What to do with Bears

Good info.....Dave


Q&A: What to do in face-off with a bear?

  By Stephen Hudak Staff Writer

     In the wake of Florida’s most serious bear attack on record, you’re probably wondering whether it’s safe to be outside — especially in the Seminole County neighborhoods where black-bear sightings are most common.

   I live on a street where bears are frequently sighted. Should I walk my dog at night?

   Not if you can avoid it, said bear expert John Beecham, who has studied them for more than 40 years.

   Bears are more likely to be prowling after the sun goes down.

   They don’t like to have their meals interrupted, and they aren’t dog-lovers.

   “They’re mortal enemies, and [bears] will defend themselves,” said Beecham, past president of the International Association for Bear Research and Management.

   So what should I do?

   If you’re walking after dark or before dawn, bring a bright flashlight. And pay attention.

   Don’t walk alone, said Mike Orlando, a wildlife biologist and bear specialist
 

  with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Black-bear attacks are very rare, but walking with a buddy is usually a good idea.

   Carry bear spray, a hot-pepper concentrate effective within 25 feet. You can buy bear spray online or at outdoor and camping-supply stores. It costs about $32 at Walmart.

   Beecham recommends carrying a radio or other noisemaker that can produce an audible warning to the bear because no one wants a surprise bear encounter. A startled bear might strike
  because it perceives you to be a threat to itself, its cubs or its food.

   What do I do if I have a bear encounter?

   It depends. A number of scenarios could occur: You could startle a bear and have little time to react before it attacks. You could see the animal before it spots you. Or you and the bear could eye each other at the same time.

   Experts have different advice for those encounters.

   What if I startle a bear and it pounces on me without warning?

   If that happens, the best strategy is to play dead, Beecham said. If you’re playing dead, the bear likely will conclude that you are not a threat and back off.
  “When the bear perceives the threat is gone, the animal runs away,” Beecham said. “But there are no guarantees.”

   I’m confused. State wildlife officials say not to play dead.

   Beecham’s advice does seem to conflict with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s website, which states that you should not play dead. But the agency’s advice is based on a bear encounter — that is, you see a bear and it sees you — but not the rare scenario when you have surprised a bear, it feels threatened and it attacks suddenly. In that case, state wildlife officials deferred to Beecham’s advice.
 

   What if I see a bear but it doesn’t see me?

   Stop and assess the animal’s behavior. If the bear hasn’t noticed you, back off and move away.

   What if the bear sees me?

   Be calm. The bear might stand up on its hind legs, but that’s not an aggressive action, Beecham said. “He’s simply trying to figure out what you are,” he added. Stand your ground. Speak to it in a firm voice.

   But what if it doesn’t?

   Back away slowly while facing the bear, Beecham said. If the bear starts walking toward you, stand tall. Raise your arms. Shout. “You want to make yourself look like a formidable foe,” Beecham
  said.

   What if the bear then attacks?

   Fight your hardest and yell for help. This may seem contradict the earlier advice to “play dead” during an attack. But the scenarios are very different, experts say. In
  this case, the bear has had time to size you up and decided you are prey. In that case, you fight.

   Should I run away?

   No, you can’t outrun them, Beecham said.  shudak@tribune.com  

credit cards

Info on credit cards, please be careful.... Dave

ORLANDO, Fla. -
Target shoppers may be at risk from a security breach that extends to most of their stores nationwide after the retailer was hit by an extensive theft of credit and debit card information over the past few weeks.
[RELATED: 4 things to do after your credit card has been hacked]
Target said on Thursday that up to 40 million card accounts may have been affected by that data breach, which occurred from Nov. 27 to Dec. 15.

Target said it is working closely with law enforcement and financial institutions and has identified and resolved the issue.  The store said it's also partnering with a third-party forensics firm to conduct an investigation.

The security breach is believed to have happened on or around Black Friday and may have gone on until last week, putting millions of customers at risk.
Hackers apparently gained access to data that is stored on the magnetic strip on the back of credit and debit cards, potentially allowing them to make copies. If they got PINs, they could possibly recreate a card and withdraw cash from an ATM machine.
“Target’s first priority is preserving the trust of our guests and we have moved swiftly to address this issue, so guests can shop with confidence. We regret any inconvenience this may cause,” said Gregg Steinhafel, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Target. “We take this matter very seriously and are working with law enforcement to bring those responsible to justice.”
Elizabeth Marks visited the store right after Black Friday and was shocked to hear the news.

“It's very frightening, I'll be honest with you, that something like that could happen so close,” said Marks. “I come twice a week.”

