SF SAFE Offers Summer Safety Refresher

With August upon us, many San Francisco community members are looking to slip in some last minute trips before fall and the return to school. Summer is also an opportune time to brush up on overall home safety, personal safety and more. To help get you started, SF SAFE has put together a safety refresher just for you!

Travel: Planning a last minute vacation before the fall rolls in? Don’t publicize it to potential thieves! Load your luggage in your garage or when nobody is around. Definitely stop deliveries and your mail. Ask a trusted neighbor—or the local Neighborhood Watch—to keep a watchful eye on your house or apartment. And avoid posting vacation pics to social media until AFTER you return home from your trip.

Home Safety: Use one of your remaining lazy summer weekends to check the batteries in your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors. Smoke alarms should be installed in every bedroom and in the common areas on each floor of the home, while carbon monoxide detectors should be set up in a central location outside each bedroom and on every level of the home.

Window Safety: In San Francisco, warmer temperatures are often accompanied by open windows, so we can enjoy that natural ocean-and-bayside air conditioning! However, be sure to close any open windows, skylights or propped doors before leaving home to prevent burglary. Window safety is especially key in homes with young children. Keep play areas away from windows, which should be closed and locked when children are around. If windows are open, make sure children can’t reach them; move furniture away from them and—if there are young children in the home—consider installing ASTM-approved limited-opening hardware, where windows can only open a few inches. It’s also important to note that that window cords are a potential choking hazard, so tie them out of reach of children.

Water Safety: Looking to get some swimming in before summer’s end? Have fun but always bear in mind that drowning is the leading cause of accidental death in young children. Aside from keeping an eye on your child in and out of the water, parents should invest in swim lessons and floatation vests for their kids, as well as CPR lessons for themselves.

Park Smart: During your daily explorations in San Francisco, be sure to lock up your car and take ALL of your valuables with you when you park. Purses, backpacks,

wallets, passports, personal IDs, cellphones, cameras, computers, laptops and the like flag thieves to break into your car. Let’s kick auto break-ins to the curb by always remembering to park smart.

Protect Your Phone: SF SAFE recommends being vigilant not to hold your phone while walking in public or when riding on public transportation. Also avoid leaving

it out on the table while dining in restaurants. In all of these scenarios, it can easily be snatched by thieves.

Be Alert on City Streets: Always be alert and mindful of safety in the city. Try to refrain from wearing headphones or ear buds while walking in the city—it dulls your senses as to what’s happening around you and makes you an easy target for crime. Only bring essential items with you and never leave your valuables unattended. Also watch for possible staged distractions—they are the play of pickpockets.

SF SAFE Resources: If you need an assist getting your summer safety game on, let SF SAFE help! From helping your block establish a Neighborhood Watch Group, to providing you with a free home security assessment and so much more, SF SAFE is here for community members with a whole host of safety resources. Get started by checking out our website today!