Category: Safety Awareness

Spring is in the Air

3/29/2016

Daylight Savings Time is also Daylight Safety Time.

Happy SPRING! This cold weather and these blizzards were sure ready to give spring a warm welcome …. Not giving up that easy! Let's just close our eyes and dream of wild flowers...

In most places in the United States, March 13th was Daylight Savings. We moved our clocks forward and lost that precious extra hour of sleep. While that’s not my favorite day of the year, we here at ALINK Insurance Services want to remind you it’s a great time to improve your family’s safety.

Be safe in your home

Health and safety agencies often use the approach of Daylight Saving Time to remind people to change the batteries in their smoke alarms. The American Red Cross suggests you test your smoke alarms and talk with your family about your fire escape plan. Whether you live in Colorado, or elsewhere, practice the plan too – at least twice a year.

Daylight Saving is a great time to check your emergency preparedness kit to make sure it’s fully stocked with fresh supplies.

Carbon Monoxide a concern too

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 400 people die annually in the US from carbon monoxide poisoning. The CDC recommends changing the batteries in your CO detectors around the time you move your clocks forward.

The CDC says the most common symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include headache, dizziness, weakness, nausea, vomiting, chest pain and confusion.

See the CDC’s site for more ways to prevent carbon monoxide exposure.

Now here’s to warmer days ahead! We here at ALINK Insurance Services hope these tips help and we hope you all have a wonderful spring!

Contact us!

Denver Metro/Parker: 303-752-6479
Colorado Springs: 719-473-6262
Greeley: 970-475-0900
Surrounding States: 877-643-6148

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Keep Your Kids Safe on Social Media

10/23/2015

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October is Cyber Security Awareness Month. Think about how many times you have gone online in the past week, in the past day even. What did you do while online? Check your email? Share pictures? Update your status? Track your finances? Download videos? The list goes on…

The Internet today has become an invaluable resource in both our personal and professional lives. We have access to more information than ever. With this added accessibility comes a great deal of risk and added responsibility.

Cyber threats are real. They don’t just happen to someone else, they can happen to you. The Department of Homeland Security’s National Cybersecurity Awareness Campaign — Stop.Think.Connect,™ has provided a vast resource guide to help keep ourselves and our kids safe online under all circumstances.

Now let’s talk about a big one: SOCIAL MEDIA. As parents, it’s our responsibility to teach our kids about online safety. Check out these statistics from the Pew Research Center:

DID YOU KNOW?

95 percent of teens use the Internet.
77 percent of teens use Facebook.
53 percent of teens use Instagram.
24 percent of teens use Twitter10 percent of teens use Tumblr.
The average teen has approximately 300 friends on Facebook and 79 followers on Twitter.
Among Twitter users aged 12 to 17, 64 percent made their tweets public.
19 percent of teen users have posted things they regret, including photos, videos, status updates, tweets, or comments.
Only 18 percent of young adults claim they are comfortable with what their friends post about them online, and 32 percent say that the information about them online is what they choose for the public to see.

BE AWARE OF WHAT YOUR KIDS POST ONLINE

Understand the cyber risks kids face when using social media. Talk to your kids about the following risks:

What they are posting: Talk to your kids about the information they post online. Many of them don’t understand the damage they could do to their reputation or future prospects with unkind or angry posts, and compromising photos or videos. Ensure your kids are not sharing or posting:
1. Sensitive information: Sensitive information includes anything that can help a person steal your child’s identity or find them, such as their/your full name, Social Security number, address, birth date, phone number, or place of birth.
2. Compromising content: This includes photos or status updates that may damage your child’s reputation or future prospects.
3. Unkind or angry content: This includes anything malicious directed at themselves or another person, as well as opinions that are probably better left unshared.
Who they are connecting with: Social media allows kids to connect with their friends, but there is also a risk of connecting with someone they do not know or who is only pretending to be a kid.
What level of privacy they are using: Many social media platforms have privacy settings that allow users to limit who sees their content. There are also settings for location tracking and geo-tagging of photos or statuses.

SIMPLE TIPS FOR PARENTS

Talk to your children. Help your children understand the importance of owning their digital lives and only sharing things that will not put them in danger, negatively affect their future, or harm others.
Emphasize the concept of credibility to teens: not everything they see on the Internet is true and people on the Internet may not be who they appear to be.
Watch for changes in behavior. If your child suddenly avoids the computer, it may be a sign they are being bullied or stalked online.
Review security settings and privacy policies for the social media sites kids frequent. These settings are frequently updated so check back regularly.

