There was a reported fire tragedy in Stanley Road, UK, wherein a man died not only of the fire but also of carbon monoxide poisoning. The cause of the blaze was a kettle on a gas hob that was still switched on with the gas issuing.

The man did not have smoke detectors in his place. It was only because a friend who came by smelled gas and could not get an answer from him that the alarm was raised.

The brother of the victim is now appealing to the people to install smoke detectors and smoke alarms to prevent similar deaths. It’s not that expensive, definitely a lot less expensive than a life. Smoke detectors and smoke alarms can help in saving lives from fire tragedies.

Include carbon monoxide detectors with smoke detectors. Carbon monoxide are deadly killers that cannot be seen and cannot be smelled, unlike smoke and fire.

Kent Trading Standards has issued a warning over faulty carbon monoxide alarms that cannot be relied on to detect the killer gas. It has been reported that there are various defects with some carbon monoxide alarms. At worse, it is the the problem that the alarm does not detect the gas and sound the alarm before a person is exposed to the gas that is the concern.

The full story can be read here.

Carbon monoxide is a fatally dangerous gas for those exposed to it. You cannot taste it, see it, nor smell it. Early symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include headaches, nausea, and fatigue, most of which are mistaken for flu. Prolonged exposure to carbon monoxide can lead to brain damage and death.

In Arizona, the Gilbert Police Department is running a growing program called the Vacation Watch. This has been done for the past years in their community. It allows the residents in their area to sign up through their town’s website and have their house checked while they are away on vacations. This way, the residents enjoying their summer on long vacations can relax a little more, knowing their home is being watched by friendly eyes.

The volunteers for the program are all trained and have gone through the citizen’s police academy. They operate all year round but summer’s the busiest time because it’s the peak season of burglary crimes.

The Gilbert Police Department also offers free home security inspection at least a couple of weeks before the resident leaves for his or her trip. The purpose for this is to check the home security measures the resident has employed and what to do to crime-proof the home more during their vacation.

There was a report about a company in North Carolina that operated and sold their home security services without an N.C. business license. While it is common for some businesses to start operating with a business license, there would be less problems if people would check up on businesses and companies before signing up for their offers and services.

From The News and Observer:

* Ask salespeople and service workers to show the registration card that proves they are registered with the N.C. Alarm Licensing Board [or your state’s licensing board]. If they decline, don’t do business with them.

* Don’t let salespeople into your home.

* Ask whether the company is an authorized dealer — meaning they sell equipment and monitoring systems that are made by other companies. If the company is an authorized dealer, you may want to check directly with the original company they claim to represent to make sure.

* Don’t be pressured into making a decision immediately. Ask the salesperson to leave information about the product and a contact number. Go online and look up the company. Compare its prices and services to at least two other companies. Ask neighbors and friends for recommendations.

Summer isn’t over yet, and burglary is still at its peak. So here are just some last minute reminders for holidaymakers about to go on long vacations, brought to you by This Is Aberdeen UK:

“Grampian Police have issued advice to reduce the number of break-ins during the summer break.

They advise making make sure homes continue to look like someone is living there.

Not closing curtains and getting timer switches to turn nights on at night can all help to make the home look occupied..

Police also suggest you fit mortice locks to all outside doors and make sure milk or newspaper deliveries are cancelled.

Cut the lawn before going on vacation and trim back any plants that thieves could hide behind.

Also get a friend or neighbour to look after the house and leave them with a contact number.

Don’t leave valuables, like your TV, hi-fi or DVD player in easy view and mark valuable items with your postcode and house number using a UV pen.

Do not put a home address on luggage when travelling to a holiday destination.

And lock everything up, including the garage and shed.

Pc Gordon Macdonald of the Crime Reduction Unit said: “Returning from holiday to find that your home had been broken into is a terrible event to experience. By following some simple advice you can make your home more secure while you are away.“

• It’s better to have your keys out and ready before leaving your house or building to avoid giving criminals the opportunity to sneak up on you when you’re fumbling through your bag for the keys.

• When leaving shopping malls or stores, be on constant alert. Criminals know that you’re carrying cash, credit cards, or anything valuable.

• Better not to use ATM’s at night or at unsafe places.

• Observe your surroundings. Watch carefully for any suspicious person that could be watching you. If you feel like someone’s watching you, walk past your car and give the impression that you don’t own anything that’s worth stealing.

• As much as possible, keep one arm and one hand free to ensure that you can move freely and faster when an attack comes.

• Lock the door after entering the car. Do this even before you put the key into the ignition, just to make sure.

• Don’t pick up hitchhikers.

One threat that never seems to get away regarding home security is lock bumping.

LOCK BUMPING involves a method wherein you use a blank key is cut in a special way called the bump key. A BUMP KEY has all the cuts at its maximum depth. You slip it in. When a bump key is inserted all the way into the lock, it will be pushed out a little by the springs inside the lock until the pins in the lock comes to rest in the deepest point in the cuts. It won’t turn. The key will just ‘bump’ it in the right way and the lock key will give way. An amateur can learn this tactic easily.

It’s no secret that lock bumping is spread all over. Just give a person some bump keys and he can get in through any door. There are some expensive locks that can resist lock bumping, but the most commonly used locks can be opened with lock bumping.