WHO ELSE WANTS TO KNOW ABOUT THE AWESOME GEAR TO BRING ATTACKERS DOWN?

THE BASIC PROBLEM

It always seems to be warmer weather that brings the creeps, crooks, crack heads and attackers out of "hibernation". It's been an unusually warm year that's getting warmer fast, and a quick glance at any newspaper or broadcast will alert you to the simple reality that a startling amount of the bottom-feeders are out in force already. You need to GEAR UP to protect yourself and your loved ones from harm.



In this article I will just scratch the surface pertaining to the tools and mechanisms available to all of us that can help make us safer wherever our paths may lead. By no means is this meant to be an exhaustive list of the only ways to accomplish this goal. Every individual has their own comfort level and all of us needs to both find our own "zone" as well as checking into state and local laws that pertain to each device that we are interested in obtaining for personal protection.

MY FAVORITE "GEAR UP" SOLUTIONS

• Wildfire 18% Pepper Spray - This pepper spray is HOT, HOT, HOT!!! Wildfire Oleo Resin Capsicum (pepper) is a derivative of 3 million Scoville Heat units (SHU). Wildfire comes in five sizes from 1/2-ounce purse size to 1-pound pistol grip versions. This is a very effective formulation that will bring goon to his knees whimpering and sniveling like a baby until the police arrive. If they are too slow, give the creep another blast as necessary.

• Mace Brand "Hot Walkers" - These are one pound walking weights with a unique pepper spray deployment system built into each one. Perfect for walkers and joggers with elastic hand straps for support, a storage compartment for keys and money, and the built-in 10% pepper spray for self-defense. Pepper spray canisters are easily and inexpensively replaced.

• Electronic Pocket/Keychain Electronic Whistle - You don't even need to blow into this whistle...just press a button. It emits an ear piercing 120db whistle for as long as you push the button. Also useful at sporting events, or a lifesaver in emergencies such as earthquakes, collapsed buildings, etc. and can even be used for dog handling even though crime prevention is it's primary purpose.

• Stunmaster Stun Gun - Not truly a gun, even the sound of a 775,000-volt discharge between two electrodes will scare most attackers and goons into a fast sprint in the other direction. If they persist, three to five seconds of contact will drop them to the ground like a rock. Most have a disable pin on the wrist strap to prevent the unit from being taken and used against you. Stun guns use high voltage and low amperage to temporarily disable an attacker by disrupting muscle contraction to allow for your escape while they squirm on the ground like a maggot.

• The "Runt" - My personal favorite stun gun that will drop your assailant like a roach who has ingested a wee bit too much Black Flag! Only 3.5" tall, the Runt is available in 350,000, 650,000 or 950,000-volts. Perfect for women of all ages and can be worn as a pager would be or comes with a nylon belt holster and will keep the goon quiet until booking time.

WHAT IS THE NEXT STEP?

GEAR UP yourself and everyone you care about with a toolbox chuck full of personal safety equipment that may just save a life. Look at what is available; make a plan, and then GEAR UP all of your family. Role-play and practice with the tools until you are comfortable with their use and that your plan is workable.


Remember that you need to always practice outside, especially when trying out pepper sprays and the like. No need to actually feel just how good the product works; just know that it does. Plans change according to the situation and multiple types of scenarios will need to be discussed.


The crooks, criminals, crack heads and rapists are coming out in droves, just like roaches, spiders and snakes. Be proactive and "GEAR UP" to fight back when you need to. By doing so you may be able to get some of these lowlifes out of commission for a time and make the neighborhood a little safer.


We can all stand firm and walk tall as fine, proud citizens and do so anywhere we want to go if we are secure in the knowledge that we are taking the initiative to protect ourselves against harm. All of us are aware that crooks are getting more bold and brazen daily and are infesting our communities like a mold growing just under the surface veneer. Personal protection is a reassuring tool at our disposal to combat this infestation.


None of the GEAR UP items I have written about in this article will break the bank to acquire. Decide what you need and use coffee or movie money to outfit your protection toolbox. You will be happy you did and it may have the added benefit of a better night's sleep and a general feeling of well-being through preparedness.


As always, be aware, be safe, but remember to think about these issues and take the vital steps necessary to give you peace of mind for your future.

WHAT IS THE SECRET TO KEEPING YOUR CHILDREN SAFE IN PUBLIC?

