Category Archives: Wake up call

Beware the Delivery Man

Yes, you read that correctly, beware your delivery man.  If you order things on-line, you will want to exercise a level of caution (OPSEC).  The more you have delivered the more you will be noticed.  You will be noticed by both your delivery man and possibly your neighbors also.  Depending on what you are having delivered can have a significant impact on how much others observe.  If a package is labeled as ammunition and this isn’t a normal item for you, this may make others start to look at you a little differently.  If you get a shipment of grains and or other heavy or bulky items, it will be even more noticeable, especially  if they are sitting on your doorstep waiting for you to get home so you can take care of them.

Some companies are diligent about how packages are labeled, and others will label the boxes with the biggest advertising they can fit.  Others just don’t put any thought into it, and it is hit and miss.  This is a serious matter that isn’t always addressed.  The people that know you have preps and even worse those that know what you actually have is a significant risk to OPSEC.  The box won’t necessarily have it’s contents identified on the outside, but the company name may be blazed all over the outside.  With general merchandise companies this isn’t as much of an issue.  When it comes to companies that deal primarily with specific types of products, the less attention the packaging draws the better.

What to do?  I hope you are thinking now.  One option would be to use a mailbox service like theupsstore.com you have to check your local store for rates and services.  This would afford you the ability to have packages delivered to a physical location that isn’t your home.  This in turn gives you the security that your stuff won’t be stolen while waiting for your return and your neighbors won’t see the delivery truck leaving packages for you all the time.  This is probably the most secure option, although it lends itself to other security issues as well as the cost. In the event of a disaster, your neighbors won’t necessarily be pre-programmed to come pounding on your door because they have seen some of  your preps delivered…

Some things you can do to help maintain your security would be to have someone home when packages are due for delivery.  This isn’t an option for everyone, sometimes we just can’t get the time off work, as well as it could burn up a lot of vacation time if you had to take time off every time you had a delivery coming.  If you have a friend or neighbor that you trust or even better one that is a prepper also.  If you have someone at an alternate address (friend, family member) that is home during the day, that could receive packages for you.  Remember not to put these people in danger either.  If they are in an area that has nosy neighbors you could ultimately be putting them at risk for looting/theft.

You may also be able to talk with the delivery company, and have them hold your package for you to pick up in person.  This may be the most secure way.  Your local delivery man isn’t involved, your neighbors don’t see things being delivered, and you aren’t putting others at risk, receiving your items.  And most importantly, you are the only one aware of what is ‘going on’, thus helping to maintain OPSEC.

Don’t forget, to use caution when bringing your items into the house also, it’s best to do park in the garage and unload the car there.  You never know when you might have your own Gladys Kravitz.

Until next time,

the Survivalguy

 

Interesting E-mail – Security – OPSEC

I received an interesting e-mail the other day.  The e-mail was in regards to what a burglar is thinking.  Many of the points are common sense for those that are even a little concerned, especially with the current state of society.

There are some really great tips here: The best are near the end. Common sense applied in a vigorous way.

1. Of course I look familiar. I was here just last week cleaning your carpets, painting your shutters, or delivering your new refrigerator.

2. Hey, thanks for letting me use the bathroom when I was working in your yard last week. While I was in there, I unlatched the back window to make my return a little easier.

3. Love those flowers. That tells me you have taste… And taste means there are nice things inside. Those yard toys your kids leave out always make me wonder what type of gaming system they have.

4. Yes, I really do look for newspapers piled up on the driveway. And I might leave a pizza flyer in your front door to see how long it takes you to remove it..

5. If it snows while you’re out of town, get a neighbor to create car and foot tracks into the house. Virgin drifts in the driveway are a dead giveaway.

6. If decorative glass is part of your front entrance, don’t let your alarm company install the control pad where I can see if it’s set. That makes it too easy.

7. A good security company alarms the window over the sink. And the windows on the second floor, which often access the master bedroom – and your jewelry. It’s not a bad idea to put motion detectors up there too.

8. It’s raining, you’re fumbling with your umbrella, and you forget to lock your door – understandable. But understand this: I don’t take a day off because of bad weather.

9. I always knock first. If you answer, I’ll ask for directions somewhere or offer to clean your gutters. (Don’t take me up on it.)

10. Do you really think I won’t look in your sock drawer? I always check dresser drawers, the bedside table, and the medicine cabinet.

11. Here’s a helpful hint: I almost never go into kids’ rooms.

12. You’re right: I won’t have enough time to break into that safe where you keep your valuables. But if it’s not bolted down, I’ll take it with me.

13. A loud TV or radio can be a better deterrent than the best alarm system . If you’re reluctant to leave your TV on while you’re out of town, you can buy a $35 device that works on a timer and simulates the flickering glow of a real television. (Find it athttp://www.faketv/ <http://www.faketv/> . Com/)

8 MORE THINGS A BURGLAR WON’T TELL YOU:

1. Sometimes, I carry a clipboard. Sometimes, I dress like a lawn guy and carry a rake. I do my best to never, ever look like a crook.

2. The two things I hate most: loud dogs and nosy neighbors.

3. I’ll break a window to get in, even if it makes a little noise. If your neighbor hears one loud sound, he’ll stop what he’s doing and wait to hear it again.. If he doesn’t hear it again, he’ll just go back to what he was doing. It’s human nature.

4. I’m not complaining, but why would you pay all that money for a fancy alarm system and leave your house without setting it?

5. I love looking in your windows. I’m looking for signs that you’re home, and for flat screen TVs or gaming systems I’d like. I’ll drive or walk through your neighborhood at night, before you close the blinds, just to pick my targets.

6. Avoid announcing your vacation on your Facebook page. It’s easier than you think to look up your address.

7. To you, leaving that window open just a crack during the day is a way to let in a little fresh air. To me, it’s an invitation.

