In the News: Newspaper

The Acorn, Wednesday, April 20, 1994

.....The lifelong motto of the Boy Scout is "Be Prepared." It also happens to be the business motto of Safe-T-Proof, a Westlake Village-based company that serves consumers who want to be ready when disaster strikes...
.....Safe-T-Proof, operated from the home of company President Michael Essrig until last January's 6.7 Northridge earthquake. After the temblor, Essrig received about 300 telephone calls per day for the next month. "I had to add phone lines and hire four people to fill orders," he said.
.....The Essrig garage became a temporary warehouse and shipments of emergency food, water and first-aid supplies were arriving daily. There were lines of people, some coming from as far away as Santa Barbara and Lacnaster, to purchase survival products, Essrig said.
.....Safe-T-Proof has excellent displays of emergency supplies and equipment that range from solar powered portable radios, to space blankets, to potable water containers and much more.
.....One of Safe-T-Proof's specialties is all types of seismic fasteners that can anchor furniture, delicate vases or mainframe computers. Some of the heavier fasteners are designed inhouse and have been developed for home and office use.
.....The Northridge earthquake has shaken up more people than any in the recent past, according to what various suppliers have told him, Essrig said. "The problem is that (after it's over) some people go back to the denial mode," he said. "It's those people who do something to prepare that will be better off the next time a quake occurs," he said.
.....Safe-T-Proof provides a customized fastening service for residential, business, hospital, museum or school facilities, according to Essrig. "We're one of very few companies that do the complete job of fastening," he said. Safe-T-Proof carries liability insurance to allow the on-site service, he added.
.....Average cost, including parts, to do a house of between 2,000 and 3,000 sq.ft. would run between $300-$700, according to Essrig. Examples of items to be anchored include bookcases, refrigerators, china hutches and filing cabinets...
.....Essrig, a member of Agoura Hills Disaster Response Team, warns: "The number one thing people must do is to fasten their furniture, especially if they have children."