If an individual arrives at your door unannounced and tries to sell you something or requests access to your home, you determine what happens.

• Never open your door to a stranger.
• Make sure you know who is on the other side before opening.
• Contact law enforcement if in doubt of who is at your door.

Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD)

• To report a life-threatening emergency please Dial 911.
• To report all other crimes or if you have questions, please call the non-emergency number, 719-444-7000. This number is staffed 24 hours a day, every day.

If you feel it is a legitimate visit (perhaps arriving at your request), ask for identification. Businesses that provide home service have their employees carry photo identification with an I.D. number. You can call the business and confirm their identity.

Do not provide your credit or debit card number or any other personal information to any caller or visitor without knowing their true identity.

Colorado Springs Solicitation Ordinance allows for residents to protect themselves from unwanted solicitation on private or residential property.
9.2.111: SOLICITATION PROHIBITED: Paragraph C. 2.
C.   Soliciting Prohibited:    It shall be unlawful for any person to engage in soliciting on any private or residential property after having been asked to leave, or after having been asked to refrain from soliciting, by the owner or other person lawfully in possession of the property. Displaying a "No Soliciting" sign constitutes a request to refrain from soliciting.   https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/coloradospringsco/latest/coloradosprings_co/0-0-0-16194
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Learn more about personal safety and crime prevention at https://coloradosprings.gov/office-emergency-management/page/personal-safety-and-awareness

Why are people bitten and what is the result?
Rattlesnakes have an elaborate defensive strategy, seeking to avoid the need for a venomous bite if possible. Most of the time, rattlesnakes will not strike at people unless they feel threatened or are deliberately provoked.

Awareness and Avoidance
The best way to avoid dangerous encounters with any wildlife is awareness and avoidance. Always be aware of your surroundings using your eyes and ears, and avoid wildlife that you see or hear.

• Watch for snakes basking in open, sunny areas such as pavements, rocks, trails or roads. It is acceptable to walk off trail to avoid them. 
• Watch where you place your hands and feet at all times, watching for areas such as rocks or logs that could be sheltering a rattlesnake.
• Do not hike with headphones or earbuds in so you can listen for a rattlesnake's distinctive rattle.
• Protect your feet and ankles as they are usually closest to rattlesnakes. Sturdy leather boots afford good protection; do not hike in sandals or flip flops.
• Use extra caution around dusk when human visibility drops. Use a light and be sure to wear boots, even in camp. 
• Travel in groups. More people means more opportunities to see or hear a snake and more people to call emergency services in the event of a bite.

What to do if a snake is encountered
If an encounter with a snake is unavoidable, take these precautions to stay safe:

• Freeze in place. Snakes are often heard before they are seen. If you hear a rattlesnake, FREEZE in place until you or a companion can locate the animal. Attempting to move away from a snake you can’t see may lead you closer to it! Even if the snake is in plain view, freezing movement will reduce the threat you pose to the snake and help you calmly assess the situation.
• Establish space between you and the snake as they can strike from a long distance. A good rule of thumb is to put at least five feet between yourself and the snake. If possible, move slowly back the way you came.
• Leave the snake alone. NEVER, under any circumstances, should you try to catch, kill, provoke or move a rattlesnake. One-third of people who suffer snake bites were bitten as a result of trying to handle or kill the snake. Move around the rattlesnake at a safe distance out of its way.
• If you find a snake in your home or garage, call your local wildlife office for directions. In urban areas, many pest control companies can remove them for you.

Keeping your pets safe
The best way to keep your pets safe from rattlesnakes is to keep them on a six-foot leash as required on most public lands in Colorado. Dogs in particular are known to be very curious animals that ignore a snake's defensive posturing. 

Learn more HERE

Outdoor Activities

• Slow down. Reduce, eliminate or reschedule strenuous activities until the coolest time of the day. Those particularly vulnerable to heat such as children, infants, older adults (especially those who have preexisting diseases, take certain medications, living alone or with limited mobility), those with chronic medical conditions, and pregnant women should stay in the coolest available place, not necessarily indoors.
• Dress for summer. Wear lightweight, loose fitting, light-colored clothing to reflect heat and sunlight.
• Minimize direct exposure to the sun. Sunburn reduces your body's ability to dissipate heat.

Eating and Drinking

• Eat light, cool, easy-to-digest foods such as fruit or salads. If you pack food, put it in a cooler or carry an ice pack. Don't leave it sitting in the sun. Meats and dairy products can spoil quickly in hot weather.
• Drink plenty of water (not very cold), non-alcoholic and decaffeinated fluids, even if you don't feel thirsty. If you are on a fluid-restrictive diet or have a problem with fluid retention, consult a physician before increasing consumption of fluids. 
• Do not take salt tablets unless specified by a physician.

Cooling Down

• Use air conditioners or spend time in air-conditioned locations such as malls and libraries.
• Use portable electric fans to exhaust hot air from rooms or draw in cooler air.
• Do not direct the flow of portable electric fans toward yourself when room temperature is hotter than 90°F. The dry blowing air will dehydrate you faster, endangering your health.
• Take a cool bath or shower.

Check on Others

• Check on older, sick, or frail people who may need help responding to the heat. Each year, dozens of children and untold numbers of pets left in parked vehicles die from hyperthermia.  Keep your children, disabled adults, and pets safe during tumultuous heat waves.
• Don't leave valuable electronic equipment, such as cell phones and gps units, sitting in hot cars.
• Make sure rooms are well vented if you are using volatile chemicals.

More information at https://www.weather.gov/safety/heat-during

Visit the City's public works map to see all the projects for water resources engineering (stormwater), transit, city engineering, traffic engineering, and operations and maintenance (streets). Follow this link https://coloradosprings.gov/public-works/page/public-works-map