ALINK Insurance Services cares about the safety of you and your family. Our children are growing up in an online world and it’s important they understand the good, the bad, and the ugly associated with that. Help us keep them safe and we’ll keep you covered along the way! Give us a call today for your home, auto, and life insurance needs.

Denver Metro/Parker: 303-752-6479
Colorado Springs: 719-473-6262
Greeley: 970-475-0900
Surrounding States: 877-643-6148

We’re your link to security!

Content provided by Department of Homeland Security’s National Cybersecurity Awareness Campaign — Stop.Think.Connect™ “Social Media Guide”.

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Safe Driving

8/11/2015

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At ALINK Insurance Services, our desire is your security and ongoing safety. Take 10 minutes to talk to your own or any other teen you know about the “FEAR OF MISSING OUT” (FOMO) and driving in today’s “ALWAYS ON” and “ALWAYS CONNECTED” lifestyle. Bill Syddall, President of ALINK Insurance Services, will personally discuss and review this important topic with anyone who would like to give him a call or send him an email.

Denver Metro/Parker: 303-752-6479
Colorado Springs: 719-473-6262
Surrounding States: 877-643-6148

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Back to School Safety

7/31/2015

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As kids head back to school, let’s keep them safe

Three of my daughters and their friends back in the elementary school days. Can't believe all these girls are in college/have graduated college! Who knows when that happened.

The end of summer means many things, such as cooler weather, shorter days and ... the start of football here in Colorado!

But most important, it means kids are headed back to school. And that means we all should be extra careful on the roads, in school zones and around bikes and buses as we drive around town in Colorado Springs. Here are some familiar, but important tips for both parents and kids to make sure everyone stays safe.

Use caution on the roads

There are going to be a lot more kids on the sidewalks and streets when school starts, so take it slow and always be aware of your surroundings. That’s good advice for all situations, of course, but be extra cautious around the times when school starts and ends for the day.
Watch out for school zones! They’re usually easy to spot, as many have flashing signs indicating a slower speed limit.
Remember to follow school-bus rules. You aren’t allowed to pass the bus on either side of the road when the red lights are flashing. Even when the lights stop, make sure the coast is clear before moving on. Kids can move quickly and erratically.
Leave yourself extra time to make it to your destination. Whether you’re headed to work or dropping your child off at school, rushing is a recipe for disaster.
Be especially careful in school or child-care parking lots and loading zones!

Teach kids to be safe while walking

Just a few minutes spent explaining some basic safety rules to your child can help keep them safe when they’re walking to or from school. Young children should never cross streets alone, but if your child is old enough to walk with others, remind them to do the following:

Always use marked crosswalks when crossing streets and look both ways twice.
Do not assume that drivers can see you. Try to make eye contact with them, if possible, when crossing the street.
Watch for driveways when walking on the sidewalk.
Be aware of cars that are turning or backing up.
Never move into the street from behind a car or other obstacle. Don’t chase a ball, pet or anything else into the street.
Always use sidewalks and paths. If there is no sidewalk or path, walk facing traffic and as far to the left as possible.

Help them stay safe on their bikes

Just as it’s important to help your children learn safety tips for walking to and from school, it’s important to teach bike safety, especially by setting good examples yourself.

Make sure your child wears a properly fitted helmet every time he or she rides a bike.
Before the bicycle is ridden, do a quick inspection to ensure it is working properly and reflectors are in place.
Show your kids how to ride on the right side of the road with traffic and to stay as far to the right as possible.
Encourage your child to walk his or her bike across busy intersections. Or better yet, choose a route without any busy crossroads.
Explain to your child why no one should ride on the handlebars.
Demonstrate the rules of the road by using proper hand signals and obeying traffic signs when you ride bikes together with your child.
Set curfews so your child is not riding a bicycle at dusk or in the dark.
Most importantly, supervise your children every time they ride until you are certain they have good judgment.

From us here at ALINK Insurance Services, take it slow, and let’s have a happy and safe school year! And bring on those first day of school pictures! I'm sure your kids love them as much as mine.

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Snowmobile Season

1/23/2015

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Tips to stay safe during snowmobile season

If you live or vacation where the weather gets cold and the snow falls, some people are content to cozy up next to the fire with a good book and concentrate on staying warm.

For others, though, it’s time to get excited — because it’s time to break out the snowmobiles and head to the nearest winter recreation spot. It’s a popular activity, and for good reason: Snowmobiling allows you to explore natural areas that may be hard to access by foot (or snowshoe), and provides a different kind of excitement than skiing or hiking.

President of ALINK Insurance Services, Bill Syddall and his family enjoying the snow {and snowmobiles} up at the family barn in Wyoming.

