April Is Sexual Assault Awareness Month and Is The Perfect Time to Learn About Personal Safety Products

People take researching school districts for their children seriously, study nutrition labels before feeding their families and now they can be educated on the different safety and security products that they choose to protect themselves and their families. SAAM is the time to learn different methods to prevent sexual assault. Product education should be a key component of any plan.

One of the primary goals of Safety and Security Source, a Kansas City, Missouri-based safety company, is to provide the education that people need in order to make well-informed choices for protecting themselves.

One of the biggest misconceptions according to Tracey Hawkins, owner, is that people think all products are created equally.

"That's not true. There is a difference between pepper spray, Mace and tear gas. My goal is to teach people the difference."

She teaches people which formula they should not carry because it is not effective. She tells when products are considered illegal. Defense spray is typically good for only 2-3 years so people need to check their label's expiration date or risk having a spray that won’t work in emergency situations. She teaches why pepper spray, a natural product, is the spray of choice by law enforcement officials. In order to be effective, people need to know exactly what pepper spray physically does to the would-be attacker. Pepper spray comes in different formats; spray can look like a pager or ink pen; perfect when the person wants to be discreet, like a sales person. There is pepper spray for joggers, with an elastic strap for the hand. There is a product for every lifestyle to have the spray accessible.

The most popular product that she sells is pepper spray and therefore she encourages people to take the selection process seriously. In situations where pepper spray is not an option, for example, with school-aged children and in places where it is illegal, Hawkins explains that there are alternatives. Personal alarms create 'witness potential' and that's exactly what would-be perpetrators don't want. "If you can create a lot of noise, people will turn around to see where it is coming from" but Hawkins stresses, "Don't expect people to run to your rescue. This is simply to get attention, to scare the would-be perpetrator away."

Having dealt with several crime victims during her 10 years in business; Hawkins says the most valuable thing that she offers is peace of mind. When someone has been victimized, they are looking
for a way to get on with their lives with the ability to protect themselves. "People don't want to be scared or feel trapped at home. My job is to 'arm' them with non-violent and non-lethal products to protect themselves. I need to help them feel comfortable about getting out and about again." Product education is the key to success.

The home security line is popular, as well. According to Hawkins, the sell of doorstop alarms is one of her most popular products. Initially, the marketing focus was that it would be great for travel safety; since hotel rooms are a concern for many travelers, especially women traveling alone. Surprisingly, people have purchased the product for home security. "Monitored alarms let you know that someone is coming in, however, the door stop alarm physically stops the door from opening and sounds an alarm to let you know that an unauthorized entry is being attempted. People enjoy being home and knowing that they are safe inside and that no one is getting in." It works in apartments, dorms and offices as well. “It is great for college campuses since parents tend to worry about kids being away from home for the first time.”

Many people will have at least one fire in their lifetime. However, pretty much everyone knows someone who has had a fire. The goal of Safety and Security Source is to make sure people are prepared to put out the fire immediately, before much damage is done. To make that more feasible, the company offers an easy to use fire extinguisher. Many people are intimidated by the typical fire extinguisher; they are too complicated to figure out and too bulky to keep in the kitchen (the source of most home fires). Her extinguisher is small enough to fit on a kitchen counter, near the fireplace or bar-b-que grill. Most people don't realize that there is a limited shelf life for aerosol canisters, including fire extinguishers. People run the risk of having an extinguisher fail if they don’t check it regularly. Her extinguisher has the expiration date printed right on the label.

"Human nature is to wait until something happens and then go out and buy something to keep it from happening again. That's true with personal safety, home security and fire safety. My goal is to teach people to be proactive, prevention is the key.” Hawkins offers free safety presentations and a Safety Expo; when presentations don’t work with the businesses schedule, she will set up a table and offer one-on-one consultations and product sales, at businesses and organizations throughout the United States. The line of safety and security products are sold on Safety and Security Source’s website: www.safetyandsecuritysource.com and the amazon.com website.


Visit: www.safetyandsecuritysource.com or call 816-941-4542

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Visuals: Product demonstrations
* Show (and hear) the personal alarm/flashlight
* Show the proper technique to use the key ring pepper spray
* Demonstrate the circumstances where the jogger spray, ink pen and pager spray will work best
* Show placement and usage of the fire extinguisher and door stop alarm