ADT Safety Tips: Disaster Preparedness

With Experts Predicting More Natural Disasters This Summer, The Time to
Prepare Is Now

BOCA RATON, Fla., June 1 /PRNewswire/ -- During a single day in February 2008,
an estimated 87 tornadoes touched down in the southeastern U.S. killing 57
people. In June, major flooding across the Midwest killed at least 24 people
and injured another 148. More carnage came last September when Hurricanes
Gustav and Ike killed at least 164 people from Texas to Florida.

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Hurricanes, wildfires, floods, earthquakes and tornadoes contributed to making
2008 one of the most devastating years for natural disasters on record and
many climatologists predict a rise in such events in years to come.

While it is impossible to stop a natural disaster, it is possible to better
prepare yourself and your family before disaster strikes. Georgia Eddleman,
vice president of customer care for ADT Security Services said, "Planning and
execution are key steps to keeping your family safe during a disaster. By
taking the time to put an emergency plan in place now, your family will be
better prepared when every second counts."

To help families reduce their risk of injury or even death during or after a
natural disaster, Eddleman and ADT recommend the following life-saving
disaster preparedness tips:

-- Assemble a disaster supply kit. The Federal Emergency Management
Agency
(FEMA) recommends filling a supply kit with at least a three-day
supply
of non-perishable food, water, first aid supplies, a battery-powered
radio or television, a flashlight, extra clothing and blankets,
matches,
photocopies of credit and ID cards, essential medications and any
other
items to meet your family's unique needs. Store supplies in a
waterproof, easy-to-carry container, such as a plastic tub with
handles.
-- Pick two safe meeting places. Choose a safe meeting place outside your
home in case of a sudden emergency, such as a fire. The Red Cross also
recommends choosing a location outside your neighborhood, in case you
cannot return home or are asked to evacuate. Having predetermined
meeting places will save time, reduce confusion and help you confirm
everyone has safely evacuated.
-- Know how to shut off your home's natural gas, electricity and water
supplies. Natural gas leaks and explosions are responsible for a
significant number of fires following disasters; water also becomes a
precious resource after many disasters. All adult and teenage
household
members should learn how to shut off the natural gas, electricity and
water at main valves and circuit boxes.
-- Consider the use of a portable generator. Portable generators can be
crucial when temporary power is needed, but they can also be
hazardous.
According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, portable,
gasoline-powered generators are a common source of unintentional
carbon
monoxide poisoning after power outages associated with natural
disasters
such as hurricanes. Never operate portable generators indoors, in
garages, or outside near doors, windows, or vents of a home. Consider
installing a monitored carbon monoxide alarm, which can be crucial in
monitoring for dangerous levels of CO and other harmful gasses. It is
always best to choose an alarm provider that offers battery backup in
case of power failure and one with fully redundant monitoring centers
in
case one center is affected by a disaster.

-- Choose an out-of-area contact for all members of the family to call in
case of disaster. This contact can relay messages between family
members
should they become separated. The selected person should live far
enough away that he or she would not likely be affected by the same
event. Remember that during a disaster, local phone networks can
overload and/or crash due to a large number of calls. It may be
easier
to make a long distance phone call than to call across town.

Eddleman said, "It is important to stay calm during a disaster; we hope these
tips will help people gain peace of mind in knowing they have helped prepare
their families to deal with the unexpected events that occur during an
emergency."

About ADT Security Services:

ADT Security Services is a unit of Tyco International and part of ADT
Worldwide, the world's largest electronic security provider. In North America,
ADT provides electronic security services to nearly five million commercial,
government and residential customers. ADT's total security solutions include
intrusion, fire protection, video systems, access control, critical condition
monitoring, home health services, electronic article surveillance, radio
frequency identification (RFID) and integrated systems. ADT's government and
commercial customers include a majority of the nation's Fortune 500 companies,
all U.S. federal courthouses and over 70 mid to large airports. Headquartered
in Boca Raton, Florida, ADT has more than 24,000 employees at approximately
240 locations in the U.S. and Canada. More ADT information is at
http://www.adt.com.

SOURCE ADT Security Services

Bob Tucker of ADT Security Services, +1-561-988-3619, btucker@adt.com