Community
Tips
Safety Tips -
Get an Emergency Safety Plan | Keep Homes Safer
Loans
for First-time Homeowners
Safety
Tips:
Get an Emergency Safety
Plan
Do you have a plan if
disaster strikes? Do you know what to do before, during and after
emergencies? Find out today. The City can help you make a plan for you
and your family. Get the Home Safety Emergency Plan by calling or emailing
the Fire Department at
831.646.3900.
The Prep Guide is a comprehensive
disaster-planning tool. Just follow the step-by-step instructions and
complete the guide, then keep the guide handy for easy reference. The Prep
Guide is designed to hang on a refrigerator or other metal area. So, get
prepared today – just call.
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Keep Homes Safer, More Secure
Potential burglars
look for an easy mark or “target.” Surveys show that a thief will look for
a house where they can enter quickly, quietly and undetected.
You
and your family can practice some simple safety tips that can help keep
your home more secure.
- Around windows and doors, trim trees and
shrubs that might help conceal a burglar.
- Trim trees and shrubs so your home can be
seen from the street and neighboring residences.
- Use open metal fencing and gates to prevent
access from the street to the side and back of your home. This “see
through” fencing will provide a physical barrier, while
allowing for
natural surveillance.
- Plant roses, cactus or other thorny plants
below windows.
- Use landscaping material which clearly
defines your private property from the public sidewalk or street.
- Make your address clearly visible from the
street.
- Install security lighting, activated by
motion sensors, on the sides and back
of your home.
- Report all suspicious persons and activities
immediately to the police
by calling 831.646.3914.
If you see
someone breaking into a home, call 911. Stay on the phone and be
prepared to provide additional information.
- Stop deliveries and have a trusted friend or
neighbor watch your home when you’re out of town. Notify the police
department and provide the name and phone number of an emergency
contact. Police volunteers can make periodic exterior safety checks
while you are away.
The Monterey Police Department also provides
free security surveys for homes and businesses. To schedule an
appointment, call Public Education Officer Adam Costa at 831.646.3819
(costa@ci.monterey.ca.us).
Move Right for Sirens and
Lights
Cooperation is the key to
making sure emergency public safety vehicles arrive at their destination
quickly and safely. Follow these simple rules to
help.
When drivers hear or see an emergency vehicle, pull
over as close to the right edge of the road as possible and stop. Remain
stopped until all emergency vehicles have passed. However, don’t stop in
an intersection. If you are in an intersection when you see an emergency
vehicle, continue slowly through the intersection and then pull to the
right as soon as possible and stop. Per the California Driver Handbook,
“yield the right-of-way to emergency vehicles using a siren and red
light.” Remember, in an emergency seconds count.
Keep Your Sidewalks Safe, Slip
Free
Property owners are
responsible for maintaining the area in front of their property and
keeping it free of safety hazards. When it rains, or during irrigation,
water seeps over sidewalks and forms mossy areas where pedestrians can
slip and fall. How to clean your sidewalk: Use a stiff bristle broom to
whisk moss and foreign material away. Use biodegradable soap, if
needed.
Do not use bleach or other cleaners since runoff ends up
in the Monterey Bay Sanctuary.
For more info, call the City’s
Construction Management Division at 646.3997 (clement@ci.monterey.ca.us).
Loans for First-time Homeowners
Available
Looking to become a first-time homeowner? If you live or
work in the City, ask about our down payment assistance program. Maximum
income guidelines apply to this program. Call 646-3995 Monday through
Friday for more info or visit www.monterey.org/housing
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