Do not be a victim, protect yourself now
NINA SUEBSUKCHAROEN
With the political and economic situation as shaky as it is today, it is wise to take measures to protect ourselves and our homes from desperate predators, says Frank DeSomer, operations manager of the security consultancy Peak Systems International Co.
"As the situation gets worse economically, the price of rice and the overall cost of living get more difficult, people will get desperate for a quick fix. 'Grab that two-baht gold chain and run like hell', 'Knock her down and grab what I can and run like hell, I'll take my chances because I didn't eat today', 'I'm making 40 baht a day and have six people to feed and I've been gambling trying to win that big lottery and now I'm in trouble'."
Protecting oneself against predators starts with being determined to be proactive and not be a victim, says Mr DeSomer.
For example, it's smart to not display wealth on one's body, car or home. This could even extend to being careful about what you throw away at home because your garbage can offer clues as to what's inside. "Recycle your plastic, recycle your paper, don't throw your personal documents away, burn them or have them disposed of in a shredder, a cross-cut shredder not a strip shredder."
As Mr DeSomer sees it, the first thing a person should do upon moving into new lodgings is change the locks because there could be several copies of the key around. Also check the window locks and clean them and do a little maintenance.
While architectural design today favours the use of a lot of glass to dispel the boxed-in feeling, he warns that if someone can walk outside your property and look in and see something valuable within, then it is you who are in the wrong. "I'm not saying live in an empty room but don't make it enticing, don't make it a challenge for the criminal to select your property, break the glass or try to open the lock. Don't leave your valuables in plain view, be comfortable in your home but be smart about it."
A good security measure is to install a deadbolt lock, and women living alone should also consider a peephole for the door. A small video camera that enables residents to see and talk to people outside without even opening the door is no longer very expensive. There are also all types of burglar alarms available; some use a magnet system and give off a sound when the magnet is separated from its mate.
"If the circuit is broken it will make a noise," says Mr DeSomer. "You can pick those up for 20 baht at Chatuchak and put them on your windows, so if someone slides your window or opens your patio door while you're inside, you hear that little alarm. You put them on with a two-sided tape."
These magnet alarms are also good at ensuring that your children don't go outside when you are not looking.
Aside from burglary, fire is the greatest threat to one's home, with faulty wiring among the top three causes of a blaze. When buying a home, take an electrician along to check the fuse panel and all the outlets. A fire extinguisher is essential and one should keep one in or near the kitchen, perhaps under the sink. Remember that trying to put out a grease fire with water will only cause it to flare; the correct way to handle it is to cover the flame.
"That's why you have chemical fire extinguishers to suppress those kinds of fires and you have water extinguishers for other types, there are different classes of fire suppression for emergency use."
While high-end condominiums usually have heat sensors and water sprinklers, Mr DeSomer advised that a smoke detector is more essential because it is smoke that kills fire victims. Heat detectors usually take much longer to give off a sound because they are usually set to 800 to 1,000 degrees.
While it is a great idea to have a safe or strongbox at home, Mr DeSomer favours the press-button type because if a fire does break out most of us would panic and not be able to spin the dial. Within the safe we should have another small box holding all the important papers that we could grab and run.
Regardless of all the security measures we might take, a fire still might break out and it is in such a situation that a family that has rehearsed escape plans both during the day and at night will survive. It is important to remember that getting on the ground and crawling helps us avoid the smoke.
"Put yourself in a position of a blind person, can you close your eyes in your home and honestly get to the door quickly? Know your home, let your kids know what to do, when there is a emergency wait at the door, everybody is together then we go."
A family that has an emergency preparedness plan in mind will also know where to meet should they get separated. "Don't be a victim, be a survivor. You do crisis emergency planning you don't want to do consequence management, you don't want to sit there at a funeral at a temple and say 'If we had practised or rehearsed this I wouldn't be here'."
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