Prevention

There are several ways to prevent choking. For babies or small children, first, be vigilant to see that they do not put objects in their mouths. Second, make sure their food is cut into small enough pieces for the child to chew adequately. Third, it is not advisable for babies or small children to have hard candy, which might slip down their throat or windpipe and cause them to choke.

For older adults, excessive consumption of alcohol may cause them to not chew food adequately, or to lose consciousness before food is completely swallowed. Some senior citizens may also need their food cut up adequately, depending upon whether they have dentures or difficulty chewing.

Recognize Choking

Sometimes, a choking incident is signaled by coughing—but not always. Babies or small children may exhibit difficulty breathing or make a high pitched noise when they inhale if they have an object lodged in their throat. Children with a weak cry or cough should immediately be checked for choking.

Older adults may gag or wheeze in addition to cough.

Any person of any age who is not making any sound, whose skin is blue, or who has lost consciousness may be choking. They need medical attention immediately. Call 911. If someone in the household knows the Heimlich maneuver or CPR, it should be performed immediately.

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Real Live Humans answer the phone. The line is answered by a trained nurse or pharmacist. They can take in the age of the person afflicted, the weight, the type of poison and the amount of poison taken. It would take many searches to determine all of this on the internet. Time is of the essence in any poisoning situation. This is often a stressful time for the person that is calling poison control. Talking to a trained person helps take the error out of determining if the internet is actually accurate.

Calling the Poison Control Hotline can be very helpful. Per their website: website: 68% of poisonings can be handled without medical intervention. At home treatment in two out of three calls made to the Poison Control Hotline.

Overdosing on prescription medications is very common. This is the leading cause of death in 25-64 year olds. More people in this age range die from abusing prescription drugs than from motor vehicle accidents, illegal drugs or firearms.

Poison control can help with carbon monoxide poisoning. They are experienced with intentional overdosing by a person attempting suicide. They can give advice on what to do if a person swallows a battery. They handle more than just the chemicals that might be found under a kitchen sink.

The Poison Control Hotline handles about four calls a minute, if you think they might be able to help they probably can. Almost half of the calls are for children under six years old. Be safe. Have this number programmed in your mobile phone, and posted near your land line phone. You can reach the Poison Control Hotline 1-800-222-1222.

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First, know that asbestos in good condition—not damaged or worn—is not a hazard. There is no reason for alarm if asbestos is simply in your home. The risk comes from damaged asbestos, which can release fibers into the air. It is the fibers that are harmful.

Second, the safest thing you can do with asbestos is to leave it alone. Examining it or poking it might damage it, release fibers, and end up causing the very harm you are trying to avoid.

Third, know where to look for asbestos. Asbestos is found in multiple places in the home. Some are in places where consumers don’t know to expect it; many products sold for gas-powered fireplaces, such as artificial ashes, might contain asbestos. Others are in the home itself. Asbestos cement is used in some shingles and siding.

Fourth, avoid damaging asbestos if you find it. That includes dusting or vacuuming material that might contain asbestos or sawing, sanding or scraping it. Remember that activities that seem like simple work can damage the delicate fibers—and send them into the air.

Fifth, if you find damaged asbestos or damage existing asbestos in your home, you must call an experienced, certified professional to remove it.

Contact us for your safety and security needs.

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Common Situations of Carjackings

It is important to understand the most likely places and situations where carjackings occur. By educating yourself, you know when your awareness should be higher. See details below:

*The Bureau of Justice Statistics states that 93% of carjackings occur in cities or suburbs.
*Gas stations and car washes are a common place of the crime.
*Drive thru ATMs make a convenient location for the carjackers to watch.
*Shoppers loading and unloading groceries or other items are good targets.
*Elderly and mothers with children are an increase risk.
*Carjackings are more frequent during the weekends.

Tips to Prevent Being a Victim

There are several things you can do to decrease the likelihood of a carjacking. See the tips below:

*Park in well lit areas and visible to the public.
*When walking to your vehicle, have your keys ready. In addition, be aware of your   surroundings and look inside your vehicle before entering. Be wary of people asking for directions. Trust your instincts, if something doesn’t feel right quickly leave the area.
*Do not leave valuables or wallets on the seats. Instead, leave these items in your trunk.
*When paying for gas, always lock your doors while in the store.
*Do not stop to assist a car on the side of the street. You should call for help instead.
*Drive in the center lane when possible to avoid being “bumped.” Sometimes carjackers    will bump you from behind, then take your vehicle once you exit.

Carjacking is a scary situation. However, knowing the statistics and common situations you can decrease the chances of being a victim.

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1) One of the chief ways to ensure household safety and prevent poisoning is to make sure that the exposure is only what is needed to eliminate pests, and that it does not affect any humans or pets. To that end, avoid applying pesticides more often than recommended. You do not need preventive, repeat uses. A better preventive way to get rid of pests is to eliminate conditions where they breed or to which they are attracted.

2) The person applying the pesticide should also limit exposure as much as possible. Wear gloves always, masks or goggles if necessary to prevent poisoning.

3) Ventilate the area that needs to be sprayed. Open doors and windows during the process.

4) Prevent poisoning by keeping any pesticide residues, bait, or traps where children and pets cannot reach them.

5) Remember that household safety includes environmental safety. Don’t pour leftover pesticides down the drain, empty on the lawn, or leave in the garbage. It may contaminate the municipal drinking water or the earth. Your town can tell you the procedures for dealing with hazardous waste.

