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Be Wise When Hiring a Contractor
When it comes to projects around the house, most homeowners will agree there are no shortages of necessary jobs. Whether your need is fixing a leaky faucet or converting your musty basement from storage space to recreation room, chances are sooner or later you’ll be pressed to contract out the work. A great place to start your search is of course your local business directory. Ask all prospects for references and follow up on the information given. After the initial leg work is complete, the contractor will want to see first-hand what work is to be performed. Many times work on that leaky faucet or maintenance on the air-conditioner that remained idle through winter can be completed in a single visit. The basement, however may take weeks before it is transformed into the vision of your dreams. Nonetheless, when inviting strangers into your home for any reason, there a few sound security precautions you should consider beforehand.
1. When setting up the initial visit, insist that the contractor provide you with a time of arrival. Private contactors should be able narrow the arrival time down to within an hour; say, between 1:00-2:00 pm. Larger businesses may balk at specifics. In those cases, ask the person whom you arrange the visit through to provide the name of the employee responding to the call, and make a note. If you are unfamiliar with the firm, ask the operator for a description of the company vehicle. Upon arrival, the information given should check out. When in doubt, ask for positive identification, such as a driver’s license or company ID. Never let the arrival into your home when there is uncertainty.
2. Provide instruction to your contractor how to approach your home. A contractor should never be instructed to approach any area other than the main entrance to your home or office. Unless there is a risk of injury unsafe stairs or deck, for example a contractor should always be directed to the front or main entrance.
3. Prepare you home before the arrival. Expect that you will need to show the area where the work is to be preformed. Also give some thought to the route you will lead the contractor along to the worksite. The path should be well lit and free of obstacles. Tightly close doors to adjoining rooms to discourage curiosity and disclosing the layout of your home. It may be necessary to leave the contractor to conduct the work but make a point to peer in at regular intervals to ensure that he remains on task. It is also a very good idea to inspect the areas the contractor entered after departing your home. Look to ensure that nothing is out of place. Check that windows and outside doors have not been unlocked.
4. During the preliminary estimate or after the job is complete, a flat surface is often needed to review documents or provide payment for services rendered. Have this location prepared in advance and keep information on a need to know basis and strictly at a business level. Keep your communication on a professional basis at all times and do not allow yourself to become too friendly with the contractor you are working with. The space should be clear of personal papers, such as bank statements, schedules or photographs. This eliminates the risk to these items being intentionally or unintentionally mixed in with the contractor’s brochures, invoices and your check when he departs.
Other tips to consider
You may also find it useful to have someone else with you in your home during the contractor’s visit. If this is not possible consider having the volume of a radio or television playing softly behind one of the closed doors. Briefly phoning a friend within earshot of the contractor making certain to explain that Bob from Plumber World is presently working in your home and you will return her call after work is complete. I know of one woman who goes to the trouble preparing a light snack for the occupant watching TV behind one of the closed doors whenever a stranger must enter her home. What is incredibly ingenious about this is that she lives alone and smart as a whip.
Finally, if the project is going to be long term, you’ll need to set some ground rules. Identify to the contractor what floors and rooms he will have access to. He must be told in no uncertain terms. You must also expect that he will require the use of a bathroom from time to time. If possible, one on the floor where the work is being completed is perfectly acceptable. Keep it as sparse as possible. Throw in some personal hygiene items associated with men for good measure like aftershave or gun oil. The choice is yours. Stay Safe!
Make I a Part of Your Plan
As we promised in our last topic of discussion The Times, They Are A Changing, this week will address precautions that we should all be aware of when paying a visit to gas stations, quick stops and other such facilities. Before we begin, let us point out that in terms of comparative safety, gas stations that allow patrons to pay at the pump offer a greater degree of security. While understandably filling the tank of your vehicle does require you to step outside, you remain in close proximity of it, which affords a measure of protection and barrier against crimes of opportunity.
