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Home SafetySmoke Detectors are required by law to be installed on each floor where there are people sleeping/living. You are also now required to have a carbon monoxide detector on each floor. You should have your chimney inspected at least once a year. Click here for a link to a list of Certified Chimney Sweeps. Can Our Emergency First Responders See Your House Number? Keep Metal Objects Away from your Gas Meter It is important to keep metal items away from your gas meter. The utility company uses pipes that are protected from corrosion by a small electrical current running through them. This makes the pipes stronger and more efficient. If attached to these pipes, metal objects (such as a dog's leash or an antenna) strip the corrosion protection and cause problems with that electrical current running through them. Also: Never ground your home electrical wiring or any thing else to the gas line!
Going on Vacation? - Have your mail temporarily held at the post office
Computer/Internet Safety
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Financial Safety
Quick Tips
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What is a Fake Check Scam? It’s a fast-growing fraud that could cost you thousands of dollars. There are many types of fake check scams, but it all starts when someone gives you a realistic-looking check or money order and asks you to send cash somewhere in return. It’s phony, and so is the person’s story, but that may take weeks to discover. Now your bank wants the money back. Turns out that just because you can get the cash doesn’t mean the check or money order is good. If it’s not, the crook will be richer and you’ll be the loser, because you’re responsible for the checks or money orders you deposit or cash. That’s how the scam works. Common Fake Check scams: Foreign Lotteries, Foreign Business Offers, Online Auction Overpayments, Apartment Rentals/Roommates, Dating Web sites/Romantic Chatrooms, Work-at-home ads - all of these are potential sources of check scams - where someone gives you a bad check to process - and you are left financially responsible when the check is returned. The basics are all the same, you deposit what ends up being a bad check into your own account and give a good check or cash to the criminals. They take your money and the bank comes back to you for depositing a "bad" check. You can go to www.FakeChecks.org for more details and specific examples of all of the scams mentioned above.
Shred everything that has financial information on it, credit card offers you get in the mail and everything you wouldn't want to read about in the paper or see on TV. There are stories all the time about private documents people throw out that other people find very valuable... Keep the shredder unplugged when it is not in use and away from children!
Stop getting pre-screened credit card offers Pre-Approved Credit card offers are one way that identity thieves can steal your identity and mess with your credit. You should shred all of these letters when you get them - don't just throw them away. If you want to opt out of receiving future pre-approved credit cards, you can call 1-888-567-8688 or go online at www.optoutprescreen.com. You can also write to the three major credit reporting agencies directly. This process should remove most of the offers you get in about 5-7 weeks.
Free Credit Reports Now Availablewww.annualcreditreport.com is a centralized service for consumers to request free credit file disclosures (as known as credit reports). Under the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACT Act), consumers can now request and obtain a free credit report once every 12 months from each of the three nationwide consumer credit reporting companies: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. In the past you could only obtain these reports for free if you were denied credit or were a victim of fraud. Now you can be proactive and review your reports to make sure no one else is using your good name and reputation for fraudulent purposes. This website offers consumers a fast and convenient way to request, view and print their credit reports in a secure Internet environment. Consumers can also request reports by telephone and by mail:
www.annualcreditreport.com is the only service authorized by Equifax, Experian and TransUnion for this purpose. Please note that as a security precaution, consumers should never provide their personal information to any other company or person in connection with requesting free annual credit reports under the FACT Act. This service will not approach consumers via e-mail, telemarketing or direct mail solicitations. Other services may charge a fee or subscription and some may be attempting to fraudulently access your account information! Please note: You will not receive a "credit score" with these free reports. A credit score is what many lenders use to determine whether someone qualifies for a loan, credit card or other service. Since the credit score is a proprietary complex mathematically model, the credit bureaus are allowed to charge for that service. You don't need your credit score in order to investigate whether your credit has been a victim of fraud. If you do find an fraudulent record on your credit report, contact the merchant immediately and then follow the steps listed above - it's the same as if your wallet was stolen!