Of course, snowmobiling presents some dangers as well. And here at ALINK Insurance Services, we want you to make it home safely after your day in the snow. Read on for safety tips from the American Council of Snowmobile Associations — and keep in mind that following these will not only help you stay safe, but also influence equitable treatment of snowmobile access by government, agencies and landowners.

SPEED: Speed is a major factor in many snowmobile crashes. Always keep your speed slow enough to ensure that you’re in control.

ALCOHOL: Use of alcohol or any other drug that causes impairment is a leading cause of snowmobile-related fatalities. It’s best to refrain from any use at all before and during outings because of potential effects on vision, reaction time, balance and coordination. When combined with excess speed in particular, the results can be deadly.

AVALANCHE: More than 90 percent of the time, avalanches that involve people are triggered by the victims. Learn to follow avalanche safety procedures and always know the risks at all times.

RIDING AT NIGHT: Nighttime snowmobiling is fun, but extra caution should be used. Ride at slower speeds so as not to override your headlights (which generally illuminate your path for about 200 feet). Faster speeds could mean that you have little or no time to react to an obstacle in your path.

ROADWAYS: Always keep an eye out for vehicles, as many trails are located alongside roadways and can cross over them. Be sure to stop fully at all stop signs and unmarked road crossings.

CLOSED AREAS: Areas may be closed to snowmobiles due to hazardous conditions, wintering wildlife, non-motorized recreation or by landowner request. It’s important to honor these closures for safety purposes and to help protect access to other riding areas.

While it’s extremely important to follow these tips for your personal safety, it’s also vital to encourage others to snowmobile safely. Helping to educate others will not only promote safety for all snowmobilers, but also protect the sport’s image as well.

Whether you’re a new rider or have been on the trails for years, ask yourself if you could be riding more safely. There are many more winters to come, and we want you to be able to enjoy as many of them as possible!

Give us a a call today with any of your insurance needs or questions. We are here for YOU!

Denver Metro/Parker: 303-752-6479
Colorado Springs: 719-473-6262
Greeley: 970-475-0900
Surrounding States: 877-643-6148

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Five Ways to Get your Car Stolen

12/3/2014

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Five sure-fire ways to get your car stolen

Most people would say their car is one of the most valuable assets they own — if not the most valuable. Despite that, however, some people make it downright easy for thieves to drive off in their pride and joy. Some even look at the bright side...

At ALINK Insurance Services, we don’t want you walking out your door to an empty driveway or leaving The Citadel Mall after doing some holiday shopping only to find some broken glass left behind in your parking space. So take care to avoid these five mistakes.

Leave your car running ... and unattended. We know it can be chilly in the mornings, and who wants to wait in a cold car while it warms up? Well, a thief certainly won’t mind the chill — as he’s driving away in your car while you’re finishing that cup of coffee in your kitchen. If your car is running, you should be in it. Period. Even if you’re just running over to the ATM to get some cash or dropping off some mail.
Keep a spare set of keys inside the car. Law enforcement agencies say this is a great way to turn a car prowler into a car thief. They’re already breaking into your car to get a phone, or a laptop, etc. What do you think they’re going to do when they find a set of keys? They’re not going to drop them off on your porch with a nice note, that’s for sure.
Put valuables in plain sight. Seems simple, but we’ve all made this mistake. You’ll just be in the store for a second, after all, so who cares if you leave your smartphone on the front seat? Or items from your other errands in the back seat? Be smart — if you have to leave items in your car, put them in the trunk, or at least hide them as best you can. And do it before you get to your next destination.
Leave your car unsecured. The best thieves can work wonders with a window that’s left open even just a crack. And even the worst thieves can steal a car that’s been left unlocked, with no alarm set.
Assume nobody would want to steal your car. Think your car is too old or too undesirable for a thief to bother? Scrap metal is worth money, so never assume that your car is safe — even if you think it’s just a “junker.”

Keeping thieves away helps to keep everyone’s insurance costs down, so avoiding these mistakes not only will save you hassle, it will save you money as well. So stay safe, not only on the roads, but in the parking lots as well!

Contact Us!

At ALINK Insurance Services, we can work with you to make sure you've got the coverage you need, while at the same time using all possible credits and discounts to make that coverage affordable. Just give us a call at:

Denver Metro/Parker: 303-752-6479
Colorado Springs: 719-473-6262
Greeley: 970-475-0900
Surrounding States: 877-643-6148

We want to help you meet your goals, and make sure what's important to you is protected!

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Spring is in the Air

Keep Your Kids Safe on Social Media

Safe Driving

Back to School Safety

Snowmobile Season

Five Ways to Get your Car Stolen

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