Personal Alarms

A personal alarm serves two main purposes. It can frighten away an attacker, and it serves as a call for help - a signal to others that something is wrong. Personal alarms emit a blaring noise, which should be at least 120 dB to be most effective. Louder is better when it comes to personal alarms. This noise will panic or cause momentary confusion in an attacker, giving you enough opportunity to fight back or run away. However, personal alarms are not just for frightening away an attacker; if the user (such as a child) is lost and needs to be found, the personal alarm can be very effective in calling for someone's attention. A personal alarm is also an excellent device to use to alert other people during any kind of emergency.

While quite effective in deterring crime or a possible attack and in helping locate a lost loved one, a personal alarm may not always be effective in certain situations. In a remote area there may be no one to hear the alarm and come to your aid. It is also possible that a violent attacker could grab the alarm away from you and destroy it, or simply not be deterred by the noise. Even if others hear the alarm, there is no guarantee that they will come to your aid. How much attention do you pay to a car alarm going off in the parking lot?

Understanding the limitations of personal alarms (they are just loud noise makers), I believe that they are a valuable addition to one's security plan. Students on campus, shift workers who walk across a dark parking lot, or anyone else who may need to signal for help can benefit from carrying a personal alarm.

Personal alarms only cost a few dollars, which makes them affordable for almost anyone. Also, they are not weapons so they are legal to carry everywhere. But please keep in mind, that like any self-defense tool, a personal alarm is not magic. No matter how loud your alarm is, it does not put up some kind of magical force field that will protect you from all bad people in the world. They will however, catch most people by surprise and disorient them long enough to give you an opportunity to get away. And they will also attract attention to your situation even if you aren't able to scream for help.

Vigilant Personal Alarm

ZekPro Personal Alarm

Mace Portable Door / Multipurpose Alarm