Some things just need fixing. I have always loved to repair things. Some people might call me a "Gear Head" or a "Mr. Fix-it". Well, lately I have seen a lot of things critically wrong in our neighborhoods that need some fixing. Let me explain...

All you need to do is read any daily newspaper or watch the news and you will rapidly become aware of horror stories that none of us thinks will ever directly affect us as individuals or as a family. Not true! Get that kind of thinking out of your mind. Criminals, rapists, murderers, crack heads, thieves and every other kind of crackpots are out there in higher numbers than EVER BEFORE.

As families, we all need to have a PLAN OF ACTION incorporated as a part of our daily routine for immediate use if and when something bad happens to any of us in the general happenings of our daily lives. We really need a couple of plans to fall back on if the first one doesn't protect our loved ones and us. I have offered some plans in past articles and will continue to keep gearing you up to provide pro-active plans (rather than re-active) so you can also be a Mr./Ms. Fix-it for yourself and your families.


One of the most gut-wrenching and horrible feelings any parent can experience often happens in the blink of an eye. You turn around and your CHILD IS NOT THERE! It can happen at the park, the mall, and the zoo or anywhere in a matter of seconds. Let me first explain the problem and then some super fixes from the Mr. Fix-it Toolkit.

SOME QUICK WAYS THAT KIDS GO MISSING

1. They can simply wander away without saying anything to anyone. They might just get distracted. However, some creep, crack head, jerk, pervert or geek might just grab them and run. This is a bad, bad, REALLY BAD scene no matter what.
2. Another child can pull your child away to show them something interesting and before you know it the crowd swallows them up. They're short and you can lose them quickly. Rotten seeds in our population are aware of this.
3. Kids love animals, in particular small animals. Creeps and goons that may want to abduct your kids know this and exploit the children's natural instinct that draws them to fuzzy little cute animals.
4. Cell phones, discussions with other people we are with, sales clerks, waiters, etc. all represent things that can serve as distractions to us as parents just long enough to allow awful things to happen. Always be extra alert in these everyday situations.
   
5. There are desperate, despicable, horrible criminal goons that will just try and swoop in and grab and run away with your child. As a parent you must be vigilant and aware that these creeps are out there in our neighborhoods, malls, parks and schoolyards.

POWERFUL KID SAVING COMBAT METHODS FROM THE "MR. FIX-IT" TOOLKIT

• I never like to see a child on a leash. There are ways that you can save your child by better, less distasteful methods. Alarms that look like a KITTY or a PANDA can be worn by the children that transmit to a receiver that is held by an adult. The signal is adjustable from a distance of 6 to 30 feet. As soon as the child is further than the set distance the adults' alarm starts beeping to alert them that the child has wandered off.

• Battery operated BLINKIES can be attached to the child's hat or coat that can be seen for up to 1/2 mile away. These come in seven vibrant colors. They are waterproof and shock resistant so they are perfect for bicycles also.

• Plan with your child and GEAR THEM UP with a personal alarm that they can activate by pulling out a pin to let you know where they are if you get separated. Let them know that they will never get in trouble for making a little noise, as it is far better than any alternative!

• There is even a pocket whistle that you don't need to blow. At the push of a button, this small, but powerful, device lets out a 120db whistle for as long as the button is depressed. This can also be very useful in emergency situations like earthquakes, etc as a location device for rescue.

• Many of these items and more can be used as part of a key chain, necklace or an article of clothing. They should be part of a comprehensive set of plans that every family needs to have in place to GEAR UP for any eventuality that could happen.

There are an alarming number of bad people out there that prey upon our children and loved ones in a variety of different ways. We all need to become GEARED UP and prepared to defend ourselves against these horrible excuses for human beings. They are usually little more than escaped animals from a zoo and need to be re-caged.


If you run into one of these perverts, I hope you have read some of my prior articles that describe easy methods of protection. I particularly like the 18% OC pepper spray that will completely render even the largest attacker to a sniveling, crying and temporarily blind thug until the authorities arrive. Let him cry and wine and inhale some more spray to further enhance his coughing fit! He deserves it.


Remember to plan your protection and work your plan to be safe. GEAR UP WITH GOOD TOOLS AND KNOW HOW TO USE THEM! As always, be aware, be safe but remember to think about these issues and take the necessary steps to give you peace of mind for your future.

WHILE THE CAT'S AWAY... WHAT DO THE MICE DO?

Our lives are busy. We work hard for the things we want and need for our family. Often times there are people around us who we trust a lot. Yet we have never really investigated who and what they are.

