(Here are Capt. Chelly Pfeifer's responses to questions posted at <a href="http://blogs.kansascity.com/crime_scene/"><b>Crime Scene KC</b></a>) </p><p><b>A reader named Betsy asks: </b></p><p><i>I am a 42-year-old diabetic woman. If I am out and about would it be advisable for me to have the numbers of the KCPD, MAST ambulance, my doctor's office and the number of my nurse educator all on speed dial on my cell phone, bearing in mind that you never know when an emergency of any kind might happen? Thanks!</i></p><p><b>Capt. Pfeifer's answer:</b></p><p>Dear Betsy-</p><p>Yes, have 9-1-1 on your speed dial, that will get the PD, MAST, and the Fire Dept. Also, in your directory, have ICE as a designation, which stands for In Case of Emergency, so if you cannot respond to PD, EMS, or Fire we can call who you have designated as an emergency contact. We check for ICE on cell phones if someone is incapacitated or seriously injured. Being prepared is an important part of personal safety!</p><p><b>A reader named Krista asks:</b> </p><p><i>I am disabled and wear long leg braces and crutches. While it is probably very slim that anyone would want to approach me, I am wondering what tips you have for protecting myself. All of the self-defense things I have seen were for the non-disabled.</i></p><p><b>Here's what Capt. Pfeifer had to say:</b></p><p>Great question! Actually, depending on your standing and balancing ability, your braces are weapons you have with you all the time. If need be, and this depends on your ability, you could use them as such. The same is true with crutches. </p><p>If you travel alone in your daily activities, use extra vigilance, scanning your environment that it is safe to proceed, looking others in the face and acknowledging their presence, having immediate access to a cell phone. These tips are some of the things that can help you from becoming a victim. Make sure you don’t have a purse or backpack hanging off your back, keep it in front of you so you can keep an eye on it. Remember, anyone at any time could be a victim so don’t get caught up in the “no, not me syndrome!”</p><p>We have taught ladies in wheelchairs and encourage them to use their chair as a self-defense tool, also. Look at your strengths, not your disabilities, and use those strengths to protect yourself. It sounds as if you have strong arms even if your legs don’t function as well, so use that to your advantage. There again pepper spray on a key chain is something you could use, a cell phone readily available to call the police, an umbrella…basically anything that you can carry, hold onto, can be used as a weapon if you need it.</p><p><b>Another question:</b></p><p><i>What do you do if you think that you are being followed by a person in a vehicle whether it be while you are in a car or if you are outside exercising? What if you get the license plate of the vehicle? Is there a place to submit that information to the police department? Do you track that information?</i></p><p><b>And here's the response from Capt. Pfeifer:</b></p><p>If you believe you’re being followed by someone, drive to the nearest police station or fire station and honk your horn several times to get the attention of staff inside. The person following you will drive on unless they want to be caught! If you can, try and get the license plate number, state, and description of the car and its driver. You can also use your cell phone and dial 9-1-1 and tell the call taker that you believe you are being followed and they will ask you a series of questions, such as your current location and what direction you are traveling. Cell phones are great safety tools but remember to keep them charged up.</p><p>While exercising, keep your cell phone with you also. In a pocket, fanny pack or somewhere accessible. The same applies, call 9-1-1 and let the call taker know the information about the person following you, where you are at, etc... When I teach my self defense classes I also recommend that you carry pepper spray or a walking stick of some type, as you don’t know if a stray dog will come after you as well.