning” is actually lightning from a thunderstorm too far away for thunder to be heard.
However, the storm may be moving in your direction!
• Most lightning deaths and injuries occur when people are caught outdoors in the summer months during the afternoon and evening.
• Your chances of being struck by lightning are estimated to be 1 in 600,000, but could be reduced even further by following safety precautions.
• Lightning strike victims carry no electrical charge and should be attended to immediately.
SAFETY TIPS When there are signs of an approaching storm, signs of lightning or sounds of thunder , you must take immediate cover.If you are caught outdoors in an approaching storm, seek shelter in a building or a vehicle. The tires of the vehicle make excellent protection from potential lightning strikes.
NEVER stand under trees. Lightning may strike the tree and travel across branches or ground to you.
NEVER stand near ponds, lakes, or any water source including on wet grass. The electricity from the storm is attracted to these areas.
Facts About Thunderstorms
• They may occur singly, in clusters, or in lines.
• Some of the most severe occur when a single thunderstorm affects one location for an extended time.
• Thunderstorms typically produce heavy rain for a brief period, anywhere from 3 0 minutes to an hour.
• Warm, humid conditions are highly favorable for thunderstorm development.
About 10 percent of thunderstorms are classified as severe—one that produces hail at least three-quarters of an inch in diameter, has winds of 58 miles per hour or higher, or produces a tornado
TORNADOS
Tornado Watch—Tornadoes are possible. Remain alert for approaching storms. Watch the sky and stay tuned to NOAA Weather Radio, commercial radio, or television for information.
Tornado Warning A tornado has been sighted or indicated by weather radar. Take shelter immediately .Tornadoes are nature’s most violent storms. Spawned from powerful thunderstorms, tornadoes can cause fatalities and devastate a neighborhood in seconds. A tornado appears as a rotating, funnel-shaped cloud that extends from a thunderstorm to the ground with whirling winds that can reach 300 miles per hour. Damage paths can be in excess of one mile wide and 50 miles long. Every state is at some risk from this hazard.Some tornadoes are clearly visible, while rain or nearby low-hanging clouds obscure others. Occasionally, tornadoes develop so rapidly that little, if any, advance warning is possible.Before a tornado hits, the wind may die down and the air may become very still. A cloud of debris can mark the location of a tornado even if a funnel is not visible. Tornadoes generally occur near the trailing edge of a thunderstorm. It is not uncommon to see clear, sunlit skies behind a tornado.
The following are facts about tornadoes:
• They may strike quickly, with little or no warning.
• They may appear nearly transparent until dust and debris are picked up or a cloud forms in the funnel.
• The average tornado moves Southwest to Northeast, but tornadoes have been known to move in any direction.
• The average forward speed of a tornado is 30 MPH, but may vary from stationary to 70 MPH.
• Tornadoes can accompany tropical storms and hurricanes as they move onto land.
• Waterspouts are tornadoes that form over water.
• Tornadoes are most frequently reported east of the Rocky Mountains during spring and summer months
.• Peak tornado season in the southern states is March through May; in the northern states, it is late spring through early summer.
• Tornadoes are most likely to occur between 3 p.m. and 9 p.m., but can occur at any time.
• Listen to NOAA Weather Radio or to commercial radio or television newscasts for the latest information.
• Look for approaching storm
• Look for the following danger signs: Dark, often greenish skys Large hail
A large, dark, low-lying cloud (particularly if rotating)
Loud roar, similar to a freight train.
SAFETY TIPS If you are in a structure; house, school, office building etc:
Go to a pre-designated shelter area such as a safe room, basement, storm cellar, or the lowest building level. If there is no basement, go to the center of an interior room on the lowest level (closet, interior hallway) away from corners, windows, doors, and outside walls. Put as many walls as possible between you and the outside.
Get under a sturdy table and use your arms to protect your head and neck. Do not open windowsIf you’re in a trailer, mobile home or a vehicle:
Get out immediately and go to the lowest floor of a sturdy, nearby building or a storm shelter. Mobile homes, even if tied down, offer little protection from tornadoes.If you are outside with no shelter available:Lie flat in a nearby ditch or depression and cover your head with your hands. Be aware of the potential for flooding.Do not get under an overpass or bridge. You are safer in a low, flat location.
Never try to outrun a tornado in urban or congested areas in a car or truck. Instead, leave the vehicle immediately for safe shelter.
Watch out for flying debris. Flying debris from tornadoes causes most fatalities and injuries
Hurricane——Familiarize yourself with these terms to help identify a hurricane hazard:
Tropical Depression An organized system of clouds and thunderstorms with a defined surface circulation and maximum sustained winds of 38 MPH (33 knots) or less.
Sustained winds are defined as one-minute average wind measured at about 33 ft (10 meters) above the surface.
Tropical Storm An organized system of strong thunderstorms with a defined surface circulation and maximum sustained winds of 39–73 MPH (34–63 knots).
