You can’t ever be 100% sure you are doing the right thing for holdup prevention, criminals are individuals and individuals can’t be lumped into an all or nothing formula.
However, in my experience as a prison guard that liked to talk, I learned a lot about the mindset of those criminals that got caught.
If you want to do some things for holdup prevention I have some common sense measures outlined in this page.
Call the police at once if you notice suspicious strangers loitering near or in your place of business.
Never block the view into your store by crowding display windows. It is important to maintain visibility into your business establishment at all times.
Secure your teller and cashier operations. Install barriers to keep unauthorized persons out of these areas.
If practical, mark doorways at varying heights to allow proper identification of robber’s height.
Install a holdup alarm system.
Install a timed delay switch to turn off exterior lights after your employees have gone for the night.
Use two people to open and close your business. Establish a system of prearranged signals. One person should stay outside until the other gives the all clear signal.
Keep cash on the premises to a minimum. Make frequent pickups of money from registers and make regular bank deposits.
Do not establish a habitual routine when making bank deposits. Robbers will soon learn it.
Keep the safe in your place of business locked at all times.
Check the references of job applicants before you hire them.
In the event you are contacted about an emergency at your business, and the call is of questionable validity, please verify the call with the police dispatcher, before going to your business.
Have frequent meetings with your employees in order to familiarize them with holdup prevention measures, which you have initiated.
A clean and safe hotel room should be easy to find, but they are not always as prevalent as they should be.
It’s a scenario familiar to any business traveler. Your airline flight was delayed, the cab line at the airport was endless and check-in was a mess. Jet lag has struck. It’s very late, you’re tired and you have a breakfast meeting with a key client at 6:30 AM. You grab your key, avoid the bellman and head to your room to collapse into bed. Stop. Take the next 5 minutes to perform these safety, security and cleanliness checks and prepare for the next day.
These “how to’s” will save you time the next morning, they could even save your life some day.
1. When you enter your room, prop the door open, turn on the lights, and check the closets, bathroom, under the bed and behind the drapes. Mistakes do happen and sometimes someone else has been assigned to your room. This happens more frequently in suites with adjoining bedrooms that can be sold as separate rooms. Or there could be a thief. In any case, don’t close the door until you are sure the room is empty.
2. Check that the connecting doors, windows and sliding doors are locked. In general, avoid first floor rooms with sliding doors.
3. Once you lock the door and attach the safety chain, check the diagram on the back to review the nearest exits and mentally plan your escape route. Look out the door to check that the exit signs are illuminated. If the lights are out, be helpful and contact the front desk to let them know. The few seconds that it takes to review the exit information can save your life in the event of a fire, earthquake or other emergency. Just do it. FYI, most fire engine ladders can only reach up to the 6th floor.
4. Make sure that the heat or air-conditioner, lights, phone, radio and television are working. Turn on the shower and sink to check the water pressure and temperature. If they aren’t working, switch rooms now. It’s not worth waiting for someone to fix the problem, especially late at night.
When prepping for a disaster, it is important to understand all the different risks which can be faced. Also the effects those disasters can have. Looking after yourself during a tornado requires very different action to surviving a flood. Being prepared for different types of risk is crucial. You also need to understand the levels of risk faced where you live.
Due to factors like climate, geology and human interference, parts of the globe are much safer than others, and some areas face extremely diverse risks. By having a survival kit that fits your needs and preparing a plan in case the worst happens, you could ensure you and your family make it through the disaster: no matter where in the world you live.
The most deadly kinds of disaster
The three big killers are floods, earthquakes and cyclones. Historic events such as the China floods, the Shaanxi earthquake and the Bhola cyclone caused the loss of over 3,000,000 collectively, and the world’s ten worst disasters killed over 7 million people in total. Other causes of natural disasters are tsunamis, avalanches, hurricanes, heat waves and droughts.
Preparing for these disasters requires a little common sense: you really only need to be ready for those likely to affect you. If your local climate is hot throughout the year, heavy snow is unlikely to be an issue. If you are far from the coast, tidal waves should be of little concern. For those in the highlands, flooding is rarely an issue. However, there are parts of the world which are at high risk of a serious disaster because of their geography and climate. It is also important to remember the golden rule of disaster preparedness: expect the unexpected!
