Be Aware - Be Prepared - Be Safe

 

SPRING SAFETY TIPS   ü Spring is time for unpredictable weather        ü Spring Break Safety for babies and children             ü Spring Break Travel Safety for girls and young women          ü Spring Driving Tips          ü International Travel Safety          ü Spring Safety Checklist

 At School

• Be aware of your surroundings at all times.
• Report all suspicious incidents to the appropriate authority immediately
•  Schools have sign in and sign out sheets
•  Schools provide visitor passes.
•  School district employees wear identification badges.
• Always lock your doors and don't loan your keys. Keys can be duplicated. Never prop open doors for someone to enter later.  This leaves the school open to anyone walking in the vicinity. 
• Never leave valuables like purse, wallet. credit cards, and jewelry visible; secure in a locked cabinet or drawer.
• Never carry large sums of money.
• Be more safety conscious after hours and weekends/holidays.

Become familiar with your school’s safety and security plan

At Home

• Good locks on windows and doors make it difficult for would-be attackers and burglars to get in.
• When you are home alone, pull shades or curtains after dark.
• If you let someone in and have second thoughts, be assertive.  Tell them to leave or you leave.  Call a friend or neighbor to come over.  Pretend you are not alone by mentioning a friend or family member asleep in the next room.
• Make sure hallways, entrances, garages and grounds are well lighted.
• Leave porch lights on at night, or when you expect to return after dark, leave an interior light on in a room or two with the shades down.  Leave a radio on.
• Install a peephole in your door.
• When someone is at your door, never open it until you know who is there.  Reputable repairmen, salespeople, police and survey-takers carry identification.  Ask to see it and call the company to verify if you have any questions.
• If someone wants to use the phone, make the call for him/her without opening the door.
• Leave spare house keys with a friend – not under the doormat or in the planter.  Get to know your neighbors so you can get help if necessary.  Be familiar with who is coming and going in the neighborhood.
• List only last name and initials on your mailbox and door.  Consider not listing your address in the phone book.
• Avoid giving out information about yourself or making appointments with strangers over the phone.
• Telephone answering machines should have a brief recorded message stating “We can’t come to the phone now…”
• Have a preconceived escape plan for your home.
• Make sure all doors (don’t forget sliding glass doors) and windows have dead bolt locks, and use them!  Install a peephole in the door.  Keep entrances well lighted.
• Be wary of isolated spots - apartment laundry rooms, underground garages, parking lots, and offices after business hours.  Walk with a friend, coworker, or security guard, particularly at night.
• If you come home and see a door or window open or broken, don’t go in.  Call police from your cell phone, a public phone or a neighbor’s home.

Your Vehicle

• Lock your car and pocket the key when you leave for a minute or several hours.  Close the windows all the way and lock the trunk.
• Never leave an identification tag on your key ring.  If your keys are lost or stolen, it will guide the thief to your car.
• Don’t hide an extra car key in your vehicle.
• Park in a well lit and busy area.
• As a deterrent, use a highly visible locking bar across the steering wheel or an alarm system.

Don’t park in the same spot each day. 

Your Bike

• Lock your bike.  The best protection for your bike is to secure it properly with a hardened steel “U” – shaped lock.  These locks are only effective if the lock is hooked through the bicycle frame and secured to a fixed object, such as the designated bicycle racks on campus.
• If you discover your bike missing, contact administration and law enforcement immediately.

To assist in the recovery of your bike should it be stolen, you should record the serial number off the frame and keep it in your wallet; engrave your driver’s license number on the frame.

Off Campus

• Avoid walking or jogging alone, especially at night.  Stay in weltered, well-lighted areas.
• Be careful if anyone in a car asks you for directions - if you answer; keep your distance from the car.
• Have your key ready before you reach the door - home, car, or office.
• If possible, avoid dark or concealed areas. Walk in the street if it appears safer.
• If you think someone is following you, turn around and check so you are not caught off-guard. Cross the street or change direction.
• If a car follows you or stops near you for directions, do not approach the car. Change direction if you feel threatened and walk or run toward other people, stores or a lighted house.
• Park in a well lit area at night. Check the area before leaving the car. Walk to your car with keys ready.
• Check the back seat before entering your vehicle. Someone could be hiding there.
• While driving, keep the doors locked so no one can jump in at a red light. Keep enough gas in your tank for emergencies.
• If you are followed by another car, drive to a police station or business with lights and people. Do not go home when someone is following you.
• If your car breaks down lift the hood, put on the flashers, and wait for help with doors locked.
• Ask people who stop to call the police or TDOT. 
• Keep an envelope with quarters and telephone numbers for emergency calls.
• Don't hitchhike and never pick up a hitchhiker.
• Be alert!Walk with confidence and purpose.
• Be aware of your surroundings - know who’s out there and what’s going on.
• Don't let alcohol or other drugs cloud your judgment.
• Trust your instincts. If a situation or place makes you feel uncomfortable or uneasy, leave.  
• Park with the front wheels turned sharply to the curb, to prevent a thief from towing your car.
• Remove radar detectors and, if possible, the stereo from plain view.

Don’t leave the vehicle title, registration, credit cards or checkbooks in the car.