When the first wildfire came through our town we had to evacuate for a few days. The cell phone towers were out and we had limited ways to communicate with our friends and family. My wife has a cousin that lives about 30 minutes away and she was very concerned about us because she had no way of knowing if we were ok. She was the first person to call when the second wildfire started less than ten miles from our home. We told her we were packing and watching the winds but did not know where we would stay if we evacuated. She invited us to stay at her place. I told her I could not leave my sister.
This cousin is extraordinary. Not only did she open her home to my family, she made room for my sister's family and a couple of other people that had no place to go. In addition to the families staying with her, there were about five dogs.
I felt at home in her hood. One of her neighbors brought over air mattresses and others cooked for us. Tough times bring out the best in people and we felt very comfortable during the week our town was shut down.
One day, my wife's cousin called to tell me a bad thing happened in her hood. She had lived in the same home for many years and for the most part, the hood was safe. That all changed when a group of burglars came through her street. They were brazen. The people in the car drove slowly down the street while the intruder broke in from the back yard. This happened in the middle of the day in front of neighbors. One of the neighbors walked up to the car and confronted these strangers (not recommended). They left the hood but took some things with them that did not belong to them.
After the event, I was contacted to protect the hood. My wife's cousin organized the hood and now everyone is safe. I visited the last installation in the hood before leaving ADT and the boy across the street recognized me. He yelled out, "I know what your job is...it is to protect me!"
After I returned to Zoom, I needed to figure out a way to help my sister who also wants to protect her home. I signed up for a "friends and family" program that will give her a $200 rebate and she will be taken care of by one of my friends who I trust to do the job right. Since many friends and family are reading this blog, I wanted to make sure you know I can still help you with safety tips and home security even though I am no longer an employee at ADT. Usually, people don't put systems in until there is a problem in their hood. It does not matter where your hood is, if you want a friends and family rebate on a security system, just call 1-800-699-9238 and give them the code "A39289". This will work no matter what state your hood is in.
I am putting a list of pointers together to help make your hood safer. These are all lessons I learned during my time in the cave. I promise to post these tips here on this blog within the next few days.
One of my family members asked if it was OK to share this blog with others. You have my permission. You are also invited to become a "follower" of this blog. I am honored that a couple of you have already done so. It feels so good to be re-connecting.
The pointers on protecting your home from burglars will be titled "Hood Security". When I am done writing it, I plan to give a copy to my ex-boss as a gift. These pointers are too valuable to be kept a secret and I hope they make you feel safer in your hood.
Just like the little boy said a couple of weeks ago, my job is to protect him. Now my friends and family can also benefit.
Stay safe and have a great day!
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