The riskiest places on Earth
There are some factors which make a location’s risk higher. These include being close to a river or the coast, so that flooding is possible. The location might also be on a tectonic fault where earthquakes are likely, or active volcanoes may exist. Other places might have multiple risk factors – a nearby lake, a high mountain range, an incoming coastal air stream and an underground fault line. When multiple factors combine, the chance of a serious disaster is much higher, and the chance of multiple concurrent disasters also occurs. If you live in a high risk area, you had better make sure your survival kit is stocked to handle a range of situations.
Some of the areas highlighted as having high risk levels:
There are also many places which did not make the list, but which are known to be at risk because of a combination of factors. The United States in particular has had a tough year in terms of Mother Nature’s wrath, experiencing everything from heavy snow and hail to wildfires and mudslides in the past six months. Australia has also seen its fair share of fires and droughts during the previous three years. Knowing what type of incident is likely to happen and having the tools to survive it is important if you want to be ready for the worst.
Building a survival kit
It should become part of your weekly routine to stock up your disaster kit. There is no reason it should be expensive to do so. Check out OZCodes.com.au for discount codes on products from leading outdoor equipment retailers and suppliers. Create a kit that suits your budget. Remember to tailor your kit to the place you live and the things you might face if a disaster hits. You can’t fight a wildfire with a snow shovel! However, some of the basics will be needed no matter what situation arises: such as a comprehensive first aid kit, a reliable weapon, plenty of safe food and water, and the tools to create shelter, warmth and power if needed.
Reactions to the situation will depend on the type of disaster, as well. Early warning is possible in the event of fire or floods, but not always if a tornado or earthquake hits. Sometimes evacuating will be the best option, in which case you will want to grab your bag and hit the road. Other times, getting to the safety of a cellar or shelter and waiting out the disaster is more appropriate. This is where the survival kit for a long term stay should be stored.
Whatever situation you could face in the future, having the knowledge and equipment to face it properly could mean the difference between life and death. Know the risks: get familiar with the climate and geography of your home town. Read up on previous disasters in the region so you know what you should expect. This is especially true if you move to a new town or even a different country.
A prearranged plan is easier, safer and more effective than reacting “from the hip” in what is by definition a life-or-death situation – especially in a multi-person household or business.
Without a plan, you may have people going in as many different (and opposing) directions as you have people going. Because of this, making a disaster plan is vital to good preparedness.
Tips for a Family Disaster Plan
Just working up a plan may cause you to consider something you wouldn’t think of in an actual emergency. For example, a person blindly fleeing a fire might fling open a door; a person who has planned and drilled will know to feel the door for heat first.
Your community may have suggestions, probably even a plan; will you have time to review and follow it during an emergency, and to make sure your plan meshes into the community’s?
Today’s planning may lead you to action that later saves lives later. Which is more likely, that you wake up one morning and decide to buy a fire extinguisher, or that you wake up one morning and decide to work up a plan, which leads you to buy a fire extinguisher?
This attitude may also lead you to larger preventive actions, like a building inspection that shows potential safety hazards – which you can then eliminate.
When you know where to go, you’ll get there sooner. Even a split-second taken deciding where to go adds at least that split-second to the time that passes before you’re there, safe.
You should leave most “response” to professional responders, but simple first aid and CPR are skills everyone should learn.
Have an emergency kit in your home, and another smaller version in your vehicle.
People become separated in disasters; have a contact each of you will try to reach as soon as possible after your life is no longer threatened.
Why is no plan provided here? Each home and business is unique; only you – in consultation with experts like your insurance agent – can write a truly effective plan for that home or business.
Home repairs and improvements can be costly. Watch out for home improvement fraud if:
A clean and safe hotel room should be easy to find, but they are not always as prevalent as they should be.
A prearranged plan is easier, safer and more effective than reacting “from the hip” in what is by definition a life-or-death situation – especially in a multi-person household or business.