We need to become significantly more vigilant in our efforts to protect ourselves by utilizing some simple techniques that are available to all of us. This article will describe easy methods to achieve this goal. All of us can and should do this.

THE MOST IMPORTANT TIPS TO DETERMINE HOW SAFE YOUR ENVIRONMENT IS

• You and your loved ones - are you all properly safeguarded? There are many ways to do this in today's electronic world but I am specifically speaking about yourself and family while in your own home. You need to really give this some serious consideration. Even if you pay for a monthly security service many municipalities may not respond because of excessive false alarms and lack of police personnel.

• Are your locks and entry points adequate to deter home invasion (the most popular new sport amongst thieves)? Several new, non-lethal, technical innovations are now affordable and easily obtained that will provide the peace of mind that we all want and deserve. I will describe some later in this article and also in future articles.

• Have you had family discussions concerning what to do in the case of different emergency scenarios? This is a high priority and should be done on a fairly regular basis. Home invasion, fire, terrorism, and weather related situations, blackouts, etc. All of these common situations, and many less frequent, need to be addressed.

• After planning out your strategy you will need to find all the necessary resources to make your personal world a safer place. It is probably unrealistic to think that you will achieve %100. However, with increased awareness and a few high quality deterrents implemented into your home, you will make for a less than desirable target for a criminal and they will seek out an easier target.

• Do some simple investigating regarding how much criminal activity is occurring in your neighborhood. You may be well advised to install a surveillance camera system to monitor activity around your residence and street. Increasing your level of presence near your home is one of the keys that thieves and criminal types are very attuned to. You do it and they go elsewhere.

As I have stated in my previous PERSONAL SAFETY articles, awareness is a critical key to the prevention of becoming a victim or being a survivor. With increases in technology and decreases in cost of equipment, we can all benefit by staying alert of changes and incorporating some easily implemented protection for ourselves, our families and our businesses.

What happens at home while you are at work? What happens at work after you leave? Who is at the front door? All these and many more questions are becoming ever more difficult to answer and may represent danger to each and every aspect of our lives. What follows are five ways you can provide answers and proof of what is happening while you are not around.

FIVE WAYS TO QUICKLY PROTECT YOUR HOME AND BUSINESS

1. Covert video recording cameras are now affordable, tiny, easily installed and hidden. NannyCams and hidden camera resolution is more than adequate to provide the necessary proof to authorities or yourself to take appropriate action to remedy the negative situation. This is true for HOME and OFFICE situations.

2. Hidden cameras are available for automobile installation, which will protect both your car as well as giving you a view and record of your home or office entry areas and parking locations. They are not costly and anyone can do the setup.

3. There is NASA developed computer programming available that will allow you to monitor any of your cameras from ANY computer and if you have Internet capability, anywhere in the world! This includes work, home, and even using your laptop while on vacation to see what is happening at home. DVR systems with up to sixteen channel capability are available that will record endlessly until the hard drive is full. Each camera will only use approximately 1GB per day.

4. While we have become immune to car alarm systems, there are EXTREMELY loud alarms available for your home and office that will deter any intruder. Coupled with personal safety devices like stun guns, tasers mace, etc. this is a very affordable way to provide some peace of mind to us as individuals.

5. Without proof there is no way to involve the Police to investigate and apprehend the criminal who is responsible. If you are hit once, the criminal then knows you are an easy target in the future. Prevention begins with protection.

What does all this mean for you? Technological advances are evolving at a literally screaming pace. Criminal types are also evolving at a screaming pace. Each of us needs to protect our personal space with whatever technology is available to put ourselves and our work and home environments a "STEP ABOVE" the rest of the crowd. In doing so, we take away our appeal to the average (but intelligent) criminal.

Do your own investigation concerning what is available. Visit my websites and others. Ask hard questions. Keep asking until you are satisfied. In my prior articles I have dealt with personal protection issues and while this is certainly of paramount concern to us all, so is the protection of all our accomplishments and possessions. We all need to be proactive in this regard. If we do this we will have less need to be reactive after something happens.

As always, be aware, be safe but remember to think about these issues and take the necessary steps to give you peace of mind for your future.

MORE IMPORTANT PERSONAL SAFETY TIPS TO CONSIDER

This is not the article that I was intending on writing at this time but something bad happened to someone close to me and I am therefore going to write again about being more defensive in our daily lives. Unfortunately, we MUST all become more aware of our surroundings and less trusting of people we meet casually.