“That's terrible. Especially on the holidays and during this time to have things like that going on with people's hard earned money,” said frequent Target shopper Wolf Louis.

Reports indicate that online customers have not been affected because the thieves used the magnetic strip on the back of the card to store the information.
Guests who suspect unauthorized activity should contact Target at 866-852-8680.  More information is also available at Target’s corporate website.

Info for being safe

I received this from Orange County Sheriffs Office, hope it helps.... Dave

Doing your last minute shopping?  Keep drapes closed and avoid leaving wrapped presents in plain view.

Heading out of town?  Be sure your home appears occupied.  Place lights on timers, and ask a neighbor to park in your driveway and pick up mail.  Request a free "House Check" to have a deputy do regular checks on your home while you are away. Call 407-254-1001 between the hours of 9am-4pm to schedule this service - we provide it all year round.

Don't broadcast your upcoming travel plans on social media sites and don't "check in" at locations when you're away from home. 

After the holidays, place empty boxes from TVs, electronics, and other new purchases inside garbage bags.  Leaving them by the curb could tip crooks off to the fact that pricey items are inside the home.

Car parked outside or on the street?  Lock it, remove all valuables, and don't leave the garage door opener inside the vehicle.

Does someone or something look out of place?
Report suspicious activity immediately to 407-836-4357 (non-emergency) or 911 (if you feel it is an emergency).


Thanks,

D/S Alberta Gilbert, FCPP, FCP

Orange County Sheriff's Office
Crime Prevention Unit
Sector One
Office:  407-254-1001
alberta.gilbert@ocfl.net

The empty boxes

ORLANDO, Fla. —Instead of putting big, empty boxes at your curb, the Orange County Sheriff's Office wants you to drop them at large recycling containers around the county.

• Don't leave boxes at curbs, deputies say

• 

  More            

Operation Burglar Box was organized in attempt to protect possible victims from criminals looking to burglarize homes and steal holiday gifts.
"Don't set it out as you bought it. That's a calling card for later," said Stan Murray, Sheriff's Office spokesman. "You see these things burglars would see, get ahead of the game and let your neighbors know about it."
Below is a full list of recycling container locations.

Recycling containers currently out:

• 5101 West Colonial Drive, Pine Hills Shopping Center
• 7022 West Colonial Drive, Home Depot
• 475 South Kirkman Road, Rotary Club
• 413 North Alafaya Trail, Subway
• 5190 South Conway Road, CVS
• 7825 S. Orange Blossom Trail, Kmart

These locations will get a container Tuesday, Dec. 3:

• 11000 Lake Underhill Road, EOS
• 12981 S. Orange Blossom Trail, Sedano's Super Market

Info for the Holidays

I got this from the OCSO, and they wanted me to pass it on..... Dave

Online holiday shopping continues to grow in popularity. According to American Express, for the first time, more people are expected to shop online on Cyber Monday than visit brick and mortar stores on Black Friday.[1]  Shoppers are expected to spend nearly $62 billion online throughout the holiday season this year, up more than 15% from 2012. The use of mobile devices for online shopping (ecommerce) is projected to reach almost $10 billion for the 2013 holiday season[2], as more consumers are using these devices to compare prices, research products, locate stores, and make purchases to a larger degree than ever before.

 

Whether you’ll be conducting transactions from your desktop, laptop or mobile device, keep these tips in mind to help protect yourself from identity theft and other malicious activity on Cyber Monday, and throughout the year:

 

