The kitchen is one of the most used rooms in any home, but it also contains many hazards. Make sure to keep these items in your kitchen to promote home security and safety.

1. Oven mitts: Never move hot items from the oven, stove or microwave without oven mitts.
2. Fire extinguisher: In the case of a small fire, use an extinguisher rather than water. Water will only feed grease fires that are typical of kitchens.
3. Smoke detectors: Make sure any smoke, carbon monoxide or heat sensors that come with home alarm systems are up-to-date and have working batteries.
4. Antibacterial soap: Always wash your hands before you eat, and before and after handling germy food like raw meat and eggs.
5. Blade guards: These simple, inexpensive devices can help guard your hand from cuts while using a knife.

A deck can be the perfect place to experience the outdoors, but it can also become a hazard if not properly cared after. Keep loved ones safe this summer as you entertain on your home’s deck with these safety tips.

• Inspect regularly: Have a licensed and experienced deck contractor inspect it. If your deck is more than 10 years old, it’s best to schedule annual inspections. Also do visual inspections in between official ones for signs of wood rot, rusty hardware and movement.

• Protect against fire hazards: Place a non-flammable pad between your deck and anything that could start a fire like a fire pit, grill, chimney or candles. Make sure that your home alarm system and nearby smoke detectors are properly working so that enjoying your deck won’t compromise your home safety.

• Check vegetation: Visually inspect any landscaping near your deck you think may compromise the structure. Call a landscaper to deal with any that doesn’t meet your standards.

Going from renting to buying a home is a big milestone. Be sure that you’re making a sound investment and finding the right home for you by considering these three important things.

• Research school systems: Find out how the school district is ranked, even if you don’t have or don’t plan to have children. Being located near quality schools can increase a home’s selling price.

• Weigh neighborhood security: Are there signs posted for neighborhood watch groups? Check out homes in the area to see if they have window decals and yard signs for ADT security systems.  Criminals may be less likely attempt break-ins in neighborhoods protected by home alarm systems.

• Evaluate your commute: Time how far it will take you to get to work, grocery stores, schools and any other places that you’ll frequently visit. Then decide if your prospective home is worth the travel time.

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.

Having a home security system is an important part of keeping your entire family and your possessions safe and secure.  In neighborhoods all across the country – even those considered very safe – homeowners and renters are protecting their dwellings with sophisticated security systems.

While the presence of home security systems does reduce crime in itself, the systems are also known as somewhat of a nuisance to police and fire personnel.  False alarms are very common with keypad-entry security systems.  The reason for false alarms is usually because the occupant of the home forgot their code or accidentally entered the wrong code.

Every time a false alarm is sounded and the police force or fire department responds, it costs your city money.  The costs vary by location, but some cities estimate that false alarms cost them a million dollars a year.  Understandably, many localities are now charging fines for homeowners who have repeated false alarms.  You may be forgiven for the first one or two false alarms, but any more than that and you’ll be billed each time.

City budgets aren’t the only victims of security system false alarms.  People who fear being fined sometimes disconnect their security system or simply stop arming it.  While it may save the occupant from being fined for accidentally tripping the alarm, it also opens the home up to break-ins.

In order to combat this increasing problem, ADT Security has introduced SafeWatch SafePass, which is a small radio frequency identification (RFID) tag that alarm system owners carry with them.  It works in the same way that entering a security code would work to arm and disarm the system.  The difference is that there is virtually no room for human error with this method.  It just takes a simple wave of the tag a couple of inches in front of the wall panel.

ADT Security is the only home security company in the nation with this technology.  They hope that the simple-to-use device will be beneficial not only for the person using the alarm system, but for every police, fire and rescue department around the country.  By making it harder to trigger the alarm accidentally, the device may save cities millions of dollars a year.

In addition to using the SafeWatch SafePass, there are many other ways to avoid setting off your alarm system accidentally.

1. Make sure everyone in the home knows how to use the system.  This doesn’t necessarily mean teaching your toddler the code, but let everyone know that doors shouldn’t be opened when the system is armed.  Inform them about the delay time between arming the alarm and getting out of the door.

2. Maintain your system.  Keep sensors clean, keep batteries fresh, and call the security company for maintenance when needed.

3. Know how to cancel the alarm.  In the case of a false alarm, you need to know the cancel code to avoid a costly visit by police, rescue, or fire personnel.

A great way to help protect your home and family – and avoid false alarms – is to select from one of the excellent, technologically-advanced ADT security systems.