| SAFETY ADVICE ARCHIVES |
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| ARTICLE: AWARENESS, Part 1, posted 11/06/03 AWARENESS: Be aware of where you are (what street you're on, etc.) and where you are going--whether on foot or in your car. If you appear lost, you make yourself a prime target for crime. Any sign of weakness, including showing fear or uncertainty, will increase your chances of becoming a statistic (more on fear in a later column). So, if you're going somewhere you've never been before, it makes sense to consult a map, or look up the address and directions from online map services like YahooMaps, prior to venturing out. Yes, this will require that you make the effort to read road and street signs. It's a good idea to make this a habit anyway! Knowing where you are has the added benefit, should you need to call for assistance using a cell phone, of being able to give your exact location so police, firefighters and paramedics can find you. It is a little-known fact that cell phones don't automatically give out your location when you dial 911, as your wired home phone should. And simply saying you are at McDonald's or a gas station doesn't help. Consider how many McDonald's restaurants and gas stations are in an average city or town. Giving the names of the intersecting streets makes all the difference in the world! Here's a HOT TIP: If you can't get through to a 911 operator on your cell phone, try dialing *77. Yes, that's star-7-7 on your cell phone. There is a chance that dialing *77 will automatically connect you to the local police dispatcher. This is not an information line, so please limit attempts at this number to emergencies only. One more thing: After working at my unit's dispatch center, I feel it is necessary to define "emergency" for those who are confused when to dial 911. No offense to those who already know this. Dialing 911 should be limited to dire emergencies only--you know, life and death stuff. This includes things like heart attacks, strokes, life-threatening injuries, vehicular accidents involving injuries, a burning building, or if you see someone being physically attacked by another, or a serious crime taking place. I'm talking about IMMEDIATE NEEDS FOR ASSISTANCE here. 911 emergencies are NOT when your cat is up a tree, when you need directions in a hurry, when you need a recipe for roast turkey on Thanksgiving Day, or when you lose your job (yes--believe it or not--people DO call 911 for these reasons, but they SHOULDN'T). These things may SEEM like emergencies to you, but they are not worthy of dialing 911. Non-emergency calls to 911 are the primary reasons people who really need assistance get busy signals! By the way, in case you don't know, 411 is the information line when you need a phone number. That's it for this column. There should be a different column each week, so check back often. Though it may seem some of this information is very basic, you would be amazed at how many folks really don't know the basics! It is my hope to inform so fewer folks will be unprepared. |
| The article below was my first for this website, and others will be posted here as they are replaced in the original website. |
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