I have worked in the safety field virtually since graduation from college. I began as a the safety officer for the largest battallion on Fort Carson, Colorado. I migrated into civilian driver education and training in 2000. A large part of my job is research and curriculum development. Here are some of my commonly used links. As with my other resource pages, this is a living document. All links were last verified 12/06/07.
Driver Education Resources:
Teen Driver Education The National Driver Training Institute provides curriculum for parents to use in teaching their teens to drive. The site includes tips for parents, state driver license office links, and a forum.
Drugscope.org provides information on drugs and drug treatment.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration the US government's website for all manner of traffic safety information.
Organ Donation an important part of driver education is informing new drivers of the organ donor process and why it is important to have registered donors.
Personal Security Resources:
I recently experienced a home invasion. Since then, I have learned that home invasion is very common. If you need to get a grasp, check out this police blog near where I live. Each page has 10 items. When I counted, it showed one or two a week, but it does not count the entire metro area, just the city reports.
I blogged about my experience and some things you can do to help yourself. Here is a recap of lessons learned:
1st: Do not open your door at night--even for a nice looking person. If you choose to answer the door, offer to call the police or call for help through the door. In my case, it was a young, clean looking girl. Next it will be little children sent to the door. My mom's policy: she doesn't open a door for someone unless they call her first and let her know they are coming. One of the deputies told me he doesn't answer the door unless he has his gun with him--which earns him curious looks from his in-laws.
2nd: When my wife screamed, I should have run to our alarm panel and hit the silent alarm or picked up the phone for 911. The ONLY way to have the presence of mind to overcome your instincts and call for help first is to have a drill. Practice what you should do in an emergency. In the Army, we called these "battle drills" and you should have periodic drills for all kinds of emergencies--fire drill, home invasion, medical emergency, etc.
3rd: I fought, but I did not have a clear picture of what I was facing. Our lights were not on in the front room so I did not get a great description of the criminals. Once I realized guns were aimed at me, I complied. If you can, turn your lights on. The "Fortress America" article I reference below talks about remote lighting control solutions. It also elaborates on the MOUT strategy that says you are in a stronger position when you are on defense rather than offense.
4th: Don't carry cash. Banks are FDIC insured, your wallet, purse, or mattress is not. They did not get too much cash from me because I don't keep cash on my person.
5th: Watch your surroundings and pay attention to details. One of the deputies told us that when crimes occur and they canvas the neighborhood, people will tell them that they saw someone suspicious around. When they ask for details, the people don't know. If you see a suspicious vehicle, get a license plate number--make and color of the vehicle are helpful too. If you see a suspicious person, stare at them and look for distinguishing characteristics. What kinds of details? eye color, hair color, height, complexion, tattoos, voice characteristics, accent . . . details help.
A few days after the crime, I found this article called Fortress America from Guns magazine. The article is outstanding and covers the basics in personal defense (guns), home security technology, and a family emergency plan.
I also found this helpful home invasion site.
If your local police or sheriff has a Don't be a victim class, check that out too.
Do you have a neighborhood watch? Why not start one and get to know your neighborhood.
"Barbara Scott has a passion for making a difference. She is known for her sense of urgency and having a bias for action. As the Founder and CEO for both Awareness Index and Colorado Safety Educators, she has become Colorado’s Voice for Safety."
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