Keeping safe

The vast majority of students who visit Fort Lauderdale will not experience any form of crime. However, just as in your own country, crimes do take place in the USA. Much of the advice that follows is common sense, but taking a few simple precautions will make you feel safer and help stop you becoming one of the unlucky few who may become a victim of crime.

On your first day you will be given a talk which will include advice on how to keep safe. Don’t worry if you miss a bit or can’t understand it all the first time: the information is included in this guide.

Remember that you can contact the school at any time by telephoning + 1 954 401 7076, or call the emergency services by dialling 911.

Fort Lauderdale’s police are committed to keeping public safety.

You may call the police by telephoning (954) 828-5700 for non-urgent enquiries. In a serious emergency, dial 911 free of charge from any telephone.

If you wish to report a crime, please tell Yvonne Hanis, Welfare Manager, who will call the police on your behalf. Should you wish to contact the police directly, please advise Yvonne Hanis that you have done so. Yvonne will be happy to follow up with you.

The biggest risk on the streets is probably traffic, not criminals. Remember to look both ways before you cross or step onto the road.

It’s safer to walk with friends, not alone. If you must walk alone, avoid dark or empty places. Don’t listen to music while you are walking. It is a good idea to find safe routes to places you want to visit during the day, rather than struggling with a map in the dark.

Should you be afraid or threatened, leave the place immediately. Never reply to threats or insults. If someone is following you, cross the road, go to a public place, such as a restaurant or shop, and ask or telephone for help.

Make sure that any valuables are marked with your name and address: it is unlikely that they will be stolen: but you might lose them!

It is a good idea to write down the serial numbers of electrical or electronic devices to identify them if they are lost.

If you have a portable computer, it is best not to carry it in a bag which is obviously designed for computers, and be careful when you use it in public. Keep discs and flash drives separate from the computer.

Think about your valuables and don’t leave them where they can be seen. Don’t talk for ages on a mobile telephone, for example. Make sure you can see your coat, bag and belongings. Keep keys in a pocket, not in a bag.

Carry sufficient change to make a telephone call (35¢), but do not, under any circumstances, carry large amounts of cash. You should keep large amounts of money safely locked away.

Take care if you use an ATM to get cash: make sure that your card and money cannot be stolen; and make sure that your PIN (code number) is not copied. Never write down your PIN.

Try not to wait on your own at bus stops. If you travel at night, try to get friends to meet you at the bus stop and walk with you. Make sure you know the time of the last bus home: it is better to travel by taxi at night.

It is safer to sit or stand near to the driver. Make sure that you keep your personal belongings in sight. Don’t leave them in luggage racks where you cannot see them.

Make sure that you do not leave valuables on the beach when you go swimming, nor fall asleep on the beach if you have valuables with you.

The sun is strong in Florida: make sure you use plenty of sunscreen and stay in the shade as much as possible.

Rip tides or currents are strong sea currents which push you away from the shore. If you are caught in a rip current:

• Remain calm to conserve energy and think clearly.
• Never fight against the current.
• Think of it like a treadmill that cannot be turned off.
• Swim away from the current in a direction following the shoreline. When out of the current, swim at an angle, away from the current, towards the land.
• If you are unable to swim out of the rip current, float or calmly tread water. When out of the current, swim towards the land.
• If you are still unable to reach land, draw attention to yourself by waving your arm and yelling for help.