Great Project for Spring–A Security & Safety Check-up
Spring has officially arrived! And like many of us, you’re probably making a list of all you want to get done around the house as the weather improves. Consider giving your home a security and safety check-up as part of your spring cleaning and home-improvement projects.
Here's a list of essential tasks.
Create an emergency action plan for your family
If a fire broke out in your home, would everyone know what to do? Create a simple plan for emergencies to ensure that they will. A good emergency plan includes:
• Where to meet in an emergency, and how to get there.
• Roles and responsibilities. For example, who dials for help?
• How to navigate specific hazards, such as smoke.
• Emergency contacts: who else will you alert?
• Create and practice your plan for a fire, a break-in and an extreme weather event.
With Mountain Alarm and Alarm.com, it's easy to add a family member to your alerts as an emergency contact. And with professional monitoring, you won’t have to worry about dialing 911.
Prioritize yard tasks with security benefits
Take advantage of the spring weather to inspect your hedges, bushes, and trees for security hazards. You're looking for potential hiding spots that give intruders a place to lurk. Trim these areas until you have a direct line of sight to the street. Ideally, anyone in your front yard should be visible to you, your neighbors, and passers-by.
Connect with your neighbors on security
Home security extends beyond your home. Teaming up with neighbors is one of the best security measures, and it's easy to connect with neighbors digitally when you can't meet in person. Your neighbors can keep you informed about suspicious activity in the neighborhood and watch your home when you're away.
Show intruders they’re not welcome
Burglars tend to take the path of least resistance and typically avoid homes with security systems. The more visible your system is, the more you'll benefit. This means making sure that your yard signs and window decals are front and center. Adding an outdoor security camera helps too.
Get your lighting in shape
You won't always be at home—but you'll always want potential intruders to think that you are. That's why smart lights are essential. They're easy to add to your security system and ensure that intruders won't be able to hide in the dark.
For extra deterrence, ask us about video analytics. This technology allows your security cameras to distinguish people from animals and vehicles and trigger your outdoor lights accordingly.
Educate your kids on safety at home
We teach our kids to stay safe in the outside world. You should also teach safety at home—especially to older kids who want to stay home alone when you're out. Your kids should know:
• Never to post on social media that they're home alone
• Never to answer the door to strangers
• How to lock up and arm the security system
• What to do if they smell smoke or discover an emergency
Set up new alerts for home safety
Our app alerts help you stay one step ahead of danger. To enhance your safety at home, set up the following:
• Geo-Services reminders: When you don't leave home as often, it's easy to make home security mistakes like forgetting to lock the door when you do. The reminders use your location to alert you if you leave home with your security system disarmed or your door unlocked, so that you can secure the house remotely.
• Contact sensor alerts: If your kids are exploring the house more than usual, setting up alerts for doors and windows will let you know if they're go places they aren't supposed to, or leave entry points to your home unsecured.
• Unexpected Activity: these alerts look out for your family by letting you know when something happens that doesn't match your home's everyday activity patterns.
Inspect your security and safety devices
Did you test your smoke detectors when the clocks recently changed? If not, now is the time.
Giving your home security and safety devices a quick inspection every few months helps to ensure that they'll always be ready when you need them. Test your smoke detectors and clean your security cameras, using your mobile app's live feeds to make sure their angles are correct.
Contact Mountain Alarm at 1-888-349-3455 today if you have any questions or require any assistance in fine-tuning or maintaining your security system.