Hurricane An intense tropical weather system of strong thunderstorms with a well-defined surface circulation and maximum sustained winds of 74 MPH (64 knots) or higher.
Storm Surge A dome of water pushed onshore by hurricane and tropical storm winds. Storm surges can reach 25 feet high and be 50–1000 miles wide.
Storm Tide A combination of storm surge and the normal tide (i.e., a 15-foot storm surge combined with a 2-foot normal high tide over the mean sea level created a 17-foot storm tide).
Hurricane/Tropical Storm Watch
Hurricane/tropical storm conditions are possible in the specified area, usually within 36 hours. Tune in to NOAA Weather Radio, commercial radio, or television for information.
Hurricane/Tropical Storm Warning
Hurricane/tropical storm conditions are expected in the specified area, usually within 24 hours.
Short Term Watches and Warnings These warnings provide detailed information about specific hurricane threats, such as flash floods and tornadoes.
Before a Hurricane To prepare for a hurricane, you should take the following measures:•
Make plans to secure your property. Permanent storm shutters offer the best protection for windows. A second option is to board up windows with 5/8” marine plywood, cut to fit and ready to install. Tape does not prevent windows from breaking.•
Install straps or additional clips to securely fasten your roof to the frame structure. This will reduce roof damage.
• Be sure trees and shrubs around your home are well trimmed.
• Clear loose and clogged rain gutters and downspouts.
• Determine how and where to secure your boat.
• Consider building a safe room.
During a Hurricane If a hurricane is likely in your area, you should:
• Listen to the radio or TV for information.
• Secure your home, close storm shutters, and secure outdoor objects or bring them indoors.
• Turn off utilities if instructed to do so. Otherwise, turn the refrigerator thermostat to its coldest setting and keep its doors closed.
• Turn off propane tanks.
• Avoid using the phone, except for serious emergencies.
• Moor your boat if time permits.
• Ensure a supply of water for sanitary purposes such as cleaning and flushing toilets. Fill the bathtub and other large containers with water.
You should evacuate under the following conditions:
• If you are directed by local authorities to do so. Be sure to follow their instructions.
• If you live in a mobile home or temporary structure—such shelters are particularly hazardous during hurricanes no matter how well fastened to the ground.
• If you live in a high-rise building—hurricane winds are stronger at higher elevations.
• If you live on the coast, on a floodplain, near a river, or on an inland waterway.
• If you feel you are in danger.If you are unable to evacuate, go to your safe room. If you do not have one, follow these guidelines:
• Stay indoors during the hurricane and away from windows and glass doors.
• Close all interior doors—secure and brace external doors.
• Keep curtains and blinds closed. Do not be fooled if there is a lull; it could be the eye of the storm – winds will pick up again.
• Take refuge in a small interior room, closet, or hallway on the lowest level
• Lie on the floor under a table or another sturdy object.
Disaster Safety Kits We recommend that you have 2 disaster survival kits. Both can be packed in a backpack.
Survival Kit One This kit will be used for basic thunder and lightning storms, straight line winds and ice and snow storms.In this kit you need to pack;
FIRST AID KIT-This needs to contain guaze, band-aids, scissors,large guaze pads, etc.
LIGHT SORCE-such as flashlights, flashlight batteries, battery powered laterns or light sticks NEVER use candles for your light source!
BOTTLE WATER-Enough to sustain you and anyone lese in your family for 24 hours.
SNACKS- Candy bars, trail mix, nuts something to curb your hunger should the power go offAnd of course, you should also have your battery operated AM/FM Radio and your battery operated Weather Radio and a cellphoneThis kit provides the basic neccasities in the event that the wind or thunderstorms knocks out power for a few hours. You’ll have basic supplies to last until power is restored.
Survival Kit Two This survival kit is meant to sustain you during much harsher weather conditions including tornados and hurricanes.
FIRST AID KIT-This needs to contain guaze, band-aids, scissors,large guaze pads, etc.
LIGHT SORCE-such as flashlights, flashlight batteries, battery powered laterns or light sticks NEVER use candles for your light source!
BOTTLE WATER-Enough to sustain you and anyone lese in your family for 72 hours.
FOOD-Enough to sustain everyone in your group for at least 72 hours. food items should include non-perishables such as crackers, tuna, peperroni sticks,cereals,snacks,can food that requires no cookingBe sure to include a can opener!
Also include:• Prescription medications and glasses• Infant formula and diapers• Pet food and extra water for your pet
• Important family documents such as copies of insurance policies, identification and bank account records in a waterproof, portable container
• Cash or traveler’s checks and change
• Emergency reference material such as a first aid book
• Matches in a waterproof container
• Feminine supplies and personal hygiene items
• Mess kits, paper cups, plates and plastic utensils, paper towels
• Paper and pencil
• Books, games, puzzles or other activities for children
You may also want to keep several tarps and plywood sheets available to cover any damage to your roof.
