Home Security and Fire Safety Tips

Home Security Tips

In addition to installing a Home Security System Monitored by ADT Security Services, we suggest the following as tips to improving your Home’s Security:

1. Make your home look occupied when you are not there. Leave interior and exterior lights on when you leave. If you are going to be away for a length of time, use automatic timers to turn lights on in the evening and off during the day. A motion-sensitive light is recommended for backyards, driveways and patios.
2. Lock all outside doors and windows before you leave the house or go to bed.
3. Keep your garage door closed and locked even when you are at home.
4. Replace pushbutton locks, which are easy to break-in to, with deadbolt locks on all your outside doors.
5. Sliding glass doors are especially vulnerable. Use special locks that are available for better security.
6. Lawn mowers, tools, ladders, barbecues and bicycles are best stored out of sight.
7. Never leave notes on your door indicating that you are not there such as “Gone shopping.”
8. Change locks immediately if your keys are lost or stolen.
9. When moving into a new home, have all locks changed.
10. Trim trees and shrubs so that they cannot be used as cover for potential intruders
11. Make sure your door hinges are on the inside.
12. Never leave keys under doormats, flowerpots, mailboxes or other “secret” hiding places.
13. Be aware of what is going on in your neighborhood. If you notice anything suspicious, call 9-1-1 immediately.
14. Engrave your valuables with your driver’s license number. Marked items are harder for a burglar to sell and easier for police to recover.
15. Work with your neighbors to improve security and reduce risk of burglary by forming a Neighborhood Watch Group.

Fire Prevention Tips

1. Never leave the kitchen while cooking. Keep things that can burn, such as dishtowels, paper or plastic bags, and curtains at least three feet away from the stove top.
2. Keep outdoor bbq grills at least ten feet away from other objects, including the house and any shrubs or bushes.
3. Keep matches or lighters in a place where children cannot see or reach them.
4. Keep space heaters at least three feet away from things that can burn, such as bedding, curtains or papers. Turn heaters off when leaving the room and before going to bed.
5. Have chimneys, fireplaces, wood and coal stoves and central furnaces checked once a year and cleaned when necessary.
6. Keep flammable materials away from your fireplace and use a glass or metal screen in front of it.
7. Use large, sturdy ashtrays on even surfaces like a table.
8. Dampen cigarette and cigar butts with water before dumping them in the trash.
9. Keep roof and gutters free of leaves and debris.
10. Never leave candles burning unattended.
11. Make a fire escape plan for your family. Find two exits out of every room. Pick a meeting place outside. Practice the drill regularly.
12. Teach every family member to “Stop, Drop, Roll and Cool” if clothes catch fire.
13. Have fire extinguishers readily available and learn how and when to use them.
14. Never leave dryer running while sleeping or out of the home. Regularly check dryer exhaust vent hoses for lint build up and clean. Bends and lint buildup in hoses can block airflow and start fires.