Windows are a home safety hazard that often goes unnoticed until it’s too late. Practice care with functioning windows and don’t rely on screens to prevent accidents. Even if a window is marked as a protected point of entry for a home alarm system, you still need to take steps to protect children who are around it.

Practice these window safety tips to help secure your home and protect your family.

• Clear the area: Prevent access for children and avoid placing anything that can easily be climbed on  near windows. Never create play areas in front of windows.

• Block access: If you must open windows for ventilation, open the top portion no more than four inches. Many different kinds of window guards are available, but be sure to purchase ones that have quick-release mechanisms so that you can escape quickly in the case of a fire or other home security emergency.

• Watch coverings: Be wary of any inner or outer loops in cords on window blinds. Also be sure to tie cords up and keep them out of the reach of children. Keep any furniture, including cribs and play pens, from windows and window coverings.

• Stay nearby: Never leave a small child alone near an open window.

According to the Federal Trade Commission, as many as nine millions Americans’ identities are stolen each year. Identity theft can happen in a number of ways, and can hurt your credit report and score. The trail an identity thief leaves behind can be messy and lead to a complicated process of clearing it up.

Help protect your identity and improve  home security while you’re gone on vacation this year with these three easy tips:

1. Put a hold on newspaper and mail delivery: People often arrange for friends or family members to pick up mail periodically when they’re away, but if someone is watching your home they may notice that you’re not getting your mail and realize you’re away from home.
2. Notify your home security company: Utilize the service for which you’re paying and let your home alarm system provider like ADT know that you’ll be away so they’ll be even more alert when it comes to helping protect your home.
3. Tell your credit card companies your itinerary: If they know you’ll be in Greece, company representatives won’t be suspicious of your spending there, but they’ll notify you if someone is using your credit card number at home.

Many people are opting to work out of their home to save on commuting costs or spend more time with their families. While you may feel safer at home than in an office building, it’s important to remember that home offices and their expensive equipment can attract potential burglars.

Be sure to follow these simple safety tips below to help keep you and your home office safe.

• A few extra measures: In addition to a home alarm system and working locks on all outdoor windows and doors, install window treatments that obscure your office equipment from sight. But for a little extra assurance, install a dead bolt on your home office door to deter potential burglars from taking equipment like computers, printers and paper shredders.

• Safe records: Label and make a list of your equipment, along with photos and keep it in a safe place like a safe or bank deposit box so you’ll know what exactly you had in the case of damaged or stolen equipment. Also notify your insurance company that you’re working from home.

• Entryway check: Identify anyone making a delivery to your home before you open the door to ensure your home security. Never let the person enter your home office.

• Initial meetings: Always meet clients or other people you’re meeting for the first time in public. Also, let someone else know whom you’re meeting and where to ensure that someone will be on alert in case something happens to you.

Are you looking for simple, inexpensive way to improve your home security? The main component of property defense is an ADT alarm system, but there are several additional components you can install to bolster that technology. Read on to discover how you can make your family safer without breaking the bank.

Install Flood Lights: Normal bulbs concentrate their light into a narrow beam, illuminating a small area. Flood lights work the opposite way, by beaming low-level light across a wide swath of territory. One high powered flood light can bring your entire driveway out of the darkness, taking away hiding places from potential intruders. Along with ADT decals and sign posts, bright light is one of the strongest deterrents to criminals. Motion-sensing light systems can be installed for under one hundred dollars.

Take Away the Incentive to Break In: Don’t advertise your expensive goods to burglars. Hang some blinds or curtains in rooms with big-ticket items like televisions and computers. Try to park cars in the garage.

Get a Dog: Man’s best friend is a burglar’s worst enemy. You don’t need a Rottweiler or Pitbull; any dog with a decent bark will send criminals scurrying on to the next house on the block.

Change Your Locks: When was the last time you swapped out your old locks? If you’re like most Americans, every once in a while you give out a spare key. Over the years, these invitations into your home accumulate. Eliminate the chance of an uninvited guest gaining easy entry by changing the locks on all doors. While you’re at it, upgrade to a more secure deadbolt lock.

Buy a 2×4: One piece of wood can have a huge impact on your home security. Sliding glass doors are one of the most vulnerable parts of your home’s defense. Jam a 2×4 between the door frame and the lip of the door to make sure that it can’t easily be opened.

Home security is a lifelong effort. Use these inexpensive tips to make your ADT alarm even more effective.

In all of the excitement of a new school year, the most important things can go by the wayside. Home safety should be at the front of every parent’s mind, but sometimes that’s not the case. With the school year’s opening bell just around the corner, it’s time to refresh your memory. Below, you’ll find some simple tips that will help to keep your child safe this fall.