There are also ways to avoid using pesticides with harsh chemicals. If your pest problem is cockroaches, ants, or silverfish, for example, boric acid will work. If sprinkled along the floor molding, cracks, and crevices, the insects will crawl across it, and boric acid will slowly poison them. Boric acid is not toxic to humans, so is safer than many pesticides.

Several organizations are involved in transitioning to nontoxic pesticides. See www.beyondpesticides.org for details.

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Knowledge of the possible contaminants in water have been partly behind the rise in bottled waters over the last several decades. Bottled water is sometimes safe. However, it’s not guaranteed to be. According to Consumer Reports, bottled water is not as regulated as municipal water supplies are. Some brands of bottled water are just filtered tap water, as well.

Distilled water is also sometimes used as an option. Distilling—heating water to steam and then converting it back to water through a cooling chamber–does remove some contaminants, and it certainly gets rid of bacteria. However, use of distilled water can lead to long-term health concerns because it also removes nutrients.

The safest option to get rid of chemicals and contaminants in the water is to use a water filter system for good health. The market offers a wide array, from carafes to systems mounted in the kitchen or other area. The latter often have electronic signals that tell you when it’s time to replace the filter. Consumer Reports recommends choosing one certified by the National Sanitation Foundation. Then, you should read the fine print—they reduce contaminants at various rates, and not all reduce all contaminants.

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Fortunately, falls are very preventable. Below are five home safety tips to guard against childhood falls.

1) Make sure your home has protective devices that guard against childhood falls. Make sure stairs are gated if you have young children who might take a stairs. See our blog on stairway safety . Use guard rails for the same reason. Make sure guards are placed on windows.

2) Make sure your windows will not invite a fall. Keep windows closed and locked as a general rule. Locking is important; children are curious, and might be able to open the bottom half of a window if it is possible. If you must open a window during high temperature months, make sure there is a guard. If they open from both top and bottom, always open only the top, so the opening is out of reach.

3) Arrange home furniture for maximum safety. Do not place a chair, bed, or crib near a window. Children can climb easily, and may creatively use furniture to access a window.

4) Closely supervise young children. Do not think that because they could not open a gate or try to open a window a month ago, they can’t do it now. They grow fast and are intensely curious about new things. The opening of one latch can cause a serious fall.

5) And finally, if you have play equipment in the backyard, make sure it is safe. If you children launch out of swings or accidentally fall while running, they should hit an obstacle free area.

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The following are four important tips on home safety for those with physical disabilities. These can serve as a good starting point for improving your safety at home.

1) Map out your optimal escape plan
If you have a physical disability, consider how you would exit the home in the event of a fire. Is your bedroom on the ground floor? Do you have multiple exit routes lined up from any room in the house, and do any of them have major obstacles (for example, stairs)? Be sure to practice using your escape routes during fire drills to see if they’re safe and feasible.

2) Make sure you can perceive alarms
If you have a hearing impairment, how can a home alarm, including a fire alarm warn you about a problem? There are different options to consider, including alarms with flashing lights. In addition, you can set up an alarm system that’s monitored round-the-clock and that can immediately notify the proper emergency response personnel (along with trusted family members or friends) about a problem in your home.

3) Carry a wireless “panic button”
Always carry with you an emergency alert button (“panic button”) that you can use to summon police or medical first responders in the event of an emergency, such as a fall.

4) Review your home for hazards in advance
With the help of family, friends, and/or professional caregivers, make a comprehensive safety assessment of your home to spot potential hazards. For example, are any doorways too narrow for a wheelchair – potentially trapping you when you try to escape your home? Is the kitchen optimized for your use, reducing the chances that you’ll suffer burns or start a fire when you cook?

Don’t hesitate to contact us for further assistance with improving your home safety. We can help you come up with solutions tailored uniquely to your home and to the specific challenges posed by a variety of physical disabilities.

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As a company, we do our very best to make sure that you are our top priority. That has been our goal for over 28 years now as we serve the residents of Long Island.

We are proud to say that our focus on your safety has been noticed. We have been nominated as the best alarm company on Long Island. We are so thrilled to have been nominated, and we would appreciate your help in winning the recognition as the best alarm company on Long Island.

Here’s how you can help. Simply CLICK on the VOTE NOW picture below.

Scroll down to the Alarm Company drop down window and select All Island Security.

You can vote every day, so please rally behind us and get some of your friends and family to vote for us too. We really need your support to bring home the title. Thank you for your support!

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1. Keep Cell Phone Off: Number one on the teen driver safety list is cell phones. With cell phone use at an all-time high, it can be a major distraction while driving. Crash risk is four times higher when a driver uses a cell phone. Teenagers are constantly receiving emails, messaging alerts, incoming call and a variety of updates. Due to this, cell phones should always be turned off while driving.
2. Obey Speed Limits: Speed limits should consistently be observed and maintained to insure teen driver safety. Just because others are speeding, does not mean you have to keep up. Higher speeds limit your reaction time.
3. Limit Distractions: There are other distractions besides cell phone use. Avoid eating, drinking, shuffling music and playing loud music. In addition, drive solo when able. Additional teens can increase the likelihood of distraction.
4. Be Conscious of Others: Not every driver drives safely. It is important to be aware of the traffic, cars in front and behind you and avoid aggressive drivers. Never swerve into other lanes or pull out in front of someone.
5. Headlights: Always use your headlights in the mornings and early evenings. In addition, turn them on in rainy, foggy and snowy weather conditions.Becoming a new driver is very exciting. It is important to protect yourself and others while driving your vehicle. By following the above teen driver safety tips, you can help avoid possible accidents.

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