• Secure your computer and mobile devices.  Be sure your computer and mobile devices are current with all operating system and application software updates. Anti-virus and anti-spyware software should be installed, running, and receiving automatic updates. Ensure you use a strong password and unique password, which is not used for any other accounts. Set a timeout that requires authentication after a period of inactivity.
• Use mobile applications with caution. As devices such as smartphones and tablets, continue to gain popularity for online shopping, so too will the volume of attacks against them.  Malware could be downloaded onto the device from seemingly legitimate shopping apps that can steal credit card and other sensitive information for transmission to cyber criminals. Update all apps when notified and disable Bluetooth and Near Field Communications when not in use to reduce the risk of your data—such as credit card number—being intercepted by a nearby device.
• Know your online merchants.  Limit online shopping to merchants you know and trust. Only go to sites by directly typing the URL in the address bar. If you are unsure about a merchant, check with the Better Business Bureau or the Federal Trade Commission.  Confirm the online seller’s contact information in case you have questions or problems.
• Consider using an online payment system or credit card.  Where available, you may want to use online payment services, which keep your credit card information stored on a secure server, and then let you make purchases online without revealing your credit card details to retailers.  If you do pay online directly to the retailer, use a credit, not debit card.  Credit cards are protected by the Fair Credit Billing Act and may reduce your liability if your information is used improperly.
• Look for “https” before you click “Purchase.” Before you submit your online transaction, make sure that the webpage address begins with “https.” The “s” stands for secure, and indicates that communication with the webpage is encrypted.  A padlock or key icon in the browser’s status bar is another indicator.  Also, make sure your browser is current and up-to-date. 
• Do not respond to pop-ups.  When a window pops up promising you cash, bargains, or gift cards in exchange for your response to a survey or other questions, close it by pressing Control + F4 on Windows devices, or Command + W for Macs.
• Do not use public computers or public wireless access for your online shopping. 
• Public computers and Wi-Fi hotspots are potentially insecure. Criminals may be intercepting traffic on public wireless networks to steal credit card numbers and other sensitive information
• n. Care should be taken that the settings on your computer or device prevent it from automatically connecting to Wi-Fi hotspots.
• Secure your home Wi-Fi.  Make sure you control who has administrative access, and that any users on your network authenticate with a strong password. Encryption settings should be enabled and strong - using WPA2 is recommended.
• Be alert for potential charity donation scams. Cyber criminals try to take advantage of people’s generosity during the holiday season and can use fake charity requests as a means to gain access to your information or computer/device. Think before clicking on emails requesting donations. Don’t give your financial or personal information over email or text.   Contribute by navigating to the trusted address of the charity, never through a link in an email.  To check if an organization is eligible to receive tax-deductible charitable contributions, visit the IRS website.

Holiday tips

I received this from OCSO, have a wonderful day.... Dave

With the holiday season approaching I wanted to share with everyone some holiday safety tips.  It would be great if everyone could get this message out to their communities because like I always say, an informed and educated community is a safe community.  The following is an article I recently submitted to a local newsletter.

Well it’s holiday season again, and this is the season of giving.  However, when giving lets be sure not to give to those burglars, purse snatchers, and crooks.  By following a few tips for a safe and happy holiday season, you can be sure that your gifts end up in the right hands.

When shopping stay alert of your surroundings.  Park in a well-lit area, and be sure to lock your car doors and close those windows.  Avoid carrying large amounts of cash.  If you must place your shopping bags in your car, make sure it is well hidden and secured in the trunk when possible.  If you are placing shopping bags in your car and you are going to continue shopping at the same location, consider moving your vehicle to a different parking area.  This may give a lurking criminal the impression that you are leaving.  If leaving the store after dark, walk with other shoppers to the car.

This time of the year means crowded malls, and crowded malls mean it’s easy for a child to get separated and lost.  If you are shopping with young children be sure to have a plan in place in case you get separated.

Now holiday safety tips is just as important after the holidays.  Avoid leaving boxes and bags of expensive items (trash) outside before garbage collection days.  A good idea is to actually discard those valuable item boxes such as TV’s, laptops, and video game console boxes, at the waste department directly. 

The holiday season is a good time to inventory those valuables in your household.  Take photos or make videos of items and list descriptions and serial numbers. If your home is burglarized, having a detailed inventory can help identify stolen items and make insurance claims easier to file. Make sure things like TVs, DVD players, computers, I Pads, tablets, jewelry, and gaming consoles, are inventoried. 

During the month of December, many of us are sharing festivities with our family and friends, and this means that many are sharing an alcoholic beverage as well.  When it comes to holiday safety and happiness, it’s important to remember to ALWAYS DRINK RESPONSIBLY.

As always safety tips such as these can be found by visiting our website at www.ocso.com. Have a happy and safe holiday. 

All the very best,

When can I water

Please note the new watering...... Dave

Orange County, FL – Mandatory one-day-a-week watering restrictions will begin on Sunday, November 3, for Orange County residential and nonresidential properties. When clocks return to standard time, from Sunday, November 3, to Sunday, March 9, homes and nonresidential properties in Orange County must adhere to the following watering schedule:

• Homes with odd-numbered or no addresses water only on Saturday;
• Homes with even-numbered addresses water only on Sunday;
• Nonresidential properties water only on Tuesday.

Watering is restricted to no more than one hour per zone and is prohibited between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. These restrictions apply to private wells and pumps, ground or surface water, and water from public and private utilities.

For more information, please visit www.occonservewater.net or send an email to Water.Division@ocfl.net. Orange County Utilities Water Division is also available at 407-254-9850 (select option 1, then option 2).