While thumbing through one of those trendy, urbane, big-city artsy magazines (a monthly occupational hazard), I nearly fell out of my Frank Ghery inspired chair and almost hit my head on my Kovacs signature lamp when I saw a write up about this:

http://www.humanscale.com/evacuation_tools/safety_kits/safety_kits_safetyvest.cfm

Jeez. What's next? BSKs?? (Bodega Survival Kits)

Comments? Opinions? Doug……?

…..CLIFF

(Witty salutation? I 'don need no witty salutation!)

It seems kind of cool to me, but what the heck is a "personal alarm"? Wouldn't a whistle be a highly effective, low-tech alternative? That just seemed silly to me. It seems to be tailored to the individual building that it is in (evacuation routes, etc. ), that is good I guess. But since it is sealed, then the expired materials cannot be replaced, necessitating replacement of the whole thing, and that is expensive I assume. It can withstand heat and flame, that is good. Not great, but I think it is a step in the right direction for employees' safety.

I used to be a certified instructor for the Refuse To Be A Victim crime prevention seminar, and I would be happy to address the personal alarm question.

A personal alarm is an battery operated device that emits a shriek or siren when activated. Some are louder and/or more piercing than others. Some are absolutely earsplitting.

Personal alarms are recommended by safety experts and crime prevention seminars for attracting attention when in trouble of some kind, such as when you are approached or harrassed by unsavory characters. A couple of advantages of these alarms is that they can sound an alarm even if you are unable to, such as if you have been hit or punched in the mouth, or are unconscious, and they are much louder than any whistle. The disadvantage is that, while the alarm will sound for quite some time, the battery will eventually run down.

I am sure that someone could make the argument that with all of the car alarms going off when they shouldn't, that no one will pay attention to the sound of a personal alarm. However, that sound does get your attention, and that alone can send an attacker on the run. One thing attackers don't want is attention. Between the shriek of the alarm and cries for help, others are bound to know that someone is in trouble.

In a situation other than personal attack, the decision of whether to use a whistle or personal alarm is mainly one of personal preference. One just needs to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of each device.

If you are interested in a personal alarm, there are many types and styles available. Some are about the size of a pack of cigarettes that can be worn in a pocket, clipped to a belt, carried in a purse, etc. Many of these are triggered when a lanyard is pulled. Some look like a small dumbbell that you just carry in your hand and activate by squeezing. They are great for walkers and joggers.

Personal alarms do not need to be expensive. You can get a pretty good one at Radio Shack for about $15, if memory serves. You just have to shop around and see what is available. I bought a pretty sophisticated one at a garage sale for about $2.00 one time.

If you do consider buying one, you should either try it out first, or make sure that you can return it later if it isn't what you expected. Before activating it for the first time, be sure to read the instructions and learn how to shut it off (trust me).

In New York city, screaming for help gets about the same results as a car alarm. When was the last time you heard a car alarm and went running towards it yelling 'Stop! Theif!'. Yelling 'FIRE!' has proven to be much more effective in urban environments. Used in combination with something that sounds like a fire alarm and not a car alarm, the chances of someone coming to the rescue increases even more.

You are correct, that yelling "Fire!" will get more attention. Thank you for pointing that out.

I am not from NYC, but I hardly give a car alarm a moment's notice. If I had never heard a car alarm before, maybe, but not otherwise. Too many of them are bogus. If I heard a vocal disturbance of any kind at the same time, THAT would get my attention, though.

As for the sound of the personal alarms, some are effective, and some are a joke. Some, I think, are worse than no alarm at all, as they give a false sense of security. I have never heard any that resembled either a car alarm or fire alarm, but I wouldn't be surprised if they were available.

There are a lot of sounds out there competing for our attention, and we unconsciously "tune out" many of them. If someone wants a personal alarm, they should look for one that does not sound like the familiar, everyday sounds. It should be as loud as possible, and also as unusual, urgent-sounding and attention-getting as possible.

It's a shame that car alarms vary so much. They switch from sound to sound, from steady to pulsing to wailing. So many different sounds, that coming up with something unique becomes virtually impossible. I agree that personal alarms should not sound like anything else, but what else is there?
Car alarms do serve a purpose most of the time, they scare off the thief. They do not, nor were they ever intended to bring help (or the police). Personal alarms (IMHO) do the exact same thing. The are designed to scare the perpetrator. Not to summon help. Depending on the environment, it may or may not even have that effect. Car alarms are ignored in most parts of the country (not just New York), as will most personal alarms. Your best hope is to simply scare the attacker with the noise, but don't fool yourself in thinking that people will come running to your aide. As long as this is kept in mind, personal alarms do have their place..

Well you can't really use a whistle when wearing a smoke hood...

Matt

One thing to keep in mind is the alarm may be viewed as getting the attention of trained rescue personnel. All of our SCBA (Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus) have attach to them a PASS device, that will self activate if kept motionless (unconscious/injured firefighter) or can intentionally be activated (firefighter in trouble), it admits a high pitched warbling sound to alert other firefighters. The high-pitched alert device included with this vest would direct rescue personnel to you. Pete