Family Safety
Safety Tips to review with your family
How to use 9-1-1
Dial 9-1-1 in an emergency. An emergency is defined as any situation in which there is an immediate threat to life or property and IMMEDIATE ACTION or ASSISTANCE is needed.
Examples of when to call 9-1-1:
Someone may be having a heart attack
Someone is breaking into your home
There is a fire in you neighbor's garage
What to say when you call 9-1-1:
Immediately state the problem such as, "There is an accident on
the corner of Main Street and Maple Avenue."
After stating the problem, listen carefully and answer the
questions the dispatcher asks.
Answering the questions does NOT slow the response of the
emergency vehicles; this assists the emergency personnel in
determining the best equipment and knowledge to best serve the
involved parties.
Non Emergencies:
Some situations may warrant the services of the police department but do not require IMMEDIATE action to protect property or life. In these cases, the business line of the 9-1-1 Dispatch Communications Center should be called at 356-1501, Residents within the village may also call the Altamont Police Department business line at 861-5480. It is important to use the business lines in non-emergencies so that the 9-1-1 phone lines remain available for emergencies.
Examples of when to call the Dispatch Center (356-1501) and NOT 9-1-1:
You woke up in the morning and your car was gone
You have been receiving harassing phone calls
You were in a traffic collision the previous day and need to file a report
Identity Theft:
E-mail, the Internet, automated teller machines (ATMs), computer banking, even credit cards make our lives more efficient. However, as our lives become more integrated with technology, keeping our personal information confidential becomes more difficult.
Reduce access to your personal identifying information to reduce your risk of being a victim of identity theft.
- On your personal checks, do not list extra information such as your Social Security number, driver's license number or middle name. The less personal identifying information you make available, the harder it is for an identity thief to target you. Do not have new checks sent to your home mailbox; ask that they be delivered to the financial institution and make arrangements to pick them up in person.
- Reduce the number of credit cards you use to a bare minimum. Carry as few credit cards with you as possible. Cancel all unused accounts. Even unused account numbers are recorded in your credit report, which can be stolen by identity thieves.
- Keep photocopies or a list of all credit cards, account numbers, expiration dates, and customer service and fraud investigation telephone numbers of your card issuers. Keep this list in a secure place (not your wallet or purse) so you can quickly contact your creditors if your cards are lost or stolen. Do the same with bank accounts.
- Never give your credit card number or other personal information over the telephone unless you have a relationship with the company AND YOU HAVE INITIATED THE CALL. Identity thieves often call potential victims with a fake story offering prizes or credit, then ask for credit card or bank information to “verify” the award.
- Always take credit card and ATM receipts with you. Never toss them in a public trash container. Shred receipts, account statements and any other personal financial information before discarding them in the garbage.
- Order your credit report once a year from each of the three credit bureaus to check for inaccuracies and fraudulent use of your accounts. Monitoring your credit card statements and your credit report are the most important steps you can take to safeguard your credit identity.
The three main credit bureaus that provide credit reports are:
Report identity theft to your local police department and to the Federal Trade Commission:
- Federal Trade Commission, Identity Theft Clearinghouse
600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20580
Toll-free hotline: 1-877-IDTHEFT (1-877-438-4338)
Web: http://www.consumer.gov/idtheft
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Gun Safety:
Altamont Police Department sponsors this program.
Project ChildSafe reminds gun owners to:
- Properly store firearms in the home
- Practice safe firearm storage options in the home
- Make certain that firearms in the home are not casually accessible to anyone --- especially a child.
Project ChildSafe provides safety kits that include
- a cable-style gun locking device
- lock installment instructions
- safety booklet
Project ChildSafe encourages gun owners to a free safety kit from Altamont Police Department. For more information call 861-5480
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