If you are like most who travel away from your home during days of the week, it is inevitable that at some point you will stop for one necessary commodity or another. It may be for a tank of gas or a loaf of bread and a quart of milk. Many times these stops are impromptu or lightly anticipated at best. The desire is to get it done quickly and get back underway. It is this behavior as consumers that has given enormous rise to gas stations, quick-stops, convenience stores and the like that hawk everything from lottery tickets to Elvis t-shirts.
Criminal opportunists recognize these locations as a source of quick cash with minimal risks, with some facilities so fruitful that multiple robberies are common. With this is mind, there are some precautions that you can, and should implement if you are otherwise obligated to use one or more of these types of businesses.
–Inspect. Once reaching the decision to stop, inspect the surrounding area before exiting the relative safety of your vehicle. Look for signs of abnormal activity such as individuals loitering nearby particularly on the sides of the storefront overlooking the customer entrance. Many times a lookout or surveillant will post themselves in these locations. Be mindful of other vehicles stopped nearby. Watch for occupants in vehicles with engines idling or irregular parking patterns. Commit to entering only after you eliminated any outside threats.
–Inside. Before crossing the threshold of the store, take a cursory look for activity inside. If lack of windows restricts your viewing, this is accomplished by pausing momentarily at the entrance and peering around inside. Observe for the location of the cashier or other workers. Do things look and feel normal? Look for signs of duress or anxiety. Workers can give a feel for business as usual, and their outward disposition will often yield signs of normalcy or apprehensiveness. Monitor the situation for other patrons who may be present or for those entering after you. Stay alert and do not become distracted.
–Identify. Have a plan. Identify what it is that you need to purchase, locate it quickly and proceed to the cashier or checkout without lingering. Get what you need and stay no longer than necessary to complete your transaction. Moreover, just as you inspected the surrounding area before entering, the same is required of activities outside. If no threats are present, commit to walking outside and move in the most direct manner to your vehicle.
–Instinct. One of the most important tools that we possess that aids in our personal safety and security is instinct. Learn to trust it. If we sense something is not as it initially seems in particular when focused on reducing vulnerability to crimes of opportunity it is a good rule of thumb not to ignore it.
Too often convenience can lead to complacency. It is imperative that we adopt a mindset that allows us to maintain vigilance in all that we do. One manner of feeding this focus is by remaining abreast of social, political and economic realities within the environments we frequent. Crime will always manifest some degree of presence within our neighborhoods and society at large. Our goal is to anticipate its impact on personal safety and security and plan accordingly. Stay Safe!
Let There Be Light!
Light is important to our personal psyche. When we enter a dark room, we search for the light switch that immediately washes the room with illumination, aiding in navigation and eliminating any subconscious suggestion that something, which might be harmful, is present beyond the threshold. Light is also one of the single most important tools for personal safety. Unfortunately, it is frequently under utilized as a personal security essential. Law enforcement and other security-minded professionals have long understood the tactical advantages that light provides; aiding in searches, providing visual cues to colleagues and when required, an effective non-lethal response.
As citizens, we too can take advantage of this portable utility. Several firms stood up in recent years and are making a kings ransom marketing flashlight models that are durable, lightweight and in some instances very concealable. These products are capable of producing intense light that will temporarily blind an attacker, thus aiding in a thwarted attack. The light, when directed at the pupil of an assailant, produces this result in both day and night scenarios. Quality lights are a bit pricey, however they come as state-of-the-art and are every bit as useful to homemakers and savvy business travelers as they are to people who face dangerous situations as part of their daily routines.
I am reminded of a story shared with me by a close security minded friend. Not too long ago, the city she was traveling experienced a blackout that encompassed the entire metro area. As luck would have it, the power failed just as she was returning to her hotel room after dinner. Suddenly, the world around her turned black. Never one left unprepared, she quickly retrieved the Surefire E2D flashlight clipped to the inside pocket of her blazer and lit the path from the parking garage to the hotel lobby. There she found the staff frantically trying to recover from the sudden loss of electrical power, not to mention field questions of concern from guests who descended on the front desk desperately seeking guidance. My friend swears that this event more than any other serves as continuous reminder of the need to prepare for the unexpected. She has come to recognize the value of a quality flashlight as a personal protection savior and never leaves home without it.
