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New Babies Mean New Responsibilities With Home Security
I read today that Hollywood stars, John Travolta and his wife Kelly Preston are expecting their third child together later this year. As a new dad myself, having an infant in the house has totally changed my perspective on home security.
If you ever want to really sit down and start assessing your home security needs, wants, and desires, then you should consider doing it from the perspective of a newborn child. Pretty soon you start to realize there's very little you won't do to fortify your house against burglars, fires, floods, and toxic smoke.
With a new child in our house we changed locks on our doors, installed outdoor lighting, had a peephole installed in our front door, and have since been trimming the hedges and bushes in our yard to remove easy hiding places for would-be burglars.
We also had a monitored ADT home security system professionally installed, which was as easy as making a phone call and circling an installation date on our calendar.
Whether you have a new child or not, home safety should be the top priority for keeping your family safe and secure at home.
Home Security Tips For Frequent Travelers
The internet has made the world a smaller place, and frequently traveling for business purposes is just part of the landscape. Unfortunately, this means a lot of homes are left vulnerable to burglars.
If you travel a lot, either on business or pleasure, then you might already know that neglecting certain tasks around your house and yard can leave your house open to burglars while you're away from home.
Find a trusted neighbor to store a spare key for you, to pick up your mail and newspapers, and to watch your place while you're away. Letting letters and newspapers pile up is a sign to burglars that no one is home.
Putting some lamps on timers is a good way to keep burglars guessing whether or not anyone is at home. Burglars prefer the path of least resistance when it comes to home burglaries and they're very likely to move on if they're not certain the house is empty.
A professionally installed and monitored ADT home security burglar alarm system is a great way to protect your house while you're away. Whether you're home or not, highly trained emergency dispatchers will have local response units on their way. Even a good neighbor watching over your house won't be able to respond this quickly. Trust your home security to a monitored ADT home security system.
Learn From Orlando Bloom's Home Security Mistakes
Celebrities don't make the best role models, but sometimes they can serve as good examples of what not to do. Key members of the 'Bling Ring', a high profile crime syndicate composed of a bunch of teenage burglars who made off with over $3 million from the homes of celebrities like Paris Hilton, Orlando Bloom and Lindsay Lohan, are in court this week hoping to cop a plea and avoid jail time. Though these home invaders of haute-couture have made a lot of headlines, not enough has been said about the ease with which they were able to break into these homes.
Here are some simple steps these stars could have implemented to keep their homes safe:
Don't let the internet know when you are leaving- The 'Bling Ring' knew when to strike because they were able to ascertain online when the celebrities were going to be out of town. They used social and celebrity websites like Twitter and TMZ to find out when Orlando Bloom was shooting on location in New York and wouldn't be home. While your movements probably aren't being chronicled by paparazzi, you still need to make sure that you keep a tight rein on your personal information online. Remember that the more you divulge about yourself online the better the odds that you will eventually be targeted.
Keep your doors locked - Even if you have a home security system installed, it can't be functional in helping to protect your home against invasion if you leave doors or windows open. The 'Bling Ring' were able to open both Orlando Bloom's and Audrina Patridge's homes by checking around for unlocked doors. Burglars survive by exploiting opportunity, so make it as hard on them as possible to break into your home by installing door and window sensors and verifying that all your doors are locked before you leave your home.
Don't leave keys in obvious places - Paris Hilton's home was entered by a key she had left under the front door mat. While it isn't a bad idea to have a an extra key accessible in case you lock yourself out, don't leave it in an obvious place like under the door mat, on top of the door frame or in your mailbox. Rather than leaving the key somewhere, leave it with someone, like a close friend, a neighbor or a nearby family member.
Monitoring makes a difference - Although surveillance footage from the homes of Audrina Patridge, Orlando Bloom and Lindsay Lohans was used identify the members of the 'Bling Ring,' it isn't clear why these high profile stars didn't have anyone watching them. When you have a professionally installed and monitored ADT home security alarm system you can be sure that highly trained emergency dispatchers will be immediately on top of any unwanted intrusion into your home.
Better To Be Overly Prepared With Safety Than Not Safe Enough
Do you remember the day when you could just leave your doors open and not have to worry about people breaking into your homes? There may be neighborhoods that are still like that, but I'm sure it's a rarity. Nowadays you double and triple check that everything is locked up and secure before leaving your homes or your vehicles.
We definitely all want to keep our families and homes safe at all times. You really can never be too safe anymore. Some people may call it paranoia, but those are usually the ones that get robbed since they weren't careful enough.
How would you like to know that your home and loved ones are being monitored at all times from the many dangers that may lurk outside your home? ADT has a monitoring system that is customized to your needs that will help you feel much safe at home or when you're away. Don't become one of the many statistics out there.
Prevention is the Most Important Factor in Home Safety
Crime is real, and break-ins affect countless American families every year. Whether you live in a gated community or in a high-rise condo downtown, your home could always stand to be safer. Burglars seem to strike at the most unexpected moments. That is why you should observe the following safety tips, in addition to installing a monitored burglar alarm.
For a variety of reasons, it would be wise of you to become acquainted with your neighbors. If you ever need something, be it an egg or a touch of gasoline, it's nice to know that your neighbors will be interested in helping you out. Talk to your neighbors about any safety concerns that you may have, and initiate a community watch program. It is likely that you aren't alone in suspecting potential mischief. Your neighborhood is home to your home. Take pride in your community, and reach out to your neighbors.
When considering home safety, break-ins aren't the only threats that are lurking. Within minutes, a fire can destroy everything you own and love -- including your family. You've been told to check your smoke detector battery millions of times, but you are going to be reminded once more. Check your smoke detector battery! This small device, which miraculously operates on a nine-volt battery, can mean the difference between life and death.
Now that you have done the basic precautionary measure of ensuring that your smoke detector is functioning, let's consider other fire safety tips. Create a fire evacuation plan, and make sure that each member of your family understands it completely. To be thorough, perform annual fire drills. Designate a safe meeting spot and an emergency contact. If you have children, make sure that they know their address and telephone number. In the event that your child makes it to a telephone to report a fire or other emergency, he or she will need to know this information.
The most important factor in home safety is prevention. By working to prevent break ins and fires, and having reliable home security equipment and systems, like those available with ADT security, you will lessen your chance of experiencing one of these devastating events.
Here is a quick list of additional home safety tips:
-Do not leave spare keys in an obvious location.
-Do not nail windows or doors shut.
-Do not leave an open flame unattended.
-Do not store combustibles, such as firewood, next to your home.
-Do not leave toxic cleaning supplies where children can reach them.