Home Security Tips
Fire Safety Tips
False Alarm Prevention
Security Links

Home Security
In today's world, it has become imperative to take positive steps to protect and insure the safety of your family and property.

• Listed below are some of the best tips we've found to help you protect your family and home.
• Lock all doors and windows, especially when you're home alone.
• Fix broken locks or windows and install deadbolts on main doors.
• Secure any sliding glass doors with pins and/or a metal bar placed in the track to prevent opening both horizontally and vertically.
• If you have double-hung windows, bolt the upper and lower sashes together.
• Replace all locks immediately upon moving into a new home.
• Install a wide-angle peephole in exterior doors. This will allow you to safely identify visitors before opening the door. If you cannot see who is at the door, do not open it.
• Do not rely on a door safety chain; most of them can be easily broken.
• Make sure to request identification from sales or repair people before allowing them entry. Never leave such representatives in your home unsupervised.
• Remember that burglars avoid lights and noise. Mount exterior lights out of reach in your yard and house.
• Keep bushes and trees away from your windows in order to avoid creating hiding places for criminals and obstructing your point of view.
• Don't make it easy for thieves to get into your home. Don’t store a key in a mailbox, under doormats or above doorways.
• Check to see if the valuable items in your home are visible from the street. If you can see them from the street, so can a burglar.
• Leave curtains slightly open so your house doesn't have an empty look.
• Never leave an answering machine message indicating you're not at home.
• When planning to be away, be careful whom you tell.
• Keep electrical devices on. Program a timed device to automatically turn your lights, stereo, or TV on and off at set periods during the day or night when you are away.
• Don't stop your mail or newspaper drops; it signals you're away. Instead, ask a neighbor to pick up your deliveries.
• If you are taking your vehicle on vacation, ask a neighbor to park his or her car in your driveway.
• Have someone mow your lawn, rake leaves and shovel snow while you're away.
• Make sure that your street address is posted in plain sight from the street, visible during both day and night. This will ensure that if there is an emergency the proper authorities can easily find your house.
• Don't display your name or address on your keys or key ring. This could lead a thief, with key in hand, right to your door.
• When having a car parked or serviced, leave only your car keys.
• Although most garage door openers respond to common codes, many manufacturers allow the ability to re-program with a unique personal code. Follow the instruction manual to program yours with a unique code no burglar's opener will match.
• It is common for burglars to scan newspapers for wedding and funeral announcements as well as special community and holiday events made open to the public. Such occasions can take you out of your home, leaving your possessions vulnerable.
• Install a CO detector in every sleeping area of the home to protect your family from carbon monoxide poisoning. If the CO alarm goes off, leave the home immediately; call the fire department or your local utility company. Seek medical attention right away if a family member displays symptoms such as headache, fatigue, nausea and dizziness. Unborn babies have a greater risk of birth defects, neurological disorders and death when the mother is exposed to carbon monoxide.
• Permanently mark your valuables with your driver's license or Social Security number. Keep pictures and records of all valuable objects in a safe place.
• Keep important papers, valuable jewelry and large amounts of cash somewhere other than your home, such as in a safe deposit box.
• Be sure to report suspicious activity in your neighborhood to the police.
• Get to know your neighbors.
• Install a Home Security System. Click Here to find out more about our Home Security System and conveniently place a request online or call 800-765-0004 to order by phone.

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Fire Safety
One of the biggest threats to your family and home security is fire. Because fire can spread quickly, you need to be alerted immediately and initiate professional rapid response assistance from your local fire department. A Home Security System and practical fire safety precautions can help.

Listed below are some of the best tips we've found to help you minimize the risk of fire and keep your family and home safe.