Refresh the Basics for Campers Coming Back: You would be surprised what a couple of months away at sleep away camp can do to your child’s thoughts on home security. For kids, summer is a time to get away from it all: no homework means no worries. Remind them that they’re no longer in a controlled environment; instead, there are now real dangers that they have to concern themselves with. A vigilant state of mind will go further than anything else to prevent a catastrophe.

Schedule a Home Alarm Lesson: Whether your system is brand new or you’ve had it for a decade (in which case, it’s time for an upgrade), sit your kids down for a refresher course. Remind them that the security code is no joke; it’s meant to be kept a secret from everyone outside of the immediate family.

Talk to Your Children About Bullies: Immortalized in movies like Mean Girls and The Sandlot, bullies are something that need to be taken seriously. Recent tragedies in states across the United States show the need to confront this problem head-on. Let your kids know that they should talk to a trusted teacher or principal if they feel threatened at any time.

Your child can enjoy a safe, fulfilling start to 2009-2010 school year. Take the time to reach out and talk about home security and safety at school, and you’ll go a long way towards that goal.

The changing weather presents many challenges for homeowners. From the potential doom and gloom of hurricane season to the dangers that come along with heavy snowfall, people need to be aware of home security issues that could turn nasty quickly. Mother Nature can turn into a vicious killer in mere moments, so take note of the following situations and the accompanying ways to combat potential hazards.

Staying Safe During Hurricane Season: Residents of the Gulf Coast are well aware of the hazards associated with the height of hurricane season, but many don’t have an effective plan in place in case of the worst. Residents of Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas need to have a firm strategy for both maintaining home security, and evacuating, should it come to that. Hurricane Katrina exposed the weakness of local, state, and federal government; don’t expect them to come to your rescue if another storm strikes. An ADT home alarm system is a great way to secure your home, especially if your evacuation takes you out of state. With five interconnected command centers, you know that no matter where the weather strikes, your service won’t go down.

The Many Dangers of Snow: The white fluffy stuff is the stuff of legend, but it can wreak havoc in different ways. Major snowstorms can dump feet of snow on your roof, and older houses may not have the structural integrity to hold up all that extra weight. If you’re taking a respite from the cold and heading south on vacation, make sure to arrange for someone to shovel-there’s nothing like an unplowed driveway to signal burglars that a homeowner isn’t home. While you’re at it, make sure to set your ADT home security system as you trudge out.

Be Aware of Tornadoes: In the Midwest, the fall brings danger of a different sort. Unpredictable weather can result in powerful tornadoes. Make sure everyone in your family knows where to head in case of a sudden twister strike.

Respect the power of Mother Nature, and take precautions to mitigate the dangers. By following proper procedures, you can lower the risk of a weather related catastrophe.

The summer and its heat are reaching their climax in many parts of the country, and that means that kids will soon be returning to school. In just a few weeks, you’ll be busy with the annual rituals: shoe shopping, the habitual trips to office supply stores, and the hunt for the latest in teenage fashion. Amidst all this chaos, make sure not to forget that safety should be at the forefront. The beginning of the school year is a particularly dangerous time for children as they adapt to new habits. Here are some tips to avoid potential accidents and problems.

Go Over the Basics: It’s been a long, hot summer, and younger children may have forgotten some of the basics of both home security and safety outside of the home. Discuss the basic safety tips, such as talking to strangers and how to negotiate traffic properly. Remember that things that seem simple to you can be more complex to a child, so take the time to make sure they understand.

Perform Some Bus Stop Recon: Before your child’s first bus ride of the new school year, take them out to the stop, and scope out potential hazards. Make sure they understand how to safely wait for the bus, and how to cross the street without danger, if that’s a necessary maneuver.

Re-learn the Home Security System: Take a few moments to review the code to your home security system, as well as its operation. If your kids have been away at sleep away summer camp, there’s a good chance they may have forgotten the details.

Make Sure Freshmen Understand Your Expectations: You’ve waited for this day for 18 years, and now that it’s here, it seems bittersweet. You’re proud your child is heading off to continue their education, but nervous at the same time about all of the dangers that come with living away from home. Sit them down and talk about your expectations, including your thoughts on alcohol and drug use. It could be an uncomfortable conversation, but it’s a necessary one.

The school year is a fun time of reuniting with old friends and making new ones. In the middle of all this excitement, make sure to remember that safety and home security should come first.

As summer comes to a close and fall and winter approach, many homeowners are setting aside a day to take care of their home security needs. This is a great method of ensuring that your property will stay protected for the next six months. Below, find some tips on ways to schedule the perfect day of home security maintenance.

