As with all communities, the responsibility of ensuring a safe environment relies on residents exercising prudent preventative safety measures. You must assume responsibility for your own safety and the security of your personal belongings by taking simple common-sense precautions.
The following are some security and fire safety guidelines you should follow in order to ensure your wellbeing.
Personal Safety:
- Never walk alone at night
- Keep doors and windows locked
- Keep valuables out of sight – don’t place stereos, TVs, or other similar articles near a window: glass can be smashed and the articles stolen
- When you’re away, don’t advertise. Don’t’ leave answering machine messages or notes on the front door letting people know you’re out
- Find out who is knocking before you open the door
- Always use the doors deadbolt – a chain lock isn’t enough to protect you
- If you think you’re being followed, cross the street, change directions, or vary your pace
- Keep your keys in your possession
Fire Safety:
- Do not cover smoke detectors or remove their batteries
- Clean the ventilation drills if the smoke detector seems too sensitive
- Replace the battery if the smoke detector is continuously beeping
- Drinking and smoking while alone is the #1 cause of fatal fires
- Watch food carefully while cooking in the oven or on the stove
- Extinguish a grease fire with baking soda or class B fire extinguisher
- Never tamper with electrical wiring, and don’t overload outlets
- Learn how to escape from a fire – know 2 ways out of every room and where the fire extinguisher is located
