paulry

Put your car keys beside your bed at night.

If you hear a noise outside your home or someone is trying to get in your house, just press the panic button for your car. The alarm will be set off, and the horn will continue to sound until either you turn it off or the car battery dies. (This tip came from a neighbourhood watch coordinator.)

Next time you come home for the night and you start to put your keys away, think of this: It's a security alarm system that you probably already have and requires no installation. Test it. It will go off from most everywhere inside your house and will keep honking until your battery runs down or until you reset it with the button on the key fob chain. It works if you park in your driveway or garage. If your car alarm goes off when someone is trying to break in your house, odds are the burglar or rapist won't stick around.... after a few seconds all the neighbours will be looking out their windows to see who is out there and sure enough the criminal won't want that. And remember to carry your keys while walking to your car in a parking lot. The alarm can work the same way there.

It would be useful for any emergency, such as a heart attack, where you can't reach a phone as well as for elders who are unsteady on their feet, carrying car keys with them in case they fall inside or out and no one hears them. They can activate the car alarm thereby alerting someone that there is a problem.

TMRE

Car/house alarms go off accidentally night and day so frequently round here that nobody takes any notice anymore.

asprilla

Great tip I reckon.

Bernieboy

38 CAL Smith and wesson with hollow tip ammo

ray2gill

Here's another tip. If you think you are having a heart attach start coughing with big stomach coughs as by doing this you squeeze the heart which acts as self CPR until assistance arrives.

harrip

Just shout "Ask yourself one question: "Do I feel lucky?" Well, do ya, punk?" out the window. More dramatic

Amazulu

Where I'm from this is the only way to go.

moneypenny20

I don't have a panic button on my zapper I can lock and unlock the doors, unlock the back window and open the boot but I can't sound the alarm. I'll make a note of the coughing whilst having a heart attack though. That could come in useful.

ray2gill

I hope everyone has ICE on their mobile phone.

ICE - In case of Emergency contacts.

ICE 1 husband/mother/father whoever is primary contact
ICE 2 secondary contact
ICE 3 other contacts

Ensure you enter their name and relationship.

This is so important to do. If you are involved in an accident and are unable to communicate with anyone the emergency services will check you mobile for ICE contacts.

ICE is used universally so ensure you alway enter international dialing codes in the number

pompeyblonde

Is the coughing thing true? very interesting

paulry

It seems that are differences of opinion within the medical profession on this matter:

http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/blcpr.htm

It also states on the link that:

"in certain cases where a patient has abnormal heart rhythms, coughing can help normalize them, according to Dr. Stephen Bohan of Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston."

and:

"Dr. Bohan says the best course of action for a typical heart attack victim is to immediately take an aspirin (which helps dissolve blood clots) and call 911.".

If I was faced with such an emergency I think I would try everything

Zambia

That's a good tip

Kalenge

Likewise. I've never heard of or seen panic buttons on remotes/keys for cars.


Just asked around the office and not one person out of 14 have got a panic button on their car keys.

K14

This sounds good but when my dad had his heart attack he was so ill I don't think he could cough. He did survive though

ray2gill

Well put it like this it's better than sitting doing nothing.

When I worked for BP we were always being forwarded security and medical advise.

Another tip:

When you check into a hotel room check the emergency exit/evacuation route you would need to take if a situation arose. We alway had to report incidences where problems were encountered.

You would be surprised at the number of reports where emergency exits (stair wells) were blocked by mattresses, padlocks and all manor of things. So don't just assume that because it says exit that you will be able to get out if needs be.

If it is blocked ask for the duty manager and insist it is unblocked or move to another hotel. We used to boycott hotels where this happened until a safety assessment had been done. I am not just talking about small obscure hotels in third world countries here.

Be safe and check. We were actively encouraged to take safety & security seriously.