8. If you don’t answer when I knock, I try the door. Occasionally, I hit the jackpot and walk right in.

Sources: Convicted burglars in North Carolina, Oregon, California, and Kentucky ; security consultant Chris McGoey, who runs http://www.crimedoctor.com and Richard T. Wright, a criminology professor at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, who interviewed 105 burglars for his book Burglars on the Job

Protection for you and your home:

If you don’t have a gun, here’s a more humane way to wreck someone’s evil plans for you. (I guess I can get rid of the baseball bat.):

WASP SPRAY

A friend who is a receptionist in a church in a high risk area was concerned about someone coming into the office on Monday to rob them when they were counting the collection. She asked the local police department about using pepper spray and they recommended to her that she get a can of wasp spray instead.

The wasp spray, they told her, can shoot up to twenty feet away and is a lot more accurate, while with the pepper spray, they have to get too close to you and could overpower you. The wasp spray temporarily blinds an attacker until they get to the hospital for an antidote. She keeps a can on her desk in the office and it doesn’t attract attention from people like a can of pepper spray would. She also keeps one nearby at home for home protection…  Thought this was interesting and might be of use.

FROM ANOTHER SOURCE

On the heels of a break in and beating that left an elderly woman in Toledo dead, self defense experts have a tip that could save your life.

Val Glinka teaches self-defense to students at Sylvania Southview High School. For decades, he’s suggested putting a can of wasp and hornet spray near your door or bed.

Glinka says, “This is better than anything I can teach them.”

Glinka considers it inexpensive, easy to find, and more effective than mace or pepper spray. The cans typically shoot 20 to 30 feet; so if someone tries to break into your home, Glinka says, “spray the culprit in the eyes”. It’s a tip he’s given to students for decades. It’s also one he wants everyone to hear. If you’re looking for protection, Glinka says look to the spray.

“That’s going to give you a chance to call the police; maybe get out.”

Maybe even save a life.

PUT YOUR KEYS BESIDE YOUR BED AT NIGHT

Tell your spouse, your children, your neighbors, your parents, your Dr.’s office, the check-out girl at the market, everyone you run across. Put your car keys beside your bed at night…

If you hear a noise outside your home or someone 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 neighborhood 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 into your house, odds are the burglar/rapist won’t stick around. After a few seconds all the neighbors 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. This is something that should really be shared with everyone. Maybe it could save a life or a sexual abuse crime.

For the most part, these are no-brainers.  But I am sure some of them may be new to some of you out there.  OPSEC (Operations Security) is an important topic for everyday life.

the SurvivalGuy

Kids and Accountability

Accountability; this is a topic you will probably see here more than once. I was walking into the local public school the other day and just inside by the entrance was a large plastic tub labeled lost and found. This tub was overflowing with coats and hats, etc. There was a woman that walked in just in front of me that made a comment “…how can you lose a coat and not know it.” My response was “if they aren’t held accountable, they don’t care.” She agreed as she walked into the room she was headed to.

This is a major problem with society today. People don’t think twice about shelling out money to buy replacements for things they bought not that long ago. What is even worse is the continual upgrading. We all know people that have to have the latest and greatest all the time. This is something that is a bit of a pet peeve for me. I am quite content with using something as long as it is feasible. I am also a firm believer in the 3 R’s, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.  Some things, yes it is inevitable, but something like a coat that has nothing wrong with it, that is just ridiculous. The way things are headed with the economy both in the US and globally, when our children and grandchildren are grown they won’t be that far removed from bread lines of the past.

It is a sad affair that our government encourages this behavior.  There are entitlement programs for just about anything.  These welfare programs are not necessarily a bad thing.  They do however need to be revamped.  We need to make the receivers of these services accountable.  One of my primary gripes would probably be to institute mandatory drug testing.  This would be before receiving and throughout the process.  As long as someone is receiving government services or benefits they need to be tested.

OK, I think I will end my rant for now.

-the SurvivalGuy

How Prepared Are You?

I think we can all agree that times are tough right now and it doesn’t look like it’s going to get any better.  We are all worried about what might happen next.  So I ask you… how prepared are you?

Imagine this for a second… it’s the middle of winter and you are upstairs in your bathroom and all of a sudden the lights go out.

  • Where is the flashlight?  Is there one in every room?  Do the batteries work?
  • How are you going to keep warm if the power never comes back on or doesn’t come back on for days?
  • How are you going to cook food if the power never comes back on  or doesn’t come back on for days?

So let’s assume you are like most people and you have no clue where the flashlight is… so you stumble out of the bathroom, down the hall, and down the stairs.  You feel around in the dark and finally find a candle but have no idea where the matches or a lighter is.

Panic starts to set in and you are wondering why the power still has not come back on.  You hear screams coming from upstairs and you remember that the kids were playing in their rooms.  Now the adrenaline is pumping as you search frantically for some way to get light.  You finally locate you cell phone which provides you with some light  You find the matches, more candles, and flashlights with batteries.  You call your neighbor and ask if they have prower.  You neighbor nervously tells you that the power is out in your whole state and they don’t know when it may come back on.  You swallow hard as you remember that you didn’t stop and get gas because it was cold out.  And your pantry is almost bare because you haven’t had time to get groceries.  Your neighbor tells you that stores are closing because they can’t keep the store warm or lite without power.

Now what?

This is just one possible scenario and it’s not that far fetched.

It’s time to pull yourself together and prepare you and your family for whatever may come.

I’m not referring to a doomsday scenario but simple preparedness for what ever may happen.  It could be the power going out for a few days or a devastating natural disaster, or something worse.  There are basic steps you can take to prepare your family for any emergency.

Stay tuned for more….