Telephone Safety
International Calls to youBe aware that not every call made to you is legitimate. There is a telephone scam out there where people will call from other countries, where their telephone number looks like a US number (i.e., just an area code and a telephone number). Not all areas codes are US numbers. Canada, the Bahamas, etc. all have area codes similar to US area codes. If someone calls your regular telephone or cell phone and you see a number on your caller ID that you don't recognize, don't just call it right back. Some of these numbers in other countries are linked to toll services that can be like 900 or 976 numbers in the US - meaning that they can charge excessive fees - and are not required to inform you upfront that they are doing this. Three such area codes that have had this type of scam associated with them are 809, 284 & 876. Just be careful when you return a call from a number that you don't recognize. You can use this link to find US. Area Codes. If it's not found there - it's probably from another country... Jury Duty ScamThe phone rings, you pick it up, and the caller identifies himself as an officer of the court. He says you failed to report for jury duty and that a warrant is out for your arrest. You say you never received a notice. To clear it up, the caller says he'll need some information for "verification purposes"-your birth date, social security number, maybe even a credit card number. This is when you should hang up the phone. It's a scam. Learn more at the FBI's website by clicking here: http://www.fbi.gov/page2/june06/jury_scams060206.htm
Please remember that Political Organizations and Registered Charities are usually exempt from these rules. This does not mean that they may not be scam organizations trying to get around the "Do Not Call" rules (see below). Be on your guard for any call asking for money, credit card numbers, etc. You are strongly urged to add your cell phone number to this registry, as it costs you money/minutes to receive a call, and there are plans to release cell phone numbers to telemarketers. Please note that business numbers cannot be registered for this service - so if you have a business at home that has a number registered with the telephone company as a business - it cannot be added to the Do Not Call registry. Non-Profit/Political Telemarketing Calls 412-622-7387Did you get a call from 412-622-7387? Click here to find out details about this number.
Sexual Assault Awareness
Travel SafetyThe U.S State Department has a new International Travel Itinerary Registration website. https://travelregistration.state.gov/ibrs/ A current listing of all Travel Warnings, Public Announcements, and Consular Information Sheets can be found at travel.state.gov. Going on Vacation? - Have your mail temporarily held at the post office Some reminders:
Anti-Bullying InformationBullying is a serious situation in our schools and our homes (via the internet, cell phones, etc.) today. NJ passed an "anti-bullying" law (N.J.S.A. 18A:37-13 et seq.) that mandates all schools to adopt a policy on bullying, harassment and intimidation. Special thanks to Karen E. Positan of the Union County Prosecutor's office for this information.
Other links
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Holiday Safety
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 | Wear a hat, hood, or scarf, as most heat is lost through the head.
| Wear layers, as they provide better insulation and warmth.
| Keep fingertips, earlobes, and noses covered if you go outside.
| Keep clothing dry; if a layer becomes wet, remove it. | |
Snow Removal Safety Tips
| Stretch before you go out. If you go out to shovel snow, do a
few stretching exercises to warm up your body. This may prevent injury.
| Cover your mouth. Protect your lungs from extremely cold air by
covering your mouth when outdoors.
| Avoid overexertion. Cold weather puts an added strain
on the heart. Unfamiliar exercise, such as shoveling snow or pushing a
car, can bring on a heart attack or make other medical conditions worse.
Take frequent rest breaks, and drink plenty of fluids to avoid
dehydration.
| Keep dry. Change wet clothes frequently to prevent a loss of
body heat. Wet clothing loses all of its insulating value and transmits
heat rapidly.
| Stay safe. Walk carefully on snowy or icy sidewalks. If using a
snow blower, NEVER use your hands to unclog the machine.
| Maintain an awareness of utilities when shoveling snow. Do not
cover fire hydrants with snow when clearing sidewalks and driveways. Do
not shovel snow into manholes and catch basins.
| Offer to help individuals who require special assistance,
including seniors and people with disabilities.
| Click here for the full list of the Fanwood CERT's winter safety tips. |
Winter