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Pocket-Sized Alarm Delivers Protection On Demand

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Bob and Michele Utzij are lifelong residents of Mt. Washington. Every night, they take a walk... with a baseball bat in hand.

"I do carry this, just in case, because you never know if someone will be popping out or a stray dog," Bob Utzij said. "And Michele carries the flashlight, and we are prepared to go."

Being prepared for the unknown is the premise behind the First Alert Safety Pod.

It may look like a small flashlight, but this device delivers protection on demand.

It's small enough to fit in your hand, and you can activate it with just a touch.

Say you are walking alone at night and you feel like someone is lurking behind you. Press the button on the device, and it will sound the alarm.

That alarm is 100 decibels -- louder than a smoke alarm.

And here's something else -- you can set the alarm to go off using a high-tech motion sensor.

You can put the pod in a bag, and if someone tries to walk off with your purse or backpack, the alarm will sound.

The pod can also be placed on door knobs in homes, dorm rooms or hotel rooms to alert you to trouble.

Mt. Washington resident Ryan Tingle likes that feature.

"It's going to wake me up and tell me that something is going wrong," he said. "Somebody's coming in, somebody's gonna take something."

The Alarm Pod sells for $29.99 and it's available at major retailers. More information is available on the First Alert website: www.firstalert.com

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