Preparing for the Unexpected

3. Get Involved

Janie Harris, Extension Housing and Environment Specialist
Lisa Norman, Extension Assistant

Becoming involved with your community's disaster response efforts can help make your home, community and state a safer place to live. You can become involved by being aware of your surroundings, reporting suspicious activity and volunteering your time.

Volunteer Opportunities for Texans
Protect Texas Volunteers Progam
Texas Department of State Health Services

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Recognize suspicious activity: Every Texan can serve as the eyes and ears of law enforcement to help safeguard our state. Be alert and aware of your surroundings and report suspicious activity to your local sheriff or police department.

A quick, accurate description of events, vehicles and people can make all the difference in apprehending a potential criminal. Report activities or circumstances that seem unusual.

Examples of suspicious behavior:

1. A person showing unusual interest in utilities, government buildings, historic buildings or similar infrastructure - photographing, videotaping, inquiring about security, drawing diagrams or making notes about such facilities
2. Suspicious or abandoned packages, luggage or mail in a crowded place such as an airport, office building or shopping center
3. A stranger loitering in your neighborhood or a vehicle cruising the streets repeatedly
4. Someone peering into cars or the windows of a home
5. A high volume of traffic going to and coming from a home every day
6. Someone loitering around schools, parks or secluded areas
7. Strange odors coming from a house or building
8. Open or broken doors and windows at a closed business or unoccupied residence
9. Someone tampering with electrical, gas or sewer systems without an identifiable company vehicle and uniform

Source: www.texashomelandsecurity.com

Report suspicious behavior: If you have information regarding suspicious or criminal activity, please contact your local law enforcement agency immediately. Do not confront a suspicious person. Leave that response to law enforcement.

You may also report tips by calling the Texas Department of Public Safety, Special Crimes Service, Counter Terrorism Intelligence Unit, at (866) 786-5972 or by e-mailing Counter.Terrorism@txdps.state.tx.us or the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) at https://tips.fbi.gov .

Volunteer: You can help make your family, community, state and nation safer and stronger by offering your time and skills to support crime prevention and emergency preparedness efforts.

Protect Texas, a program sponsored by the Texas Department of State Health Services, offers volunteers the opportunity to protect their local communities form natural and public health disasters. Protect Texas volunteers include medical and health-care professionals as well as other people who care about their communities and want to help during emergencies. For information, see www.dshs.state.tx.us/comprep/protect .

You may also ask your county judge or local emergency management office about other disaster preparedness volunteer opportunities available in your area.

In summary, you can help protect yourself and your family by following this advice from the Federal Emergency Management Agency:

1. Be aware of your surroundings.
2. Move or leave the area when traveling - be aware of conspicuous or unusual behavior.
3. Do not accept packages from strangers.
4. Do not leave your luggage unattended.
5. Report unusual behavior, suspicious packages and strange devices to police immediately.
6. Ask your local emergency management office about your community's warning system.
7. Know your children's school emergency plan.

During an emergency, listen to local officials. Tune into your local TV and / or radio station or check the Internet.

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