The Official Allied Universal Fire Life Safety Training Blog

Since the nation is effectively locked down because of the Coronavirus, fewer vehicles will be on American roads in April 2020 than at any other time in modern history. Even so, April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month. Allow us to take advantage of this time of reflection to share the myriad reasons you should drive free from distraction when you are back on the open road (or before then – when you head to the store during the quarantine to stock up on toilet paper and hand sanitizer). Read the rest of this entry »

To practice social distancing in light of COVID-19, and at the behest of their employers, millions of people are working remotely. Virtual environments come with perks, such as eliminating commutes, offering quality time with pets and providing easy access to snacks. But the shift also begets copious cybersecurity threats. This is noteworthy because data breaches were already on the rise before the pandemic hit. According to a 2019 report, 7.9 billion records were exposed by data breaches in the first nine months of 2019. This figure is more than double (112%) the number of records exposed in the same period in 2018.

Because we care about your safety, we have put together a cybersecurity tip sheet to help you navigate this brave new digital world.

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If you’re getting tired of hearing about the coronavirus, you’re in good company. For the past several months, writers, news anchors and talk show hosts have been covering the topic ad nauseum. But, like it or not, the subject probably won’t likely disappear from headlines anytime soon. As of the time of this writing, Worldometer reports that 80,377 people have been diagnosed with the illness, officially named Covid-19. The death toll stands at 2,707.  Read the rest of this entry »

Earlier this month, millions of people celebrated Valentine’s Day with chocolate candy and romantic meals. And every 40 seconds this month (and every month thereafter), an American will suffer a heart attack. Although these events are seemingly unrelated, the American Heart Association (AHA) contends that lifestyle is the leading contributor to heart disease. In fact, with an average 635,000 heart-related deaths each year, experts name cardiac disease as the leading cause of death for men, women, and people of most racial and ethnic groups in the United States. To call attention to the prevalence of heart disease in America as well as encourage proactive steps, the federal government first declared February as American Heart Month in 1964. Read the rest of this entry »

January 2020 marks the 16th Annual National Stalking Awareness Month (NSAM), a call to action to recognize and respond to the serious crime of stalking. Organized by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women (OVW), the campaign

is extremely important  because, although most people have heard the term, few understand the serious nature and prevalence of stalking-related incidents in the United States.

Legal definitions of stalking vary by jurisdiction, but here is a good working definition: A course of conduct directed at a specific person that would cause a reasonable person to feel fear. Read the rest of this entry »

A series of winter storms recently wreaked havoc on the Pacific Northwest. With heavy rain, wind and snow forecasted for the rest of the country, people will likely encounter floods, tornadoes, avalanches and mudslides in the weeks ahead. Apart from adequate disaster preparation, extreme weather could threaten public safety. At the Allied Universal Fire Life Safety Training System, we care about your safety. So, we have prepared tips to help you manage winter weather.

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Millions of people around the world will be traveling this holiday season. To promote safe passage, the folks at the Allied Universal Fire Life Safety Training System have assembled some tips to help wayfarers arrive at their destinations, whether they travel by land or air. As our holiday gift to you, we encourage you to follow these tips to improve your 2019 travel experience: Read the rest of this entry »

According to the National Retail Federation, the period between Thanksgiving and Christmas is typically the most popular time of the year for consumers to purchase toys. In fact, holiday sales account for 20-30 percent of annual retail sales each year. Unfortunately, however, far too many of toy purchases ultimately lead to emergency room visits. What’s more, some dog toys can injure pets.

In a recent report, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) indicates that more than 226,000 U.S. hospital emergency room visits were linked to children’s toys in 2019, with at least 17 toy-related deaths last year. Sponsored each year by the American Safety & Health Institute, National Safe Toy Awareness Month is designed to reduce these staggering figures. Read the rest of this entry »

Millions of Americans will celebrate Thanksgiving on Thursday, November 28, 2019. While family traditions differ, nearly every festive gathering will include some type of food. Since unsafe handling and undercooking of food can lead to serious foodborne illness, keep your family and friends happy and healthy by paying attention to food safety. In addition to observing the tips we shared during National Food Safety Month in September, keep the following Thanksgiving-specific food safety issues in mind: Read the rest of this entry »

In 1983, President Ronald Reagan designated November as Alzheimer’s Awareness Month. Ironically, he later developed the condition, although people debate whether he succumbed after finishing his two presidential terms or while he was still in office. Whenever his disease surfaced, our late president was one of 44 million worldwide and 5.5 million Americans to suffer from some form of dementia. Typically, Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) strikes after people turn 65 and is expected to peak soon since so many Baby Boomers are starting to enter their golden years. The condition is relevant to the emergency management community because people who struggle with memory-related issues often require special assistance in natural or manmade disasters. Read the rest of this entry »