• Most deaths from fire occur when people are sleeping. Smoke detectors are an important and effective tool in alerting you of fire in your home and/or awakening you from sleep. Install smoke detectors on every level of your home, including the basement and outside each sleeping area, test all of them at least once a month and replace batteries once a year, or whenever a detector "chirps" to signal low battery power.
• Avoid placing smoke detectors in the path of air conditioning or heater vents and never disconnect the battery.
• When buying, building or renovating your home, make sure the roof is fire resistant.
• Practice staying low to the ground when escaping, one breath of smoke or gases can be enough to kill.
• Remember, in a fire time is critical… Plan a fire escape route as well as an alternate route to be used when the main route is blocked by fire. Don't waste time getting dressed, don't search for pets or valuables. Just get out!
• Keep fire extinguishers in the kitchen, near wood stoves and fireplaces, and one on each floor of your home. A multi-purpose dry chemical fire extinguisher, labeled A-B-C, is effective against most types of fires.
• Never leave cooking unattended. Don't store flammable items over the stove, turn pot handles inward on the stove where you can't bump them and children can't pull them down. If grease catches fire in a pan, slide a lid over the pan to smother the flames and turn off the heat. Leave the lid on until cool.
• Keep portable heaters and space heaters at least three feet from anything that can burn.
• Never leave heaters on when you leave home or go to sleep.
• If a home or electrical appliance begins to smoke or have an unusual smell, unplug it immediately and have it serviced before your next use. Replace all splayed, cracked or faulty cords immediately. Don't twist, overload, or run extension cords under rugs or flammable materials.
• Use only child-resistant lighters and store all matches and lighters up high, where small children can't see or reach them. Teach your children that matches and lighters are tools, not toys.
• Clear your gutters regularly - especially during fire season.
• Make sure there is a clear area of at least 10 feet surrounding your chimney and no dead limbs are hanging over your home. This will prevent a fire from starting or spreading further.
• Keep the lid on your trash can.
• Maintain your landscape to eliminate dead vegetation that could catch fire.
• Make sure that your street address is posted in plain sight from the street, visible during both day and night. This will ensure that firefighters can easily find your house in case of emergency.
• In instances of burns, never use ice or cold to treat injuries. Run cool to lukewarm water over the burn for 10 to 15 minutes. If there is any blistering or charring around the burn consult with a doctor Immediately.
• If your clothing begins to burn make sure to cover your face, then Stop, Drop and Roll. This will smother the flames and minimize any potential burns.

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False Alarm Prevention
False alarms hold a number of negative and costly impacts for you, your neighbors and your community. These impacts can be reduced dramatically by following these few simple tips.

• Learn how to operate your system and how to use its features.
• Read and keep your security system’s manual handy; and don’t forget your password.
• Everyone who has a key to your home or business should have proper knowledge of how to operate the security system.
• Before you activate your alarm system, make sure you have locked all protected windows and doors.
• If you accidentally set off your alarm, don't panic. Take the necessary steps to disarm your alarm quickly and carefully and call Security Solutions immediately to let us know it was a false alarm.
• Test your system regularly but don’t forget to call Security Solutions ahead to tell us that you are going to test your system.
• If your system does not seem to be working properly, report any problems immediately to Security Solutions. One unexplained false alarm a year is too many, investigate all unexplained false alarms and have your system serviced on a regular basis. Routine system maintenance will assure you that your Security System is working properly.
• Please make sure that Security Solutions has your current and accurate emergency contact list. Don’t forget to inform us of any major changes, such as a new phone number.
• Do not allow any moving items to remain in an area where a motion sensor is located. Small animals, loose banners, balloons and even a breeze can move curtains and plants triggering motion sensors to cause false alarms.
• Before remodeling, installing skylights, ceiling fans or even spray-painting or fumigating occurs, call Security Solutions to get advice on how to prevent false alarms from smoke detectors caused by fumes or dust and if necessary after the changes are made, have the alarm inspected for suitability.
• Upgrade aging or outdated equipment as older systems are more prone to false alarms.

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Security Links

National Crime Prevention Council
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ)
International Association of Chiefs of Police
National Burglar and Fire Alarm Association
U.S. Fire Administration
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children

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