Whether you haven’t yet made a new year’s resolution, or it’s already becoming apparent that you’re not going to be able to stick to the one you did make, consider making safety your top priority in the new year. You know as well as anyone that it’s a scary world out there, and it’s important to be prepared for the threats you face. Being prepared might save your life, and it will definitely make you feel more comfortable and confident, lowering your stress levels. (And if reducing stress was already your resolution, then you’ll kill two birds with one stone!) You probably know what actions or steps to take when faced with danger, and that’s certainly not our area of expertise, so we won’t go there. What we can do is introduce you to some tools and gadgets that are designed with your safety in mind. All are available to purchase through HWC dealers. To find a dealer, call us at (866) 332-1899 or email us at hwc@hwcny.com.
Tactical mirror: This tactical mirror clips onto ASP expandable batons, and can be used in room clearances, drug searches, and more. The mirror is concave, giving you a wider view, and because it’s small, it’s very portable and can come in handy when you least expect it.
How it keeps you safe: You can use it to discreetly peek around a corner for any creeps (as shown in the picture). You can also spot threats that you might not otherwise see, like weapons.
If you are a law enforcement officer or other public safety professional, you most likely have a regular flashlight. (If you don’t have one, or if you need a better one, browse our selection of flashlights!) What you may not have, however, is a head lamp. Head lamps are popular among outdoor enthusiasts, but they’re becoming more prevalent in the public safety community because they allow you to illuminate an area or increase your own visibility while keeping your hands free to direct traffic or perform any number of critical tasks. A headlamp is one of those products that becomes more useful every day. You’ll find a million uses for it and you’ll wonder how you ever lived without one.
How it keeps you safe: Headlamps give you light without tying up your hands, which you might need for hand-to-hand combat or climbing over a fence. In a pinch, would you rather fumble around for your flashlight and then try to juggle it with other equipment, or would you appreciate being able to simply twist the knob on your headlamp?
You may carry a window punch or seatbelt cutter (or both) on your duty belt for emergency situations in which you need to help another person. But what about your own safety? If you are a police officer, you may occasionally find yourself chasing a suspect in your squad car. What if you crashed or were run off the road, or worse, into a body of water? Would you be able to access the window punch or seatbelt cutter if you needed to help yourself? What if you were injured and had limited mobility? In these situations, you’d want to have the Lifesaver Hammer. The Lifesaver Hammer combines a seatbelt cutter with a steel hammer. The pointy side of the hammer acts as a window punch, and the flat side helps you push out the window. The Lifesaver Hammer is larger than the window punch you probably have, giving you more power and helping you help yourself more quickly.
How it keeps you safe: The Lifesaver Hammer comes with a car mounting base, so you can place it somewhere that would be accessible to you in any type of emergency situation. It’s large and powerful, ideal when time is of the essence.
Whether you’re on duty or off, pepper spray is a good thing to have. When you’re on duty, you probably carry pepper spray on your duty belt. But when you’re off duty, where can you keep it? If you’re a woman, you may put it in your purse, but how effective is it when you have to dig through your purse to find it? By the time you get to it, it may be too late. Some choose to carry pepper spray on their keychains, which is good because most people carry keys anyways, meaning that the pepper spray will always be relatively accessible. However, most keychain pepper sprays are not at all discreet. The ASP Key Defender is the perfect solution.
How it keeps you safe: The ASP Key Defender attaches to your keychain, but it doesn’t look like pepper spray. The body is made from aerospace aluminum, which is lightweight but incredible strong. It can be used as a mini baton, and if that isn’t doing the trick, flip open the cap and use the pepper spray, which deliver 2 million Scoville heat units of oleoresin capsicum.
To find more safety tools, equipment, and apparel, please visit hwcny.com. Thanks for reading our blog. Have a great week, and a safe new year!