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Home Security & Safety Tips

 

• Are all doors locked at night and every time you leave the house - even if it's just for a few minutes?
• Are all doors solid hardwood or metal-clad?

• Do doors feature wide-angle peepholes at heights everyone can see?

• Are there any glass panels in or near the doors? If so, are they reinforced in some way so that they cannot be shattered?
• Do all entryways have a working, keyed entry lock and sturdy dead bolt lock installed into the frame of the door?
• Are spare keys kept with a trusted neighbor instead of under a doormat, planter, ledge or mailbox?
• Do you have any electronic mechanism that alerts you when exterior doors are opened? This is especially useful if you have small children.

• Are doors leading from the attached garage to the house solid wood or metal-clad and protected with a quality keyed door lock and deadbolt?
• Does the overhead garage door have a lock that does not rely solely on the automatic door opener to provide home security?
• Are garage doors always locked when leaving the home?
• Do sliding glass doors have a strong, working key lock?
• Has a dowel or pin to secure glass doors been installed to prevent the door from being shoved aside or lifted off the track?
• Is the sliding door locked every night and each time you leave the house?
• Do you have any home security sensors installed that detect glass breaking?

• Does every window in the house have a working key lock or is it securely pinned?
• Are windows always locked, even when they are opened a few inches for ventilation?
• Do you have any home security sensors installed that detect glass breaking?

• Are shrubs and bushes trimmed so there is no place for someone to hide?
• Are there any dark areas around your house, garage or yard at night that would hide prowlers?
• Does each outside door to your home have a bright, working light to illuminate visitors?
• Are floodlights used appropriately to ensure effective illumination?
• Are outdoor lights on in the evening - whether someone is home or not - or is a photocell or motion-sensitive lighting system installed?
• Is the house number clearly displayed so police and other emergency vehicles can find the house quickly?
• Do you have windows that are easily reached from ground level, the roof, dormer windows, a balcony or nearby tree?
• If you have a home security system, is there visible signage indicating its installation?
• Does your home security also monitor the perimeter of your home with the latest video surveillance security systems?

• Have you set up at least two light timers that are set to turn the lights on and off in a logical sequence when you are away from home for an extended period of time?
• Are motion detectors or home security systems always activated when you leave home?
• Have mail and newspaper deliveries been stopped - or arrangements for a neighbor to pick them up been made - when you go away from home for a period of time?
• Has a neighbor been asked to tend the yard and watch the home when you are away?
• Have you left any notes tacked to the doors, windows or mailboxes? Be sure to remove these before you leave for an extended period of time.
• If leaving for an extended period of time, have you turned the volume on your telephone down so the ringing won't tip off strangers that you're gone?
• If you typically leave your house keys hidden outside your home, be sure to remove them before you leave for an extended period of time.
• If you have children, do they return home on their own? If so, have you developed a plan where they notify you when they come home? Some home security systems can provide parents with a paging feature with this information.

• Are gate latches, garage doors and shed doors all locked with high-security, laminated padlocks?
• Are gate latches, garage doors and shed doors locked after every use?
• Are grills, lawn mowers and other valuables stored away in a locked garage or shed? Or, if left outdoors, are they hidden from view with a tarp and securely locked to a stationary point?
• Has every bicycle been secured with a U-bar lock or quality padlock and chain?
• Are all bikes always locked - even if they are left unattended for just a few minutes?
• Are firearms stored unloaded and locked in storage boxes and secured with trigger guard locks? If you have a home security system, can it monitor gun cabinets?
• Are valuable items, such as televisions, stereos and computers, inscribed with identifying numbers approved by local police?
• Is your home inventory up-to-date, including pictures? Is a complete inventory kept somewhere outside the house?
• Can valuables or electronic equipment be seen through your windows?

• Do you have smoke detectors on all levels of your home?
• Does your family have a fire escape plan that includes at least two ways to get out of every room?
• Do you check the batteries in each smoke detector at least once a month?
• Do you clean your gutters regularly of dry leaves and evergreen needles?
• Is the roof of your house fire-resistant?
• Do you have your chimney cleaned and inspected every year?
• If you have children and pets, do you have child locator stickers in their bedroom windows, as well as pet locator stickers on a first-floor window?
• Do you have a home security system that monitors Fire/Smoke?

• Do you travel for extended periods of times and leave your home at risk for household flooding?
• Do you turn your water off whenever you leave your home for extended periods of time?
• When you travel, do you have some way to monitor any in-house flooding?
• Do you have a home security system that monitors flooding?

• Do you have any fuel-burning appliances that may emit carbon monoxide gas?
• Have you had your heating system checked for carbon monoxide emissions?
• Do you periodically check your range, fireplace and water heater?
• Do you have your chimney cleaned and inspected every year?
• If you have an attached garage, be sure to never start your car, nor leave it running, while the garage door is closed.
• Do you have a home security system that monitors carbon monoxide poisoning?

• Do your children know the fire escape route in the house?
• Do your children know exactly what their boundaries are when they play outside?
• Do your children know who is allowed in the house while you are away?
• Do your children ever come home to an empty house?
• Has your home been completely childproofed? Are children safe from gun cabinets, wine cellars, liquor cabinets and pool areas with a home security system?

• Do you have a home security system? If so, do you test your system regularly to ensure it is in good working order?
• Is your home security system easy to use by all members of your household?
• Are all entrances to your home monitored by your home security system?
• Are gun cabinets, wine cellars, liquor cabinets and pool areas wired to your home security system to protect your children?
• Are you able to control your home security system from the road, either by GPS, telephone or via a secure Web site?
• Does your home security system control lights, automatic garage doors and other minor appliances (i.e., iron, coffee maker, etc.)?
• Does your home security system monitor for critical conditions such as high levels of carbon monoxide, excessively high or low temperatures or flooding?
• Does your home security system have a back-up system in case of power failure?