I will give some easy to remember and easy to implement safety tips that each of you can incorporate into your everyday life. With our ever-increasing diversity of people, cultures, races, and backgrounds, it becomes increasingly easier to have what you say or do to be taken in a negative way by a person who may snap and take violent action against you. Preparation is your key to possibly avoiding an attack against you.


THE TOP FIVE THINGS TO BE "TUNED IN" FOR TO MAXIMIZE YOUR PERSONAL SAFETY:

1. Start to make it a daily ritual to be observant in the locations you frequent. Make mental notes of people you regularly see and how they act and react to those around them. Criminal types are not always the stereotypical "dumb" guys you think they are. Many spend a lot of time watching and learning who is a vulnerable mark and who is to be avoided. You want to be in the latter group!

2. If you find that you have made a mistake and are in a situation where your comfort level deteriorates, you need to take immediate steps to get back to a safer place. Raise your personal ALERT LEVEL from green to yellow and finally to red. When you do this it should set off TRIGGERS in your brain that you set up beforehand.

3. Alert levels and triggers that you need must up before you need them. I will describe these alert levels and trigger points later in this article. The importance of them is critical and can save you from personal harm, danger or injury.

4. As soon as possible get to a location that is not only safer, but where there are other people around. It would be best if these were trusted people who were your friends, however just a group will also serve you better than being isolated with a potential attacker. This step can also mean the difference between safety and being a victim of crime!

5. If you feel it to be important enough, write down every detail you can recall creating a record. Notify the authorities and indicate you WILL press charges if warranted. The Police will ask for a statement and your record may become crucial to bringing an attacker or potential attacker onto the police radar screen that may help to make your neighborhood safer.

ALERT LEVELS AND TRIGGERS:

Each of us needs to set up a safety system that will work for us. There is no one perfect formula for every individual and every situation that will work perfectly. Alert levels, however, should proceed from green to yellow to red for everyone.

• Green is where everything is going along smoothly and you are comfortable with your surroundings and the people you are interacting with. While you may not know every person in the room or at the party or wherever, you know some of them well enough to be at ease and feel safe. This is where most of us spend 95% of our time.

• Yellow should set off your first mind trigger to indicate that you need to heighten your senses and awareness of where you are, whom you are with and where your friends are or where they have gone. Begin to formulate a plan of escape if your situation degenerates to a point where you might need to evade danger. Look for escape routes. Devise possible diversions to give you a fraction of a second to make your move. Use extreme caution in what you do and say and where people are located within your close proximity.

• Red trigger is the point when your adrenaline starts pumping and you reach the fight or flee stage and must quickly determine how much is at stake. You must decide if you can flee or if you will use every self defense mechanism at your disposal to fight and then flee. Only you as an individual can make this extremely important decision. Again, you must have mentally prepared for situations of this type beforehand so your decision will be instantaneous.

You will need to take some serious time to think about this. Crime is something you must be conscious of. Be aware that it will most likely touch your life. As I said in the beginning of this article, a brutal assault has recently come to center stage for me.

Use all the things we have talked about in prior articles and also the techniques I will present in those ahead. Some depend upon your speed, some depend on your situation and some depend upon your nerve and personal attitudes. Many will use all the tools available. Many are reluctant to even carry something as innocuous as pepper spray.

Regardless of your personal attitudes, each of you has the responsibility to create a plan that you have tailored to make yourself as safe as can be no matter what situation you fall into. If you do this, you WILL be way ahead of the pack. Predators can sense when a person is not afraid. They will go to an easier mark. It like the familiar story of the car thief and the Club we all have heard. If you have one and use it, the car thief will go to an easier car to steal. It really is that simple.

There are plenty of tools to help, but you already own the most important one. Your mind coupled with your attitude. I am sure there are several different mixes of personality types that will read this discussion. My intent is to provide information for all kinds of readers with a source for assistance and resources for all of you.

As always, stay safe and I will help you with many aspects of your personal safety plan and offer all the tools at your disposal and answer any question you may have on the use of any device you desire to use.

WHAT IS PEPPER SPRAY ANYWAY? HOW DOES IT WORK?

The self defense pepper spray is a natural chemical compound formulated from oils and residue from several varieties of hot pepper plants. The formulations are called OC(Oleo Capsicum) sprays and are the most accessible defense sprays available to the general population. There are at least forty brands in various sizes, spray patterns and formulation concentrations.


