A few days ago, my neighbor who lives four houses away got robbed. The next day I decided to be proactive in my personal security program. I equipped my house with a total alarm system and that includes the garage. I also got a taser gun and a tear gas for my car. From what I’ve learned, these two personal self defense gadgets are the most easy to use, and not to mention safe.

You can never be too careful especially when it comes to family. I didn’t want to have a gun at home. I think it might create more problems than solutions. Our personal security program is a combination of high tech and common sense. High tech alarm and simple every day stuff like closing the curtains might prevent crooks from breaking into our house.

I was shocked one morning to hear in the news of a boy aged 6, who killed his father with his own gun. Apparently, the father asked the boy to get his gun from an upstairs room. The gun incidentally was loaded with live bullets and when the boy accidentally pulled the trigger it went right through his father and grazed his mother as well. The father was a military man who should have known better than to allow a little boy to handle a gun. This is the reason why companies come out with security products that will keep guns safely in storage.

Gun safes and gunvaults keep guns out of the hands of children, robbers and other unauthorized people. A gunvault is made of steel and equipped with access codes so that only authorized persons can gain access. They have tamper-resistant features; can be permanently mounted or be portable. They can accommodate different number of guns. You can choose from one that will house a couple of guns or a cabinet like fixture to accommodate 10 or more.

The use of sophisticated technology nowadays makes it possible to determine the location of the source of a distress signal from emergency locator transmitters. In simple terms, an ELT transmits a coded radio signal that is received by an orbiting satellite. The satellite then re-transmits the signal to a ground station and passes it on to an appropriate mission control center. This is determined in part by the national code included in the signal.

One of the most popular ELTs today is the Ameri King ELT. It is FAA TSO-C91 approved and meets FCC rules for improved satellite detection. It features voice transmitting capability, visual “on” lights (for both ELT main unit and remote panel), and uses standard batteries. The ELT further includes a low drag aircraft antenna as well as a portable antenna to enable you to bring along the ELT in case you need to leave the aircraft behind.

Emergencies and calamities of different types occur unexpectedly. In times like these, one has to be well equipped to avoid any harm, serious or minor. One important weapon to alert the public and prepare for possible danger is the bull horn. This can be used to forewarn people and announce any information that could possibly help them get ready. A bull horn is usually included in an automotive emergency kit.

Together with the solar blankets and/or solar sleeping bags, which are normally included in the car emergency kit, bullhorns can be lifesavers too, especially if one gets stranded in his car for a long period of time. There are various types of bull horns:

~ 100 Yard Range, a waterproof handy emergency gadget
~ 300 Yard Range, a battery-operated, weatherproof tool with built-in microphone
~ 1000 Yard Range, has a detachable microphone feature, ideal for bigger groups and venues like a building, for one.
~ 600 Yard Range, is used o direct people during an evacuation or to direct emergency workers during search and rescue

I love to travel. In one of travels to Asia, I went to a mountainous country where a nomadic tribe called the Aetas lived. They resemble the Aborigines in appearance. They still hunt using primitive tools. At times, the Aeta were tapped by the US Army to teach them survival skills in the jungle. They can make anything with bamboo. They would hunt with it by making traps or shaped it into a blowgun.

Once they catch their prey, they would cook it inside the bamboo. They would make fire and cooking utensils using the same bamboo. They can even cook rice in it. I was so amazed that I bought a blowgun and a whistle from them all made from bamboo. They revered the bamboo so much that they believe the first man and woman came from it.

I am part of search and rescue team. Being part of this team made me realized that an emergency can happen anytime, anywhere. That is why it pays to be prepared. I have flashlights that doesn’t need batteries, a Swiss knife that has everything and extra clothes and blankets. I also have emergency food and emergency drinking water. I have them in two’s, one for my home and one for my car.

What I loved about my emergency drinking water is its long shelf life. My water has a shelf life of 5 years. You can even store it in hot places. I keep a box in my car. It is so convenient and cheap. Another form of emergency water is the one that comes in packs. They are the ones given by relief agencies during natural disasters. An emergency might come or it might not. One thing I’m sure though, is when an emergency does happen, I’ll be prepared.

Know what is going on inside your home even when you are not in it. Install a hidden spy camera in every room of your house that you want to keep tabs on. This handy equipment is very useful especially if you have new household helpers you still don’t trust fully.

Hidden spy cameras are also useful in catching crooks in the act. Since they don’t know they are being watched or that their movements are being recorded on tape, criminals get more sloppy because they are confident of not being caught. If you are able to catch a crime being committed on camera, there is a higher chance of getting justice later.

No one can ever tell when an emergency strikes. Be it a calamity, accident or any situation that calls for an urgency of action, one should always have an emergency survival kit as assistance for the party in need. Have this kit always at home, in the office, inside the car and in your traveling bag or luggage to prepare you for whatever unexpected incident that might occur.

There are different kinds of kits for different kinds of lifestyle. There are emergency kits for indoor and outdoor, and short and long out-of-town trip/vacation emergencies. And every emergency survival kit contains the basics:

~ food
~ water
~ medicine
~ flashlight
~ AM/FM radio

Jogging or walking around the neighborhood or park should be a pleasant experience. Unfortunately, there are some pet owners who are neglectful of keeping their animals in rein. Prevent being attacked or bitten by stray dogs by carrying a canine repellant along with you especially if you only have time to jog very early in the morning or after darkness falls.

A canine repellant contains mace. It is EPA approved to be a safe, effective and humane protection against aggressive dogs. This handy safety gadget is not only ideal for walkers and joggers, but can also prove indispensable to cyclists, postmen and delivery people.

Over the years women in general are said to be attracted to “men in uniform” (MIU). Apart from pure charisma and the manliness they exude, there’s also the sense of authority that radiates from them that makes them appealing to women. Some women say that “men in uniform” makes them feel secure or protected. Members of the Air Force, Army, Marine Corps, and Navy SEALs are among the most favored MIU by women.

Today, however, this fascination to “men in uniform” may no longer be true. Given that there are “men in uniform” who didn’t exactly made the cut. These include the riot police officers who are often in full gear of stun batons and riot shields topped by ominous facial expression. Second would be traffic patrol officers who often portrayed as incompetent lot in the movies. Third would be security guards who are also portrayed as always sleeping, literally, on the job. And also police officers as they are also perceived as corrupt or abusive.