Personal attack alarm: Protection Devices

Personal attack alarms have provided men and women with peace of mind and protection for decades. These easy to conceal devices work in several ways to deter attackers, including emitting an ear-splitting loud sound or releasing a repelling smell. They’re effective at crime prevention and improving personal safety.

Convenient to carry, easy to store and simple to use – here’s our attack alarm guide.

What are personal safety alarms?

Personal safety alarms are portable security devices that you can carry with you. Whether you’re walking alone at night, or home alone, a personal attack alarm is an excellent way to up your security.

You’ll also see them described as rape alarms or personal alarms for women and men.

If you are attacked or feel like you could be targeted, you can use the alarm to deter the attack and raise awareness of your situation.

Some more advanced personal security alarms contain ultraviolet tracers that place an invisible but semi-permanent mark on an attacker that can help the police during their enquiries. You can also find alarms that release an odour to deter an attacker or a pepper spray which can be used to disable them.

Attack alarms are battery-powered. You’ll need to ensure the battery is regularly replaced or charged for those with in-built lithium-ion batteries.

What types of personal attack alarms are available?

There is a wide range of personal security devices on the market, with different features, operating methods and prices.

There are three main types of personal security attack alarm:

• Keyring personal attack devices – These small alarms can be fixed to a key ring or look like a key fob. Because of their size, they offer basic functionality, including a siren. Some also work as torches with inbuilt LED lights.
• Handheld attack alarms – Handheld attack alarms are larger, with the size often translating into a louder alarm. You’ll also find additional functionality, such as LED strobe lights. They’re smaller than a mobile phone and can be packed away into a pocket or bag.
• Combination attack alarms – Combination attack alarms offer greater protection. For example, Securian’s attack alarm also releases an unpleasant odour to deter your attacker and an ear-piercing sound. It also tags the intruder or attacker with an invisible UV mark that police could find helpful in an investigation.

How do personal safety alarms work?

Personal attack alarms work in different ways, but all do the same job of alerting others to your situation. Most attack alarms are activated by pushing a button or pulling a pin. Here’s how personal attack alarms function:

• Push-button activation – You push a button on the top or back to activate the alarm. Most alarms require you to hold the button down for a second or more. This reduces the likelihood of it going off in your bag or pocket.
• Pin-pull activation – Some personal alarm devices require you to pull a pin out to activate the device. You slide your finger inside the ring and pull it out, activating the device. Once the pin has been removed, the device will sound until it’s replaced.

What are the essential personal attack alarm features?

Here are some of the essential features to look out for when buying a personal attack alarm.

• Alarm/siren – Personal attack alarms emit a loud sound to alert people of your presence. In our experience, the louder the sound, the better. You’ll find an attack alarm’s loudness measured in decibels.
• Torch – Many attack alarms include a torch that can be used to help light the way or as a strobe that can be shone in an attacker’s eye. Brightness is measured in lumens.
• Odour release – Sound and light are great ways to deter your attacker, and so is smell. Some attack alarms release an unexpected but potent gust that can disable an attacker.
• UV tag – Securian’s attack alarm can tag an attacker or intruder with a UV mark. It’s invisible, almost impossible to remove and can help police with any investigation.
• Quality of construction – Cheaper attack alarms can be made from inferior materials. As a result, they can bend, buckle and break while in your pocket or bag. Cheaper alarms may also be easier for attackers to break or disable.

Why should I buy a personal safety attack alarm?

Official figures show that violent crime is falling. While this is good news for us all, it doesn’t tell the full story. Some areas and individuals are at higher risk than others.

Personal attack alarms are lightweight, easy to operate and affordable, so we think everyone should have one.

When choosing a personal attack alarm, you’ll want to ensure that it’s:

• Easy to carry
• Hardwearing
• Simple to operate
• Can’t be switched off
• Has a loud alarm

At Securian, we’ve developed Trident, an advanced, police-approved personal attack alarm that produces an ear-piercing 138+ decibel sound output, releases a repelling odour, and an ‘invisible’ ultraviolet UV tracer. It provides triple protection for peace of mind for you, your family and your loved ones.