OC pepper spray is an inflammatory agent and not an irritant like manmade chemical defense sprays. This is very significant because a person sprayed with OC has two things happen to them immediately. Instantly, the attacker’s eyes will clamp shut and clamp shut HARD. Even if the person can get their eyes open, vision is very distorted as the OC opens up the capillaries of the eye and causes a temporary blindness. Uncontrollable coughing spasms are the second major and instantaneous effect of a spray to the face of an attacker. These effects are harsh enough to bring even a large assailant to their knees. The cause of this temporary but VERY debilitating condition is due to the total inflammation of breathing tissues, which will restrict all but life support breathing.

Using OC spray is the equivalent of putting up a brick wall between victim and attacker. The person sprayed will stop what they are doing and stop what they are thinking - PERIOD. It has been said by long time law enforcement professionals that “It’s like being hit with a flame thrower.” No matter how drunk or how high or how psychotic, the effect on the creep is the same.

Because it is a natural plant derivative, pepper spray wears off in about twenty to thirty minutes depending on concentration and weather conditions. The attacker suffers NO harmful effects and makes a complete recovery with NO long-lasting harmful side effects. OC spray is non-toxic, non-carcinogenic and has never been found to harm skin tissues in available concentrations.

You will need to determine what concentration will work best for you and what pepper varieties were used in making a particular OC spray. The heat generated by OC sprays is measured in Scoville Heat Units (SHU’s) and all peppers have different SHU values. Regular bell peppers have zero SHU’s while Jalapeno peppers have approximately 5000SHU’s. Habanero peppers, on the other hand, have SHU’s in the 250,000 to 300,000 range. Certainly, a 1% concentration concocted from Habanero peppers is way more powerful and effective than even a 10% formulation from Jalapeno peppers. You will need to ask questions concerning what your 10,15, or 18% OC pepper spray is formulated from and what the SHU value is. Many sprays are a combination and are very effective. By finding this information out you will be able to make a better decision regarding which one to purchase.

Different spray patterns and dispersal density will be the subject for my next article, so please be watching for it because these factors are also important considerations concerning your buying decisions. Until then, stay safe!

Simple Self Defence Tactics.Com

Simple Self Defence Tactics.Com

AVOID BEING A VICTIM OF CRIME

You find yourself stranded because your car just will not re-start on a stretch of road that immediately makes you feel uncomfortable. It may be desolate; it could be in a bad part of town or it may be in a good part of town. It can be daytime or after dark. Criminals do not need to punch a time clock. Unlike the rest of us, these creeps work is done whenever and wherever circumstances are right. The chances are very high that you or someone close to you will be involved in a crime during your lifetime. This is unfortunate. This is also the truth.

So, what can you do to either minimize the impact of a crime or deter a criminal from committing the crime against you? The most obvious would be to carry a handgun. Not a practical solution for most of us. Even if you happen to live in a state where this is a legal option, the mind-set you need to use a gun to protect yourself or others is not one most of us have or can acquire. You must be willing to live with possibility of shooting and killing another human being. All the people I know could not cope with the consequences of such an extreme decision. Guns are better left to the Police, most of whom never need to resort to lethal force. True, times have changed and our world seems more dangerous but a Police uniform still carries a lot of drag.

There are many superb alternatives that will prevent you from becoming a statistic of crime. First, use the obvious ideas including cell phones or try to remember the last public telephone you passed. If you need to leave the car, try to remain in the shadows if it is night or move away from the street whenever possible. You should always have a deterrent to startle anyone who wants to do you wrong. A whistle on your keys, a strong flashlight, and better yet, a personal safety device such as pepper spray, mace, loud electronic alarms, a stun device, or any of the large array of other such “tools” readily available to simply startle an attacker allowing you to flee.

Most attacks come from the side or from behind so keep this in mind and use your eyes and ears and have your personal alarm or pepper spray in hand when walking to your car in the parking lot at the mall, work, grocery store or elsewhere. Simple tricks also help. If carrying a bag of groceries, throw it in the air or at your attacker while spraying them with mace or pepper spray and yelling as you run away. Keep it simple; the idea is to get away. Spend fifteen minutes a month thinking about or better yet trying out your pepper spray or stun gun just to familiarize with how they work. In a very short time you will become comfortable knowing how to activate each type you carry and it will become an extension of your hand. Remember that all you want to do is get away and then report to Police as necessary.

Until next installment please stay safe and investigate the safety tools available to you.