Protect Your Family With A New Year’s Home Safety Checkup

by Jill Steele

The celebration of the New Year is the perfect time to conduct an annual inspection of your home security alarm systems. By making sure you have equipment that functions properly, as well as plans-of-action for various emergencies, you can be confident that your family will be adequately protected and well prepared should the unthinkable happen.

Test Smoke Alarms

If you use battery operated smoke detectors instead of hard wired home security alarm systems, now is a great time to walk through your house and inspect them all. Does each one sound an alarm when the test button is pressed? Are the batteries fresh or do they need to be replaced? Do you have smoke alarms in the most advantageous places throughout your home, including outside each bedroom?

Have you created an escape plan in case of fire? Does each person know how to get out of the house safely and where to meet once they are outside? Have you conducted fire drills in order to practice this routine?

Check Carbon Monoxide Detectors

The National Safety Council reports that 200-300 unintentional injuries or deaths occur annually due to carbon monoxide poisoning. Most people assume this is caused by large amounts of carbon monoxide leaking into their homes at one time. However, it is also possible to suffer from carbon monoxide poisoning by receiving small doses of the toxin over a long period of time.

As mentioned with smoke detectors, if you use battery operated equipment rather than permanent home security alarms you’ll want to check each one to ensure they are working as they should.

Also, educate yourself and your family about the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning. If these symptoms become evident in any family member, seek medical help immediately.

Theft Prevention

Take a walk around the parameter of your house. As you do, look for places a burglar might hide while attempting to gain entry into your house. Trim shrubs that are taller than three-feet high, de-clutter doorways and porches, and add motion detector lights to illuminate dark places that might conceal burglars.

If you have home security alarm system monitoring, review your current home protection plan with your provider. Have you added a garage, a room or other improvements that might benefit from the installation of sensors? Would a home video surveillance system provide needed monitoring of pools or outlying buildings? Do you now have school-aged children who will be staying alone after school? Has an older family member moved in with you who might need added protection? These are issues you and your monitoring company can discuss.

Change Your Password

Passwords are given for all home security alarms. When the alert is activated, you normally receive a phone call from the monitoring company. In order to cancel the alarm, you must provide the correct password. How many people have you shared your password with throughout the year? Are these people still in need of that information? If not, it may be time to change your password.

We often make New Year’s resolutions to lose weight, stop smoking or exercise more. This year, make – and keep – a resolution that can have a profound impact on your family. Plan an annual safety review to ensure you are protected against fire, carbon monoxide poisoning and burglary so you and your family can rest easy.

Jill Steele works for Monitronics, one of the largest home alarm system monitoring companies in the US. Monitronics offers protection against emergencies with state-of-the-art home security alarm systems and monitoring services. Visit them online today at http://www.monitronics.com.
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