Three Critical Words in Life

Three not so little words, part of the security  professional/s  procedure  for deciding how to respond to and deal -- safely --  with environmental hazards such as floods, fires, earthquakes as well as various types of man-made hazards as theft, assault, robbery or other criminal attacks:  Assess, Plan, Act. 




Just three words, but it is amazing how many police officers and security professionals,  forget how to do this properly  when responding to emergencies and end up  facing assault or excessive use of force charges -- or  getting injured or killed themselves.


 And the rest of us are no better as every day men, women, and children frequently suffer disastrous consequences as a result of not implementing this strategy when making critical decisions when dealing  -- safely -- with potentially dangerous situations or individuals.


Just the other day in Vancouver  B.C., Canada a jewelery store owner responded to being robbed by chasing the robbers out on the street and spraying them with bear spray.  They reacted to this  by shooting at him.


Luckily, they missed him, but what if the stray bullets had struck somebody sitting in nearby vehicles, or somebody walking along the sidewalk?


It was an irresponsible, potentially tragic act on the part of the. You can't really say that he did not  Assess, Plan and Act, but his response to being  robbed clearly was not well thought out.

Chinese Products Still Dangerous

Chinese products can still be dangerous to your health. Recent warnings by Health Canada and  the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission prove this


On Friday, January 15, 2010  Health Canada issued a warning that some  children's  jewelery items might contain high lead levels. This followed an earlier U.S. warning that some products from China are made almost entirely from cadmium a highly toxic heavy metal.


Lead can have detrimental affects on a child's development even at low levels.  Cadmium, a carcinogen, has even worse effects.


Health and consumer agencies in both the United States in Canada have issued warnings advising parents to prevent their children from sucking on such products.  A warning to check the sources and components or ingredients of things they buy for their children  and not buy suspect products would be an EVEN BETTER IDEA.

Beware of Fraudulent Money Making Offers on Internet

If you are looking for  ways to to earn extra money in these turbulent financial times look no farther than Craigslist and othIer online job centres -- but use discretion when considering them.

One  advertisement I personally responded to because it asked for somebody with the experience and skills to investigate customer in the retail outlets for the clients of one STARPOINT TRADING INC.  According to the job offer I would  carry out an intensive mystery shopping project and right detailed reports for these companies.

For this I would be paid $400.00 per report.

This, of course is far more than the typical mystery shopper would earn. But from the advertisement it appeared that these assignments required much more work including a detailed, investigative analysis  and report at the end of each investigation -- something I could provide for this company quite easily with my years as an investigative reporter so I responded to the add by sending in my resume.

Within a day this company responded by accepting me as one of their investigators and telling me I would be paid the $400.00 at the end of each assignment without delay.

I had misgivings about this company from the beginning, however, and they soon appeared to be well-founded.. First of all I received another e-mail from this trading company saying  I would start with a relatively easy assignment and be paid for it. But the representative of STARPOINT now told me that once I received my payment I was to deduct my money from the amount of the cheque and send the balance to their company.

Next I received a cheque for $1800.00 before I had even done any work for this company and then another e-mail again instructing me to cash the cheque,  keep $400.00 and send  the balance to their representative in Cyprus.

This job offer was nothing more than an  enticement to get involved in fraud. These e-mails, the receipt of the cheque with remittance instructions and evidence we had gained in the meantime from  the owner of the company who supposedly paid us proved it.

The  person who supposedly signed the cheque made out to me said right away that the cheque was fraudulent and she had never made it out or signed it. According to her she has been plagued by these fraudulent cheques by somebody who had gotten hold of her banking information.

So while there are many good employment and other offers on Craigslist who do have to use discretion and not get carried away by the apparent opportunity to earn some good money.

Regular Reading or Scanning of Newspapers Can Protect You

If you're not a person who regularly scans the newspaper you should because it might contain valuable tips on ways you can protect yourself and others.


Both of the examples of this idea come by way of the Globe and Mail  published in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.


The December 23, 2009 edition printed Michael Kesterson's "Social Studies" column in which he mentioned a study conducted by the Norwegian University of Science and Technology involving 50,000 men and women.


According to Kesterson the study showed that people -- especially men -- who took the time to get involved in artistic and cultural activities in their communities  were less likely to become depressed -- regardless of personal wealth or occupation.


In the same edition reporter Sheryl Ubelacker wanred:  "Exhaust fumes tied to severe pneumonia in elderly".


She said that a study by researchers in McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada showed that a prolonged exposure to vehicle exhaust  can result in severe pneumonia in elderly persons.


A regular reading or at least scanning of the newspaper can alert you to such benefits and dangers.  No?




A regular reading or at least scanning of the newspaper would have alerted you to these benefits and dangers.

Protect Yourself from Propaganda

With people apparently becoming paranoid about what will happen in 2012 in fulfillment of Mayan "End of Times" prediction possibly with the earth being torn apart as depicted in the movie 2012 it is good to keep in mine what King Solomon said at Proverbs 14:15: "A fool will believe anything." Don't let yourself become a gullible believer of "end of the world messages – or other issues.


 
It is good to keep open minded about things but don't let your mind be like an open pipe that lets everything flow through it – even sewage. When presented with information – whether it is promotional or supposedly factual news reports or educational material urging you to take some action scrutinize everything you hear carefully before deciding what to accept and act on.


 
Use discernment, the ability to analyze and make accurate decisions after testing the validity or what you are reading or being told. One good way to do this is make good use of the reporters" "five W's" who, what, why, where, when (and how). When confronted by persuasive message ask yourselves things like:


 

• What is the motive for this message?
  
• Is the presenter showing any bias?
  
• Is the language loaded with emotions designed to stir up my emotions?
  
• What proof or facts am I being given?
  
• What is the source of the evidence and arguments being given?
  
• What are the merits of this message – aside from its emotional appeal?
  

Above all don't go along with an idea just because large numbers of people have accepted what they hear. History is full of cases of popular opinion being proved wrong – often with disastrous results.


 

Check The Source of Those Diamonds

At this time of year you might be one who is diamond hunting for yourself or someone else. If you are -- a word of caution Before making any decisions about  which necklace or ring to buy or who to buy it from  do your homework.


As the recession is dying out that renewed interest, especially amongst the affluent, in buy an  exquisite diamond ring, bracelet or necklace for that someone special is good news for the diamond industry but don't assume that all members of the jewelery industry will respond to this by treating you honestly.  Most will -- but not necessarily all.


In order to protect yourself look for things like certification by the local jewelery association. In Canada look for the CJA sign in the window of the jewellery store or check the  web page at: www.canadianjewllers.com

Get a Good Description With a Camera

Some encounters with criminal types or  people who arouse your suspicion happen  with such lightning speed that it can be difficult to get a good description.  But sometimes a  camera can help to solve the problem if you get a chance to shoot a few frames with your digital camera using your cell phone or other type of camera.


Just be sure that it is safe to do so as many persons get upset  very quickly when they even suspect you are taking pictures of them.



It is perfectly legal to take pictures of people on the streeet in Canada  , -- although you should check your local laws first.   It is usually  only when you are going to use these pictures to reproduce  in some magazine  that you might need a  signed model  release form from the subject.


Something else I would  consider is what type of  camera you are going to use --  if you are going to do this on a regular basis  as a security guard or other security professional. In many cases it might be better to carry a disposable camera for such use rather than any expensive digial camera -- just in case the police  or courts want the actual camera you shot the picture with in some cases or there is a possibility of your camera getting damaged during the incident.