Change Out Smoke Detector Batteries: It’s important to swap out the batteries in your smoke detectors at least once every six months. In the event of a fire, you need all of the notice you can get. While your home security system is equipped with a carbon monoxide detection device, a separate, backup system is recommended to provide the full protection your family deserves.

Change the Locks on Front Door: If you counted the number of times you’ve lent out keys over the past six months, you’d probably find yourself pretty shocked. Whether you’ve given them out to friends, family, neighbors, or Jonny down the street taking care of the dog while you were on vacation, that’s a lot of metal floating around. Take a couple of hours to swap out the old for the new. If your door isn’t properly secured with a bolting lock, now is a great time to make the transition to this more powerful home security device.

Talk to a Home Alarm System Representative About New Technology: New home security technology comes online all the time. Make sure your home is up to date by speaking with a home security representative about exciting new options like closed circuit television cameras and wall panels that enable communication with a home security professional from anywhere in the home.

Schedule a Neighborhood Meeting: Set up a time to talk to the folks in your neighborhood about home security. A strong network of homeowners is one of the surest way to stop crime. Let them know your expectations, and listen to their concerns. Together, you can craft a policy that will keep the neighborhood safe from criminal activity.

Stop putting off home security. By setting up a specific calendar day to take care of protecting your home, you’ll ensure that the necessary steps are taken to keep your family safe and sound.

The heat has rolled in, and it’s not going anywhere soon.  With the heavy and humid summer months upon us, it is time for everyone in the family to put their swimsuit on and take a refreshing dip in the pool.  Lucky are those who happen to have a pool in their very own back yard—something sure to draw in lots of friends and acquaintances looking for some reprieve from the scorching heat.  Having a home swimming pool is a real joy in this regard, though from a home security point of view it also raises certain safety questions, and any home owner with a pool on their property needs to be active in guaranteeing the wellbeing of all.

The first thing that needs to happen is that people need to be made aware of the safety concerns when enjoying the pool and the surrounding area.  Sitting down with family members to explain the rules in depth and the reasons behind those rules is fundamental, as everyone living there should be fully up to speed on the issue; also, it’s necessary to have a quick talk with any other people that come to use the pool that aren’t members of the family.  Having a sign up near the pool reiterating the rules is a good idea, too.

The basic home security rules for the pool are that there is no running allowed, and secondly that diving head first is only allowed in the deep end (if there is one; otherwise it should be totally prohibited).  Thirdly, children should never be allowed to swim or be near the pool on their own; only once a child has demonstrated advanced swimming talents and have surpassed a certain minimal age is it alright for them to use the pool alone.  Fourthly, there should be absolutely no pushing or pulling at all—falls caused because of this behavior can be very bad if not fatal.

It’s best to have a fence surrounding the pool area, with a child-proof lock on the inside, standing at least 4 feet tall.  You can have your home security system configured so that doors leading to the pool can trigger the home alarm, which may not be such a bad idea.  Ultimately, just make sure to talk about pool safety rules in depth and beginning at a young age for your children: the more they understand, the better off everyone will be.

Winter is over, and in many parts of the country that means folks who spent the cold months hunkered down around the fireplace are starting to emerge from hibernation. Summer’s warm temperatures mean increased time outside of the house, and that’s a great thing, as long as you remember to take proper precautions to ensure the security of your home and family. From locking the doors to remembering to set your home alarm system, there are basic things to remember as you prepare to enjoy June, July, and August.

Getting Ready for Vacation: Many family’s head out of town during the summer to enjoy some time away from home. You don’t want to broadcast the fact that your house is open to potential intruders. Let the post office know that you’ll be out of town, and stop all newspaper deliveries. If you can have a neighbor come in a couple of times a day to change lights and take inventory to make sure everything is OK. And it goes without being said that switching on your home security system is a necessary action in protecting your possessions.

Use Caution When Working Outside: Summer is all about getting your lawn and property in order. Put extra emphasis on safety when operating dangerous machinery like chainsaws, woodchippers, and lawnmowers. Keep your kids away from these tools; the hospital is no place to spend summer vacation.

Test Your Smoke Alarms: Many families forget to test their smoke alarms once a month. In the event of a fire, this can be the difference between life and death. Home security products offered include fire, smoke, and medical emergencies as well as protection from intrusion. ADT can help you discover the different options to protect your home.

Be Extra Careful Around the Pool: Every year, tragic accidents occur when unsupervised children find their way into the family pool. This summer, consider putting up a fence around the water to keep unprepared swimmers out. At the very least, have a serious talk with younger kids about the dangers of swimming without an adult chaperone.

You’re sure to love the fun that comes along with being outside all summer long. As long as you spend the time safely, your family will enjoy the memories of these months for a long time to come. Just remember to take some simple precautions, and your home and family will remain secure.