http://www.ezinearticles.bizSearch hundreds of free ezine articles from reputed authorsen-uscopyright 2004 ezinearticles.bizhttp://www.ezinearticles.biz/rssinfo@hostdude.netwebmaster@ezinead.netLifestyle & Society<p>Well, I've been around for a little bit and let me tell you something. I felt safer during the 'cold war'then I feel right now. What can we do? We are all going to have to take extra measures in our everyday life to protect oneself and family.&nbsp;First and formost, we must be more vigilant. We must be more aware of our surroundings. This is not being paranoid, it just being aware.&nbsp;(2)Review the situation in your mind. You need to be prepared to assess all your options quickly, to ensure that your response will be the one most likely to get you out of the situation unharmed.&nbsp;(3)Act, don't react. This goes along with remaining proactive an taking the initiaive, rather than allowing the wrongdoer to be the one who "calls the shots." Expect the unexpected by being aware and prepared.&nbsp;(4) Develop an effective personal protection plan. Having a plan in advance will reduce the likelihood that you'll be thrown off guard and act foolishly rather than proactively in the eventuality that you have to protect yourself.&nbsp;(5) Practice protection and evacuation/escape techniques and procedures. Practice makes perfect is more than and old saying, it is a time honored truth. These type skill can save lives. More importantly, the life you save may be your own. These skills must be learned, practiced, updated and practiced again.&nbsp;(6) Don't forget to turn on your alarm system whenever you leave your house. You won't be surprised when you re-enter&nbsp;your home. Your system can be used while you and your family are kicked back relaxing. This is called "arming"&nbsp;the perimeter. Outside doors and windows are alarmed, allowing movement inside.&nbsp;(7) Don't neglect to repair broken locks on windows or doors. What you don't fix today can help a wrongdoer tonight or tomorrow. Don't be an accomplice in a crime against yourself.&nbsp;(8) Don't leave the bushes and shrubbery around your house untrimmed. When you do, you leave places and spaces for the wrongdoers to lurk and hide and lye in the shadows. Repair broken lights and install them where there are dark shadowy hiding places.&nbsp;(9) A wrongdoer's ultimate dream. An unlocked car in a driveway with an extra set of keys to your house inside.&nbsp;This can be a nightmare waiting to befall you. Stop this practice.&nbsp;(10)Always keep a charged cell phone in your bedroom at night. There are several reasons for this: A wrongdoer may cut your phone wires. When your phone wires are cut,the system take this as an attack on the system and it sends a distress signal to the monitoring station and the monitoring station will send help. While help is on the way, and you are moving around or in a safe room you have communications and can guide your rescuers. </p>Author ia a personal security design specialist, see:www.guardianprotectsalarm.comAlphonso Smith1162011600Do you feel safer today then you felt 6 years ago?